Aeroelastic Energy Harvesting Analysis Using Unsteady Aerodynamics

In this paper, a nonlinear aeroelastic energy harvester consisting of a two-degree freedom rigid body airfoil under subsonic flow has been investigated. It is considered that the airfoil supported by nonlinear flexural and torsional springs, can harvest energy in bending motion by the attached piezoelectric layer. Aerodynamic forces are modeled by using well-known Peters’ aerodynamic model. The governing nonlinear equations are developed by Hamilton’s principle and solved numerically by Runge-Kutta method. Then, effects of various parameters such as nonlinear torsional values, flow speed and resistance on power production are investigated. Results show that the nonlinear torsional spring plays an important role on the system’s behavior and power production. Moreover, due to the effects of unsteady aerodynamic forces on the obtained results, it is more realistic to use such models in the aeroelastic harvester analysis in comparison with steady or quasi-steady aerodynamics.

Keywords:

Energy harvesting , Piezoelectric , Piezoaeroelstic , Unsteady aerodynamic force , Nonlinear Spring