Power and efficiency analysis of a flapping wing wind energy harvester

Matthew Bryant; Michael W. Shafer; Ephrahim Garcia

doi:10.1117/12.915344

27 March 2012 Power and efficiency analysis of a flapping wing wind energy harvester

Matthew Bryant, Michael W. Shafer, Ephrahim Garcia

Proceedings Volume 8341, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2012; 83410E (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.915344
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Energy harvesting from flowing fluids using flapping wings and fluttering aeroelastic structures has recently gained significant research attention as a possible alternative to traditional rotary turbines, especially at and below the centimeter scale. One promising approach uses an aeroelastic flutter instability to drive limit cycle oscillations of a flexible piezoelectric energy harvesting structure. Such a system is well suited to miniaturization and could be used to create self-powered wireless sensors wherever ambient flows are available. In this paper, we examine modeling of the aerodynamic forces, power extraction, and efficiency of such a flapping wing energy harvester at a low Reynolds number on the order of 1000. Two modeling approaches are considered, a quasi-steady method generalized from existing models of insect flight and a modified model that includes terms to account to the effects of dynamic stall. The modified model is shown to provide better agreement with CFD simulations of a flapping energy harvester.

Citation Download Citation

Matthew Bryant, Michael W. Shafer, and Ephrahim Garcia "Power and efficiency analysis of a flapping wing wind energy harvester", Proc. SPIE 8341, Active and Passive Smart Structures and Integrated Systems 2012, 83410E (27 March 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.915344

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