• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.155-173
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• 2016

This paper presents a method of design for the energy harvesting of a piezoelectric cantilever beam. Vibration modes have strain nodes where the strain distribution changes in the direction of the beam length. Covering the strain nodes of the vibration modes with continuous electrodes effects a cancellation of the voltages outputs. The use of segmented electrodes avoids cancellations of the voltage for multi-mode vibration. The resistive load affects the voltage and generated power. The optimum resistive load is considered for segmented and continuous electrodes, and then the power output is verified. One of the effective parameters on energy harvesting performance is the existence of concentrated mass. This topic is studied in this paper. Resonance and off-resonance cases are considered for the harvester. In this paper, both theoretical and experimental methods are used for satisfactory results.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.67-90
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• 2017

The interdisciplinary research area of small scale energy harvesting has attracted tremendous interests in the past decades, with a goal of ultimately realizing self-powered electronic systems. Among the various available ambient energy sources which can be converted into electricity, wind energy is a most promising and ubiquitous source in both outdoor and indoor environments. Significant research outcomes have been produced on small scale wind energy harvesting in the literature, mostly based on piezoelectric conversion. Especially, modeling methods of wind energy harvesting techniques plays a greatly important role in accurate performance evaluations as well as efficient parameter optimizations. The purpose of this paper is to present a guideline on the modeling methods of small-scale wind energy harvesters. The mechanisms and characteristics of different types of aeroelastic instabilities are presented first, including the vortex-induced vibration, galloping, flutter, wake galloping and turbulence-induced vibration. Next, the modeling methods are reviewed in detail, which are classified into three categories: the mathematical modeling method, the equivalent circuit modeling method, and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. This paper aims to provide useful guidance to researchers from various disciplines when they want to develop and model a multi-way coupled wind piezoelectric energy harvester.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.76-85
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• 1986

This study was intended to examine the failure characteristics and breakdowns of the head-fed type combines generally used on farms. The failure distribution was assumed to follow Weibull distribution function and the Weibull parameters of the major parts, units and combine as whole were estimated by using the data collected in a survey. A computer program for the estimation of the Weibull parameter was developed. Monte Carlo method was used in predicting the time between failures. The results of study may be summarized as follows: 1. The number of failures per combine was 4.83 times per year and 0.3 times per hectare of combines of different ages. 2. According to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test method, it was proved that the Weibull distribution function is well fitted to the characteristics of the failure and breakdowns of combines. 3. Weibull parameters of failure distribution of the combine as a whole were estimated to give the shape parameter ${\beta}$=1.3089 and the scale parameter ${\alpha}$=105.2409. The combining area with 80% reliability was 1.1 ha, and the probability of operating the combine without any failure for a year, was $2.76{\times}10^{-4}$. 4. The mean time between failures (MTBF) of the combines was predicted to be 3.2 ha of operation, which corresponds to 32 hours of operation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.247-266
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• 2014

Conventional cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) are usually fabricated with continuous electrode configuration (CEC), which suffers from the electrical cancellation at higher vibration modes. Though previous research pointed out that the segmented electrode configuration (SEC) can address this issue, a comprehensive evaluation of the PEH with SEC has yet been reported. With the consideration of delivering power to a common load, the AC outputs from all segmented electrode pairs should be rectified to DC outputs separately. In such case, theoretical formulation for power estimation becomes challenging. This paper proposes a method based on equivalent circuit model (ECM) and circuit simulation to evaluate the performance of the PEH with SEC. First, the parameters of the multi-mode ECM are identified from theoretical analysis. The ECM is then established in SPICE software and validated by the theoretical model and finite element method (FEM) with resistive loads. Subsequently, the optimal performances with SEC and CEC are compared considering the practical DC interface circuit. A comprehensive evaluation of the advantageous performance with SEC is provided for the first time. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using SEC as a simple and effective means to improve the performance of a cantilevered PEH at a higher mode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 2000.11b
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• pp.287-294
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• 2000

Calculation of the flexural rigidity value (EI) is indispensable for prescription of deflection characteristics of crop stalks in harvesting□Conventionally□EI has been determined by either average EI of the whole stalk or average EI of each stems divided into node through the calculation method of cantilever with homogeneous section□However□deflection characteristics of crop stalks caused by mechanical operation such as combine harvester were not exactly presumed by these conventional EI through the experiment by authors. Further, actual EI of a stalk changes in company with a change of moisture contents as time passes during the experiment. Finally, efficient calculation method for determining EI is needed in order to improve these problems. In this study, mechanical model based on actual structure of the crop stalk with variety sectional area was proposed. This mechanical model is calculated by the theory of cantilever with continuous stages. Therefore, improvement of both calculating accuracy on EI and efficiency of measuring system was tried. At first, this calculation method was applied to piano wire of which EI was recognized in advance. As a result, EI calculated from this new method coincided approximately with piano wire's EI. Next, applying to crop stalks as same as piano wire, relationship between loads acting on crop stalks and deflection values calculated by EI using this new calculation method was exactly presumed in comparison with conventional method. Further, measuring time of deflection test was greatly reduced. Finally, new calculation method of EI will be available for estimating mechanical characteristics of so many kinds of crop stalks in harvesting operation. Further, in this study, new deflection test using image-processing apparatus by computer will be introduced.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.139-145
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• 2015

In this paper, the flexible piezoelectric nanocomposite generator(NCG) device based on $BaTiO_3$ nanostructures was fabricated via simple and low-cost spin coating method. The $BaTiO_3$ nanostructures synthesized by self-assembly reaction showed dendrite morphologies. To produce the piezoelectric nanocomposite(p-NC layer) which acts as an electric energy source in NCG device, the piezoelectric nanopowders($BaTiO_3$) were dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS). Sequently, the p-NC layer was inserted in two dielectric layer of PDMS; these layers enabled the NCG device flexibility as well as durability prohibiting detachment(exfoliation) for significantly mechanical bending motions. The fabricated NCG device shows average maximum open circuit voltage of 6.2 V and average maximum current signals of 300 nA at 20 wt% composition of $BaTiO_3$ nanostructures in p-NC layer. Finally, the flexible energy harvester generates stable output signals at any rate of frequency which were used to operate LCD device without any external energy supply.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1625-1642
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• 2015

We propose an electrically self-reliant structural health monitoring (SHM) system that is able to wirelessly transmit sensing data using electrical power generated by vibration without the need for additional external power sources. The provision of reliable electricity to wireless SHM systems is a highly important issue that has often been ignored, and to expand the applicability of various wireless SHM innovations, it will be necessary to develop comprehensive wireless SHM devices including stable electricity sources. In light of this need, we propose a new, highly efficient vibration-powered generator based on a tuned-mass-damper (TMD) mechanism that is quite suitable for vibration-based SHM. The charging time of the TMD generator is shorter than that of conventional generators based on the impedance matching method, and the proposed TMD generator can harvest 16 times the amount of energy that a conventional generator can. The charging time of an SHM wireless transmitter is quantitatively formulated. We conduct wireless monitoring experiments to validate a wireless SHM system composed of a self-reliant SHM and a vibration-powered TMD generator.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.544-547
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• 2002

According to the rising of national economic level. domestic consumption of vegetables having high additive values is increased continuously due to increased consumption of meat in last decade. These vegetables are produced almost in this country and are limited to import from neighbor countries in due of high transportation expenses for storing in refrigerated container. It is very important to mechanize the harvest work, forming more than 30% for their production cost, in order to cultivate variable vegetables at the same time according to their harvesting seasons. In this state its former harvest methods, with using of human power or semi-automatic harvest, caused to increase their production cost due to high labor cost and low working efficiency. The former onion harvest being operated almost by semi-automatic plant distributer mechanism have many limit and troublesome for cultivation spaces, vinyle mulched ridge, gravel mixture in soil. Therefore, it is necessary to develope a fully automatic and self-running situation and overcome above handicaps, even in the farm covered with vinyle house or mulch sheets. This newly developed onion harvest can be applied to plant various young trees and will be able to export together with onion haying their competition in the worldwide market in which the culinary vegetable method or farm conditions is similar to our country.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.33-46
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• 2012

To reduce the vibration of cable-stayed bridges, conventional magnetorheological (MR) damper control system (CMRDS), with separate power supply, sensors and controllers, is widely investigated. In this paper, to improve the reliability and performance of the control system, one adaptive MR damper control system (AMRDS) consisting of MR damper and piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is proposed. According to piezoelectric effect, PEH can produce energy for powering MR damper. The energy is proportional to the product of the cable displacement and velocity. Due to the damping force changing with the energy, the new system can be adjustable to reduce the cable vibration. Compared with CMRDS, the new system is structurally simplified, replacing external sensor, power supply and controller with PEH. In the paper, taking the N26 cable of Shandong Binzhou Yellow River Bridge as example, the design method for the whole AMRDS is given, and simple formulas for PEH are derived. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive control system, the performance is compared with active control case and simple Bang-Bang semi-active control case. It is shown that AMRDS is better than simple Bang-Bang semi-active control case, and still needed to be improved in comparison with active control case.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to develop hybrid energy blocks with piezoelectric and electromagnetic induction method. The developed energy block is able to be applied to the housing and facilities in the city and is suitable to adjust the characteristics of facilities. To develop the hybrid energy block, we analyzed the characteristics and requirements of various energy block types and drew improvement and application method to develop energy blocks. We compared and analyzed the characteristics and performance of the prototype energy blocks and the developed hybrid energy blocks. According to result of the comparison and analysis, the developed energy block shows higher performance of 12.7 times for adding one vibration and 28.9 times for five consecutive vibrations than that of a existing prototype energy block. This is consistent with research purposes for W-level electrical energy production. Thus, the new energy block will likely be possible to apply to the housing and urban facility.