Stochastic Thermodynamics of an Electromagnetic Energy Harvester

We study the power extracted by an electromagnetic energy harvester driven by broadband vibrations. We describe the system with a linear model, featuring an underdamped stochastic differential equation for an effective mass in a harmonic potential, coupled electromechanically with the current in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luigi Costanzo, Alessandro Lo Schiavo, Alessandro Sarracino, Massimo Vitelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-08-01
Series:Entropy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24/9/1222
Description
Summary:We study the power extracted by an electromagnetic energy harvester driven by broadband vibrations. We describe the system with a linear model, featuring an underdamped stochastic differential equation for an effective mass in a harmonic potential, coupled electromechanically with the current in the circuit. We compare the characteristic curve (power vs. load resistance) obtained in experiments for several values of the vibration amplitude with the analytical results computed from the model. Then, we focus on a more refined analysis, taking into account the temporal correlations of the current signal and the fluctuations of the extracted power over finite times. We find a very good agreement between the analytical predictions and the experimental data, showing that the linear model with effective parameters can describe the real system, even at the fine level of fluctuations. Our results could be useful in the framework of stochastic thermodynamics applied to energy harvesting systems.
ISSN:1099-4300