A design of an electret-type vibration energy harvester using non-linear springs is described. The use of bi-stable springs enabling a snap-through behavior is a well-known technique known for improving the low-frequency performances of energy harvesters. The electrical power from our bi-stable energy harvester concept is estimated using a numerical computing tool and an electrical equivalent circuit model. We conclude that our bi-stable spring harvester concept obtains larger power at lower frequencies compared to a similar linear design.
