The influence of lumped mass deployment on the performance of a hybrid galloping energy harvester

Abstract

Abstract This article delves into a hybrid galloping energy harvester featuring a longitudinally aligned triangular-shaped bluff body. Numerically, it analyzes how the position of a lumped mass influences the average output power of the harvester under concurrent base excitation and galloping. In comparison with traditional hybrid energy harvesters, the impact of three factors—low airflow velocity, small base excitation amplitude, and low frequency—is examined for each case of lumped mass deployment. The findings reveal that optimal mass positioning markedly enhances the harvester’s average power output when there are low airflow velocities, small base excitation amplitudes, and low frequencies, constituting a novel contribution to the field. Through numerous numerical simulations, it is determined that the optimal position for deploying the lumped mass is approximately 60–70% along the length of the cantilever beam substrate.

Keywords

• Hybrid energy harvester
• Lumped mass
• Galloping
• Base excitation
• Triangular-shaped-sectioned bluff body.