This paper presents a novel miniature airflow energy harvester for wireless sensing applications. The energy harvester consists of a wing that is attached to a cantilever spring. The wing oscillates in response to a steady airflow. An electromagnetic transducer is used to extract electrical energy from the airflow induced oscillations. Both vertical and horizontal orientations have been studied. Experiments have shown that such generator can operate at airflow speeds as low as 1.5m/s which compares well to turbines. When the airflow speed is over 2m/s, the average output power exceeds 90uW, which is sufficient for powering wireless sensor nodes in Heat, Ventilation and Air Condition (HVAC) systems in buildings.
展开▼
