DEVICE MADE OF PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIAL HAVING A FIN FOR HARVESTING ENERGY FROM AIR FLOWS

摘要

The subject of the present invention is a device that is able to harvest energy from air flows present in either open and closed environments, from natural or artificial sources. The invention basically consists of a piezoelectric element appropriately attached to an aerodynamic appendage specifically sized in shape and in mechanical characteristics for exploiting a specific effect of the flow of air (in particular, one of the effects referred to technically as "vortex shedding", "flutter", or else "turbulent-flow-induced vibrations") for the production of electrical energy. In the example of embodiment referred to in the present description, the device is mainly conceived as an element of a wireless building automation network integrated with a temperature sensor, for specific applications within air-conditioning ducts in which the aforesaid vortex-shedding phenomenon is exploited.