A Supersonic Aerodynamic Energy Harvester: A Functionally Graded Material Beam with a Giant Magnetostrictive Thin Film

In this study, a simply supported functionally graded material beam with a giant magnetostrictive thin film (GMF) was selected as an energy harvester. Based on the theory of large deformation and the Villari effect of GMF, piston theory was used to simulate the dynamic equation of the whole structure under supersonic aerodynamic pressure and in a thermal environment by using Hamilton’s principle, and the energy harvesting effect of GMF was simulated by using a Runge–Kutta algorithm. Below the critical flutter velocity, the maximum voltage output and energy harvesting results were discussed as they were affected by external factors such as the geometric model of structure parameters, slenderness ratio, gradient index, number of turns of an electromagnetic coil, airflow velocity, and temperature. The electromechanical coupling coefficient $$ k_{{33}}$$ was 71%. The results show that this proposed harvester can achieve an optimal harvesting effect by adjusting the parameters appropriately, and collect energy in thermal and supersonic environments using the GMF, which provides power to sensors of the health monitoring system of the aircraft’s own structure.