Modeling and Optimization of a Vortex Induced Vibration Fluid Kinetic Energy Harvester

Abstract In this contribution a fluid kinetic energy harvester excited by vortex induced vibration (VIV) is proposed. In terms of describing and verifying the interaction between the structural and the fluidic domain, a two-way Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) simulation has been carried out. In order to optimize the harvester, different designs have been investigated to improve the performance. Subsequently, a demonstrator setup for testing the manufactured harvester has been assembled. The experimental results were compared with that of FSI-simulations. By applying the optimized harvester structure, the vortex induced pressure could be enhanced 4 times compared to convetional structures. The results show that the VIV energy harvester deliver 1 μW power output under 2 m/s air flows.