• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.383-391
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• 2023

Energy harvesting in trams may become a prevalent source of passive energy generation due to the high density of vibrational energy, and this may help power structural health monitoring systems for the trams. This paper presents a broadband vibrational energy harvesting device design that utilizes a varied frequency from a tram vehicle using a 2 DOF vibrational system combined with electromagnetic energy conversion. This paper will demonstrate stepwise optimization processes to determine mechanical parameters for frequency tuning to adjust to the trams' operational conditions, and electromagnetic parameters for the whole system design to maximize power output. The initial optimization will determine 5 important design parameters in a 2 DOF vibrational system, namely the masses (m₁, m₂ (and spring constants (k₁, k₂, k₃). The second step will use these parameters as initial guesses for the second optimization which will maintain the ratios of these parameters and present electrical parameters to maximize the power output from this system. The obtained values indicated a successful demonstration of design optimization as the average power generated increased from 1.475 mW to 17.44 mW (around 12 times).

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• 제8권10호
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• pp.3321-3341
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• 2014

This paper investigates the outage performance and optimization for the four-phase two-way transmission network with an energy harvesting (EH) relay. To enable the simultaneous information processing and energy harvesting at the relay, we firstly propose a power splitting-based two-way relaying protocol (PSTWR). Then, we discuss its outage performance theoretically and derive an explicit expression for the system outage probability. In order to find the optimal system configuration parameters such as the optimal power splitting ratio and the optimal transmit power redistribution factor, we formulate an outage-minimized optimization problem. As the problem is difficult to solve, we design a genetic algorithm (GA) based algorithm for it. Besides, we also investigate the effects of the power splitting ratio, the power redistribution factor at the relay, and the source to relay distance on the system outage performance. Finally, extensive simulation results are provided to demonstrate the accuracy of the analytical results and the effectiveness of the GA-based algorithm. Moreover, it is also shown that, the relay position greatly affects the system performance, where relatively worse outage performance is achieved when the EH relay is placed in the middle of the two sources.

• 한국소음진동공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국소음진동공학회 2008년도 춘계학술대회논문집
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• pp.81-89
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• 2008

This paper is concerned with the development of the piezoelectric energy harvesting(PEH) device for ubiquitous sensor node(USN). The USN needs auxiliary power to lengthen its operational life. In this study, the piezoelectric energy harvesting system consisting of a cantilever with a tip mass and piezoelectric wafer was investigated in detail both theoretically and experimentally. The dynamic model for the addressed system was derived using the assumed mode method. The resulting equations of motion were expressed in matrix form, which had never been developed before. The power output characteristics of the PEH was then calculated and discussed. Various experiments were carried out to investigate the charging characteristics of electrical components. Theoretical and experimental results showed that the PEH was able to charge a battery with ambient vibrations but still needed an effective mechanism which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and an optimal electric circuit which dissipates small energy.

• 한국소음진동공학회논문집
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• 제18권6호
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• pp.632-641
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• 2008

This paper is concerned with the development of the piezoelectric energy harvesting(PEH) device for ubiquitous sensor node(USN). The USN needs auxiliary power to lengthen its operational life. In this study, the piezoelectric energy harvesting system consisting of a cantilever with a tip mass and piezoelectric wafer was investigated in detail both theoretically and experimentally. The dynamic model for the addressed system was derived using the assumed mode method. The resulting equations of motion were expressed in matrix form, which had never been developed before. The power output characteristics of the PEH was then calculated and discussed. Various experiments were carried out to investigate the charging characteristics of electrical components. Theoretical and experimental results showed that the PEH was able to charge a battery with ambient vibrations but still needed an effective mechanism which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and an optimal electric circuit which dissipates small energy.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.255-260
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• 2016

In this paper, a full-wave rectifier (FWR) with a simple vibration detector suitable for use with vibrational energy harvesting systems is presented. Conventional active FWRs where active diodes are used to reduce the diode voltage drop and increase the system efficiency are usually powered from the output. Output-powered FWRs exhibit relatively high efficiencies because the comparators used in active diodes are powered from the stable output voltage. Nevertheless, a major drawback is that these FWRs consume power from the output storage capacitor even when the system is not harvesting any energy. To overcome the problem, a technique using a simple vibration detector consisting of a peak detector and a level converter is proposed. The vibration detector detects whether vibrational energy exists or not in the input terminal and disables the comparators when there is no vibrational energy. The proposed FWR with the vibration detector is designed using a $0.35-{\mu}m$ CMOS process. Simulation results have verified the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. By using the proposed vibration detector, a decrease in leakage current by approximately 67,000 times can be achieved after the vibration disappears.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.140-150
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• 2012

In this paper, we investigate the optimal packet scheduling problem in a two-user multiple access communication system, where the transmitters are able to harvest energy from the nature. Under a deterministic system setting, we assume that the energy harvesting times and harvested energy amounts are known before the transmission starts. For the packet arrivals, we assume that packets have already arrived and are ready to be transmitted at the transmitter before the transmission starts. Our goal is to minimize the time by which all packets from both users are delivered to the destination through controlling the transmission powers and transmission rates of both users. We first develop a generalized iterative backward waterfilling algorithm to characterize the maximum departure region of the transmitters for any given deadline T. Then, based on the sequence of maximum departure regions at energy arrival instants, we decompose the transmission completion time minimization problem into convex optimization problems and solve the overall problem efficiently.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.954-959
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• 2012

A hybrid switch that uses a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch as a gate driver of a MOSFET is applied to an energy harvesting system. The power management circuit adopting the hybrid switch provides ultralow leakage, self-referencing, and high current handling capability. Measurements show that solar energy harvester circuit utilizing the MEMS-MOSFET hybrid switch accumulates energy and charges a battery or drive a resistive load without any constant power supply and reference voltage. The leakage current during energy accumulation is less than 10 pA. The power management circuit adopting the proposed hybrid switch is believed to be an ideal solution to self-powered wireless sensor nodes in smart grid systems.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제38권5호
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• pp.242-247
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• 2017

This study presents a bio-chemical energy harvesting system which can generate electric power from bioorganic substance contained in vermicompost. It produced electricity by inoculating microbial fuel cell(MFC) with earthworm-composted food waste. The generated electricity was converted into usable voltage level for mobile electronics through power conditioning circuits. The implemented prototype showed $200{\mu}W$ of maximum output electric power, which successfully supplied a beacon device which continuously transmitted data to nearby smartphone without a battery. The proposed system can help develop portable or bio-mimetic energy supply for sustainable use with further improvement.

• 전기전자학회논문지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.206-211
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• 2021

본 논문에서는 열전에너지 하베스팅을 위한 자가 리셋(self-reset) 기능을 갖는 영점 전류 스위칭(Zero-Current Switching) 회로를 제안한다. 본 논문에서 제안하는 영점 전류 스위칭 회로는 전압비교기 회로에 자가 리셋 기능을 추가하여 전압비교기의 동작전류를 최소화함으로써 에너지 하베스팅 회로의 전력 소비를 줄이고 에너지 변환 효율을 향상시킬 수 있게 한다. 회로 시뮬레이션으로 본 논문에서 제안하는 영전 전류 스위칭 회로의 동작을 검증하고 성능을 평가한 결과, 열전에너지 하베스팅 회로의 출력전압-입력전압 비가 5.5 일 때, 기존의 영점 전류 스위칭 회로를 이용한 하베스팅 회로와의 비교를 통해서 본 논문의 하베스팅 회로의 전력효율이 3.4% 개선되는 것으로 평가된다. 본 논문에서 제안하는 영점 전류 스위칭 회로는 열전에너지 하베스팅의 응용 중에서 특히 저전력과 고에너지 효율 특성이 중요한 웨어러블, 바이오 헬스 관련된 하베스팅 회로의 성능 개선에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

• 감성과학
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.85-94
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• 2013

인체의 동작으로부터 전기 에너지를 수확하려는 압전 에너지 수확에 관한 연구가 최근 활발히 진행되고 있으며, 본 연구에서는 이러한 압전 에너지 수확 소자를 의류에 적용하여 에너지 수확 의류를 설계하였다. 먼저, 동작에너지를 수확하는데 적합한 사지의 인체 부위를 밝히기 위해 3차원 모셥 캡쳐를 실시하였고, 그 결과 엉덩이, 팔꿈치, 무릎이 적합한 부위임이 밝혀졌으며, 이 중, 움직임이 자유로운 팔꿈치와 무릎이 동작에너지 수확 부위로 도출되었다. 압전 에너지 수확 소자의 경우 의류에 적용되기 위해서는 유연하면서도 동작에 민감하게 반응되는 새로운 구조가 필요하였으며, 2개 소자를 적층으로 구성하여 발생하는 전력량을 높이는 새로운 방식이 제안되었다. 의류의 경우 압전 에너지 수확 부위인 팔꿈치와 무릎 부위에서 인체에 잘 밀착되면서 움직임을 제한하지 않는 구조가 요구되었으며, 이에 가장 적합한 무봉제 의류로 제작되었다. 개발된 압전 에너지 수확소자를 부착한 에너지 수확 의류를 시험한 결과 높은 전기에너지 발생 결과를 얻을 수 있었다.