Research on an energy harvesting flag which convert wind energy to electric energy by wave principles

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K06979
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Energy engineering
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: Nishigaki Tsutomu 近畿大学, 生物理工学部, 教授 (80251643)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 圧電フィルム / 環境発電 / 風力発電 / 波動原理 / 発電旗 / 渦励振

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, a smart wind energy harvesting duct with appropriately shaped piezoelectric film bonded on their surfaces was investigated. This energy harvesting ducts possess ability of generating electric energy from wind energy, based on the wave motion excited from the wind of constant speed. Flexible ducts with piezoelectric film bonded on their surfaces were manufactured and their vibration behavior in a simple wind tunnel was observed using high speed cameras. It was observed that there existed a wind speed range in which the power generation of the proposed energy harvesting duct increased rapidly against the wind speed. From these results, it was implied that the mechanisms of excitation of the energy harvesting duct were due to the vortex excitation from the wind. Finally, the design criterion of the proposed energy harvesting system suitable for generating electric energy at low wind speed under 5m/s was summarized.

Free Research Field

工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

身の周りに広く薄く存在する"捨てているエネルギー"の新たな活用方法の開発は，大型構造物の遠隔モニタリング用電源を配線なしで実現できるなど，機器・構造物のメンテナンスコストの削減と信頼性の向上などに大きく寄与でき，社会的意義も大きい．特に低風速域での発電量を上昇させることで，晴天の昼間しか発電しない太陽光発電に加えて重要な選択肢を提供でき，その発電メカニズムとして圧電体構造物の振動利用が学術的にも重要な課題といえる．強風時のみ発電する発電システムよりも，柔軟・コンパクトで低風速時にも発電する方法の開発により，その利用価値は格段に上昇することから，設計指針を導出できたことが重要であると考えられる。