Mechanical energy harvesting using a Tuned Liquid Column Device with dielectric transduction

Abstract

This study deals with mechanical energy harvesting using a novel Tuned Liquid Column Device (TLCD) integrated with dielectric elastomer (DE) membranes for mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion. The system exploits the liquid motion in a U-shaped container and the electromechanical response of DE membranes, providing an efficient alternative to conventional solutions. A mathematical model is developed by coupling the liquid dynamics, the membrane electro-hyperelastic behavior, and the thermodynamics of the enclosed air volume. A simplified formulation is derived by introducing an approximate constitutive relation between liquid displacement and membrane deflection. Harmonic balance based procedure is employed for an analytical prediction of the steady-state system response. This procedure yields a high level of accuracy with respect to the classical solution of the differential equation of the system, which is confirmed by numerical analysis. The analytical study is supplemented by experimental tests using harmonic and broadband noise base excitations, revealing excellent numerical–experimental agreement. Finally, the energy harvesting performance of the system is assessed by coupling the device with an electrical circuit with a control strategy. Numerical results demonstrate significantly higher power conversion efficiency compared with similar TLCD-based alternatives in the literature. The findings highlight the potential and versatility of TLCD-DE systems for multifunctional applications involving vibration energy harvesting in settings such as civil infrastructure, wind turbines, and offshore platforms.