Investigation upon Piezoelectric Wind Energy Harvesters with Tandem Blunt Bodies of Different Geometries

Piezoelectric wind energy harvesters have emerged as a promising solution for providing high-power to low-power electronic devices. Tremendous research efforts have been made to put forward novel device configurations, set up theoretical models, and optimized device performances from different perspectives. Yet, the limited operating range and low power output have posed significant challenges to their practical implementations. The current contribution proposes a new piezoelectric wind energy harvester with tandem blunt bodies and investigates its output performance under different parameters. It is demonstrated that the spacing ratio between the two blunt bodies significantly affects the device output. Additionally, the height and wing length of the blunt bodies also have a substantial impact on their output performances. According to the experimental results, a double-blunt-body configuration with a wing length of 70 mm and a height of 25 mm shows a superior voltage output of 28.2 V at a wind speed of 10 m/s. While the results validate the introduction of an extra blunt body into traditional piezoelectric wind energy harvesters, future investigations are to be made in terms of the physical mechanisms and mathematical models of the newly proposed device configuration.