Resonant frequency tuning of an industrial vibration energy harvester

This paper presents preliminary results of tuning the resonant frequency of two industrial vibration energy harvesters. The VEH-450 from Ferro Solutions and the PMG17-50 from Perpetuum were tested using discrete reactive electrical loads. The former could be tuned to +0.5 Hz and -2 Hz from its natural resonant frequency of 50.5 Hz at 0.1g. The latter, however, has a broadband output power spectrum that spans ±10 Hz and its output voltage saturates at 7 V_rms, thereby rendering it un-tunable using the method presented here. A comparison of output power between a tuned VEH-450 and an un-tuned PMG17-50, normalised by harvester weight, shows that the former outperforms the latter only at a tuned frequency of 49.8 Hz. A discussion of a resonant frequency tuning circuit that can be fitted to an existing harvester without making modifications to the harvester is presented