Vibration powered generator
Encyclopedia
A vibration powered generator is a type of transducer
that converts kinetic energy derived from ambient vibration to electrical energy.
Magnets wobbling on a cantilever are sensitive to even small vibrations and generate microcurrents by moving relative to conductors due to Faraday's law of induction
. By developing a miniature device of this kind in 2007, a team from the University of Southampton
made possible the planting of such a device in environments that preclude having any electrical connection to the outside world. Sensors in inaccessible places can now generate their own power and transmit data to outside receivers.
Implants in heart muscles can use the heart's movement to generate sufficient voltage to act as a pacemaker
, doing away with the necessity for regular battery replacements. Sensors placed in remote parts of a space shuttle
or airliner can transmit data to a central receiver, such as a black box
, even in the event of a total power failure. The pressure and temperature of wheels on a trailer could be monitored by placing sensors on the inside of the tyre. Factories producing any type of merchandise will benefit from being able to place maintenance-free sensors at all critical points.
Piezoelectric materials can also be used to harvest low levels of mechanical energy into electrical energy suitable for powering wireless sensors, low power microprocessors or charging batteries.
Transducer
A transducer is a device that converts one type of energy to another. Energy types include electrical, mechanical, electromagnetic , chemical, acoustic or thermal energy. While the term transducer commonly implies the use of a sensor/detector, any device which converts energy can be considered a...
that converts kinetic energy derived from ambient vibration to electrical energy.
Magnets wobbling on a cantilever are sensitive to even small vibrations and generate microcurrents by moving relative to conductors due to Faraday's law of induction
Faraday's law of induction
Faraday's law of induction dates from the 1830s, and is a basic law of electromagnetism relating to the operating principles of transformers, inductors, and many types of electrical motors and generators...
. By developing a miniature device of this kind in 2007, a team from the University of Southampton
University of Southampton
The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
made possible the planting of such a device in environments that preclude having any electrical connection to the outside world. Sensors in inaccessible places can now generate their own power and transmit data to outside receivers.
Implants in heart muscles can use the heart's movement to generate sufficient voltage to act as a pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
, doing away with the necessity for regular battery replacements. Sensors placed in remote parts of a space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
or airliner can transmit data to a central receiver, such as a black box
Black Box (transportation)
The term black box is a placeholder name used casually to refer to a collection of several different recording devices used in transportation: the flight recorders in aircraft, the event recorder in railway locomotives, the event data recorder in automobiles, message case in ships, and other...
, even in the event of a total power failure. The pressure and temperature of wheels on a trailer could be monitored by placing sensors on the inside of the tyre. Factories producing any type of merchandise will benefit from being able to place maintenance-free sensors at all critical points.
Piezoelectric materials can also be used to harvest low levels of mechanical energy into electrical energy suitable for powering wireless sensors, low power microprocessors or charging batteries.