Vibration energy harvesting using Galfenol based transducer

In this paper the novel design of Galfenol based vibration energy harvester is presented. The device uses Galfenol rod diameter 6.35 mm and length 50mm, polycrystalline, production grade, manufactured by FSZM process by ETREMA Product Inc. For experimental study of the harvester, the test rig was developed. It was found by experiment that for given frequency of external excitation there exist optimal values of bias and pre-stress which maximize generated voltage and harvested power. Under optimized operational conditions and external excitations with frequency 50Hz the designed transducer generates about 10 V and harvests about 0,45 W power. Within the running conditions, the Galfenol rod power density was estimated to 340mW/cm3. The obtained results show high practical potential of Galfenol based sensors for vibration-to-electrical energy conversion, structural health monitoring, etc

Un estudio comparativo de actuadores Piezoeléctricos y Magnetoestrictivos para estructuras inteligentes

[EN] This paper introduces a comparative analysis of Piezoelectric (PZ) and Magnetostrictive (MS) actuators as components in smart structures. There is an increasing interest in functional structures which are able to adapt to external or internal perturbations, i.e. changes in loading conditions or ageing. Actuator technologies must perform concomitantly as sensors and actuators to be applicable in smart structures. In this paper we will comparatively analyze the possibility of using PZ and MS actuators in smart structures and in so doing their capability to act concomitantly as sensors and of modifying their material characteristics. We will also focus on the analysis of how them can be integrated in structures and on the analysis of the most appropriate structures for each actuator. The operational performance of PZ (Stacks) and MS actuators will be compared and eventually some conclusions will be drawn.[ES] Este artículo presenta un estudio comparativo de actuadores Piezoeléctricos (PZ) y Magnetoestrictivos (MS) como elementos integrantes de estructuras inteligentes. Existe un interés creciente en estructuras activas que puedan adaptarse a perturbaciones tanto internas como externas, por ejemplo, ante cambios en carga estructural o ante su envejecimiento. Para que un actuador forme parte de una estructura inteligente, debe poder actuar también como sensor. Este artículo presenta un estudio comparativo del uso de actuadores PZ y MS en estructuras inteligentes y, como consecuencia, de su habilidad para actuar y medir simultáneamente así cómo para modificar sus características mecánicas. Nos centraremos también en el análisis de como pueden integrase en estructuras y cuales son las más indicadas para cada actuador. Se compararán las características operacionales de los actuadors PZ multicapa y los MS.Peer reviewe

Performance of Smart Materials-Based Instrumentation for Force Measurements in Biomedical Applications: A Methodological Review

The introduction of smart materials will become increasingly relevant as biomedical technologies progress. Smart materials sense and respond to external stimuli (e.g., chemical, electrical, mechanical, or magnetic signals) or environmental circumstances (e.g., temperature, illuminance, acidity, or humidity), and provide versatile platforms for studying various biological processes because of the numerous analogies between smart materials and biological systems. Several applications based on this class of materials are being developed using different sensing principles and fabrication technologies. In the biomedical field, force sensors are used to characterize tissues and cells, as feedback to develop smart surgical instruments in order to carry out minimally invasive surgery. In this regard, the present work provides an overview of the recent scientific literature regarding the developments in force measurement methods for biomedical applications involving smart materials. In particular, performance evaluation of the main methods proposed in the literature is reviewed on the basis of their results and applications, focusing on their metrological characteristics, such as measuring range, linearity, and measurement accuracy. Classification of smart materials-based force measurement methods is proposed according to their potential applications, highlighting advantages and disadvantages

Direct and Non-Invasive Monitoring of Battery Internal State Via Novel GMI-IDT Magnetic Sensor

Efficient battery management systems (BMSs) in rechargeable battery-based systems require precise measurements of various battery parameters including state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH) and charge capacity. Presently, SOC, charge capacity and SOH can only be indirectly inferred from long-term measurement of current, open circuit voltage (OCV), and temperature using multiple sensors. These techniques can only give an approximation of SOC and often require knowledge of the recent battery history to prevent excessive inaccuracy.To improve the performance of the BMS, an alternative method of monitoring the internal state of Li-ion batteries is presented here. Theoretical analysis of Li-ion batteries has indicated that the concentration of active lithium ions in the cathode is directly related to the magnetic susceptibility of the electrode materials. While charging/discharging, due to the change in the oxidation and/or spin state of metal atoms, the magnetic moment in the cathode varies. This indicates the potential for directly probing the internal state of the Li-ion batteries during charging/discharging by monitoring the changes in magnetic susceptibility via an appropriately designed magnetic sensor. In this research, a highly sensitive micromagnetic sensor design is investigated consisting of a single interdigital transducer (IDT) shunt-loaded with a magnetically sensitive Giant Magnetoimpedance (GMI) microwire. This design takes advantage of the coupling of the impedance characteristics of the GMI microwire to the IDT transduction process. The initial GMI-IDT sensor design is further developed and modified to maximize sensitivity and linearity. The sensor can detect magnetic field in the range of 900 nT and minute changes less than 1 μT when operated at or near its peak sensitivity. In addition, an appropriate procedure for preconditioning the GMI wire is developed to achieve sensor repeatability. Furthermore, using the identified optimum geometry of the experimental setup, the proposed sensor is implemented in monitoring the internal state of two types of Li-ion cells used in electric vehicles (EVs). The initial characterization results confirm that the GMI-IDT sensor can be used to directly monitor the charge capacity of the investigated Li-ion batteries. Other possible applications also include energy storage for renewable energy sources, and portable electronic devices

Mechanical-Resonance-Enhanced Thin-Film Magnetoelectric Heterostructures for Magnetometers, Mechanical Antennas, Tunable RF Inductors, and Filters

The strong strain-mediated magnetoelectric (ME) coupling found in thin-film ME heterostructures has attracted an ever-increasing interest and enables realization of a great number of integrated multiferroic devices, such as magnetometers, mechanical antennas, RF tunable inductors and filters. This paper first reviews the thin-film characterization techniques for both piezoelectric and magnetostrictive thin films, which are crucial in determining the strength of the ME coupling. After that, the most recent progress on various integrated multiferroic devices based on thin-film ME heterostructures are presented. In particular, rapid development of thin-film ME magnetometers has been seen over the past few years. These ultra-sensitive magnetometers exhibit extremely low limit of detection (sub-pT/Hz1/2) for low-frequency AC magnetic fields, making them potential candidates for applications of medical diagnostics. Other devices reviewed in this paper include acoustically actuated nanomechanical ME antennas with miniaturized size by 1-2 orders compared to the conventional antenna; integrated RF tunable inductors with a wide operation frequency range; integrated RF tunable bandpass filter with dual H- and E-field tunability. All these integrated multiferroic devices are compact, lightweight, power-efficient, and potentially integrable with current complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, showing great promise for applications in future biomedical, wireless communication, and reconfigurable electronic systems

Optical Current Sensors for High Power Systems: A Review

The intrinsic advantages of optical sensor technology are very appealing for high voltage applications and can become a valuable asset in a new generation of smart grids. In this paper the authors present a review of optical sensors technologies for electrical current metering in high voltage applications. A brief historical overview is given together with a more detailed focus on recent developments. Technologies addressed include all fiber sensors, bulk magneto-optical sensors, piezoelectric transducers, magnetic force sensors and hybrid sensors. The physical principles and main advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Configurations and strategies to overcome common problems, such as interference from external currents and magnetic fields induced linear birefringence and others are discussed. The state-of-the-art is presented including commercial available systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of temperature on the performance of a giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducer

The effect of temperature on the performance of a giant magnetostrictive ultrasonic transducer (GMUT) was investigated by measuring variations in the resonance frequency and mechanical quality factor of the GMUT at different temperatures. The equivalent circuit model of the GMUT was presented and the total electrical impedance equation was obtained. Curves of the impedance circle were obtained at different temperatures to determine the resonance frequency and mechanical quality factor. To verify the impedance-based results and obtain precise values of the resonance frequency and effective frequency bandwidth, the amplitude-frequency response within the same temperature range was examined experimentally. These results were consistent with those of the impedance analysis, which demonstrates the validity of the equivalent circuit model. Moreover, the resonance frequency and effective bandwidth of the GMUT were found to decrease with increasing temperature, which means that the vibration amplitude is more sensitive to variation in the resonance frequency at high temperature owing, for example, to static or dynamic system loading, changes in the material properties, or drive-signal variability. Accordingly, the temperature in the GMUT should be precisely controlled to improve the stability of vibration

ΔE-Effect Magnetic Field Sensors

Many conceivable biomedical and diagnostic applications require the detection of small-amplitude and low-frequency magnetic fields. Against this background, a magnetometer concept is investigated in this work based on the magnetoelastic ΔE effect. The ΔE effect causes the resonance frequency of a magnetoelastic resonator to detune in the presence of a magnetic field, which can be read-out electrically with an additional piezoelectric phase. Various microelectromechanical resonators are experimentally analyzed in terms of the ΔE effect and signal-and-noise response. This response is highly complex because of the anisotropic and nonlinear coupled magnetic, mechanical, and electrical properties. Models are developed and extended where necessary to gain insights into the potentials and limits accompanying sensor design and operating parameters. Beyond the material and geometry parameters, we analyze the effect of different resonance modes, spatial property variations, and operating frequencies on sensitivity. Although a large ΔE effect is confirmed in the shear modulus, the sensitivity of classical cantilever resonators does not benefit from this effect. An approach utilizing surface acoustic shear-waves provides a solution and can detect small signals over a large bandwidth. Comprehensive analyses of the quality factor and piezoelectric material parameters indicate methods to increase sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio significantly. First exchange-biased ΔE-effect sensors pave the way for compact setups and arrays with a large number of sensor elements. With an extended signal-and-noise model, specific requirements are identified that could improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The insights gained lead to a new concept that can circumvent previous limitations. With the results and models, important contributions are made to the understanding and development of ΔE-effect sensors with prospects for improvements in the future