A Nonlinear Suspended Energy Harvester for a Tire Pressure Monitoring System

The objective of this study is to develop and analyze a nonlinear suspended energy harvester (NSEH) that can be mounted on a rotating wheel. The device comprises a permanent magnet as a mass in the kinetic system, two springs, and two coil sets. The mass vibrates along the transverse direction because of the variations in gravitational force. This research establishes nonlinear vibration equations based on the resonance frequency variation of the energy harvester; these equations are used for analyzing the power generation and vibration of the harvester. The kinetic behaviors can be determined according to the stiffness in the two directions of the two suspended springs. Electromagnetic damping is examined to estimate the power output and effect of the kinematic behaviors on NSEH. The power output of the NSEH with a 52 Ω resistor connected in series ranged from approximately 30 to 4200 μW at wheel speeds that ranged from nearly 200 to 900 rpm.