An omnidirectional low-frequency wave vibration energy harvester with complementary advantages of pendulum and gyroscope structures

To address the challenge of omnidirectional low-frequency wave vibration energy harvesting, this paper proposes a wave vibration energy harvester that combines a pendulum structure with a gyroscope structure. The Euler-Lagrange equation of the harvester kinematic model is established and solved to confirm its complementary advantages. The pendulum structure initiates the rotation of the magnetic levitation flywheel through the gears, and directs the flywheel precession to achieve a greater gyroscopic torque. The gyroscope structure generates gyroscopic torque, which helps the pendulum structure easily pass-through positions where the mass torque is small. The two structures work together to overcome the electromagnetic damping and generate electricity. This increases the power output and power density. An experimental platform for wave simulation is built to test the energy harvester. The results show that at a frequency of 1 Hz and an amplitude of ±20°, the average power output of the energy harvester is 67.51 mW when the load is 910 Ω, and the flywheel speed is 899.51 rpm. This is of great significance for the application of self-powered wireless sensors in smart ocean.