Possible strategies for performance enhancement of asymmetric potential bistable energy harvesters by orbit jumps

Due to the merits of broadband response and high sensitivity, bistable oscillators have garnered a great deal of attention in the field of vibrational energy harvesting. However, it is difficult to achieve a bistable energy harvester (BEH) with a perfectly symmetric potential due to the imperfections in materials and structures, and this will greatly influence the output performance. Therefore, this paper focuses on the possible strategies for performance enhancement of asymmetric potential BEHs. Numerical analysis based on voltage response, bifurcation diagram and basin of attraction demonstrates that the appearance of asymmetric potentials in BEHs has a negative effect on the output performance. Average output power and voltage response under different conditions indicate that proper initial conditions and external disturbance could enable the BEHs to achieve high-energy orbit oscillation. Additionally, it is proved that the BEHs can jump from the low-energy orbit to the high-energy orbit to generate more electrical power by changing the phase of excitation signal and external load resistance. By properly selecting the performance enhancement strategies proposed in this paper, the output power of the asymmetric potential BEHs could be improved in practical application. Graphical abstract