Development of Magnetostrictive Energy Harvesting of Mechanical Vibration Energy

The Navy seeks devices that can provide power to maintain charge in batteries for shipboard sensors. The transduction materials proposed for most energy harvesting devices under development are either too brittle to endure significant loading or are too compliant to extract significant energy from the small amplitude vibrations present on ships. Terfenol-D (in a composite form) and Galfenol each provide a rugged magnetostrictive transduction material that is a good mechanical impedance match with shipboard structures, and can, therefore, be used in energy harvesting devices to extract significant power from the vibration present. Broadband magnetostrictive harvesters can be included in the mount of rotating machines (e.g., pumps, motors, shafts, etc.) or as part of reaction mass devices. Infoscitex has assembled a distinguished team to address this proposal. In conjunction with our university research partner, we will develop the methodologies for arriving at optimum magnetostrictive harvester designs, identify candidate shipboard sources of vibration, define harvester designs and their anticipated performance, and conduct proof-of-concept prototype construction and test to both verify our models and demonstrate magnetostrive-based energy harvesting.