Harvesting of Recoil Energy from Shock Loading

KaZaK Composites, Inc. (Woburn, MA) proposes to design and implement a system for energy harvesting of the G-force recoil energy imparted to projectiles during launch. The innovative device will use piezoelectric actuators coupled with a load transfer mechanism to convert the launch shock load into electrical energy which will replace existing battery power sources onboard projectiles. The device will be compact enough to fit into the space available inside each projectile, with no modification required to its external geometry. It will have the potential to generate the power required to operate sensors, seekers, directional devices, and other control systems embedded in the projectile. Being robust and self-contained, the device will be easy to incorporate into new munitions and retrofit into existing ones. The added capabilities afforded by the proposed system will improve range and targeting accuracy and offer potential weight and cost savings. Perhaps the most attractive feature of the system is the fact it eliminates the need to rely on batteries for powered projectiles, thereby allowing potentially unlimited shelf life. Multiple applications are anticipated for this type of system in any industry where shock loading is present and can be used as a free energy source.