Power Harvesting for Shipboard Health Monitoring Sensors

This project will provide the basis for development of a new family of inductive power harvesters that use machine vibration and mechanical resonance to amplify oscillatory motion at the magnetic juncture. The Phase I base program involves the design,manufacture and test an initial power harvester, designed to produce 0.01 W. The practicality of the device will be demonstrated by powering an accelerometer that will measure the vibration of a target machine or structure. A parallel analytical studywill lead to the development of a design methodology for a range of generators utilizing this concept. The Phase I option will involve building and testing two additional engineering models, one each rated at 0.1 and 1.0 W. In Phase II we will refine thedesign, assess the inclusion of electronic control for additional performance and automatic resonance adjustment, and build and test integrated prototypes that includes wireless data transmission. This device represents the crucial enabling technology fora broad range of industrial and military Condition Based Maintenance applications. Wireless, self-powered sensors will enable users to more cost-effectively equip plant and shipboard equipment. The resulting market will be essentially limitless.