Optimization of a novel electromagnetic energy harvester for road infrastructures

In this study, we employed advanced optimization techniques to refine the design parameters of a novel electromagnetic energy harvester for road energy applications. The energy harvester employs a linkage mechanism to amplify the input displacement generated by a passing vehicle, which is then transmitted to the generator through a transmission mechanism. This amplification process converts the high impulsive force and low displacement caused by the vehicle into a less impulsive force with greater displacement, enabling efficient energy harvesting. The paper highlights the mathematical modeling of the system and intends to optimize the dimensions of mechanical components for effective torque transmission and amplifying the input displacement. The objective of the optimization process was to maximize the system’s mechanical transmission efficiency and displacement amplification while adhering to physical and operational constraints. Several optimization methods, including Differential Evolution (DE), Nelder-Mead (NM), and Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb- Shanno (BFGS) algorithms were compared. Each method was evaluated based on its ability to identify optimal values for key parameters such as the normalized lengths of the harvester components and the angular configuration. The complex mathematical problem presented multiple local maxima. While the Nelder-Mead (NM) and BFGS methods could not locate the global maximum, Differential Evolution (DE) successfully identified the global maximum despite the problem's complexity and high dimensionality. The optimized results depict an optimized amplification of around 9 for the energy harvester.