Theoretical and Numerical Investigation of the Nonlinear “V” to “U” Typed Monostable Energy Harvester Under Random Excitation

Abstract A vibration energy harvester, an electromechanical system, can capture energy from ambient vibration and convert it into electricity for low-powered sensors. It is inevitable that the random noise would have a considerable effect on the output power of the harvester. Therefore, this paper theoretically and numerically analyzes the performance of the “V” to “U” typed (the potential function shape can be adjusted as letter V and U) monostable energy harvester (V-U-MEH) that is injected with Gaussian white noise. First, the determined frequency is derived according to the energy balance method, taking into account the strong linearity under random excitation. Second, the stationary probability density function, which indicates the statistics of the harvester's output, is derived based on the generalized stochastic averaging method. Finally, the mean square voltage and averaging power are theoretically analyzed, which is examined through Monte Carlo simulation, and the results are in accordance with theoretical findings.