Segmented Electromagnetic Energy Harvester With Fast and Self-Powered MPPT for Power Takeoff Shafts

Sensors within aircraft engines are typically installed on stationary components. Monitoring the power takeoff (PTO) shaft is critical for flight safety. However, deploying battery-powered sensors on this component poses significant challenges due to its extremely high rotational speeds and exposure to temperature-varying environments. This work proposes a segmented electromagnetic energy harvester (SEMEH) with a self-powered maximum power point tracking (MPPT) circuit, addressing critical limitations of conventional battery-powered solutions. The SEMEH employs a novel dual-coil architecture where the main coil directly powers sensors while the subcoil energizes the MPPT circuit and provides dynamic voltage references. The subcoil-driven MPPT circuit adapts dynamically to variations in rotational speed and temperature, maintaining proportionality between main/subcoil voltages for real-time optimization. This enables the MPPT circuit to quickly identify the maximum power point (MPP) under variable temperature (1200 – 3000 rpm) and rotational speed (20-80°C) conditions. Compared to traditional MPPT methods, this self-feedback topology eliminates the need for complex calibration procedures, thereby enhancing the simplicity and reliability of the system. Experimental validation demonstrates a tracking response of 0.28 ms with ≤5% MPP offset and 1814.6 mW harvested power (74.2% peak efficiency). This work paves a new path towards providing battery-free and maintenance-free solutions for monitoring in aerospace or high-speed rotating machinery.