Magnetoelectric Energy Harvesting for Industrial IoT Applications: Frequency-Tunable Converter with Enhanced Performance

The proliferation of wireless sensor networks in industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications demands sustainable power solutions that eliminate battery replacement requirements while maintaining operational reliability in varying vibration environments. This paper presents a frequency-tunable magnetoelectric (ME) energy harvester that addresses the fundamental challenge of frequency mismatch between ambient industrial vibrations and harvester resonance through position-dependent magnetic force manipulation. The proposed system employs a Terfenol-D/PMNT/Terfenol-D sandwich transducer mounted on a cantilever beam within an adjustable magnetic circuit, enabling continuous frequency tuning through air gap modification for different magnetic field configurations. A comprehensive theoretical framework incorporating position-dependent magnetic forces was developed to predict the system behavior. Additionally, Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-enhanced epoxy bonding layers with 2 wt.% concentration were analyzed and demonstrated six-fold power improvement over conventional epoxy. The experimental validation shows frequency tuning from 40 Hz to 65 Hz through air gap adjustment of only 1 mm, corresponds to a 62.5% tuning range. Further experimental investigation proves a ten-fold power output improvement up to 2 mW by employing a four-magnet circuit design compared to the two-magnet configuration through specific adjustment of the air gap width.