An Efficient Aeroelastic Flutter Energy Harvester - More Efficient Than A Wind Turbine!

grabcad

Yes, you heard correctly, this device is actually more efficient than a wind turbine! New technology developed directly from the North Attleborough Middle School, by Dylan Desrosiers, under the direction of Ms. Jennifer Hardy. If you've ever been on an airplane before, you are probably familiar with turbulent flow shaking the wings of the aircraft. This back-and-forth "shaking" motion is known as "aeroelastic flutter". Normally, this is not something that is desired in an airplane, as if it gets worse enough, it will evolve into "aeroelastic divergence" where the wing is in severe danger of snapping. Not good! In the case of this invention, this force is actually taken advantage of. A flexible, cantilevered beam made of aluminum flutters from side-to-side in the wind. The various aerodynamic shapes on the end (prism, flat plate, etc.) all induce the force, so it can start fluttering, and continue fluttering in any wind environment. Piezoelectric crystals (the silver discs or strips) are strategically placed on the beam for efficient energy transfer. These special crystals actually generate electricity when motion is applied to it (tapping, flexing, etc.). Conversely, if you were to power the crystal, it will actually move, and it can be heard in buzzers in smoke detectors, for example.Wind turbines rely on one wind speed - if it is too high, the machine needs to be shut down to protect it, and if there is slow wind, it just won't move at all. Gusty wind also isn't good and it needs to be coming from one direction. This device works in any wind environment - so it's working when wind turbines aren't. With scale taken into consideration, it actually produces more electricity than a standard wind turbine. Notice that this is (obviously) a lot smaller than a wind turbine. That means it can now be placed in locations wind turbines can’t – in the city, on buildings, on cell towers, even in the side scoop of a car to generate electricity for it. It’s also very quiet – no noise at all. Right now, the most efficient design (the one with all the silver discs, in the picture) generates 150 volts! That’s a lot! While converting it down to 120 volts that comes out of a wall outlet, there is also a gain in current – up to 3 amps.It's made of ABS plastic, printed in an FDM 3D printer, and then smoothed with acetone, making it inexpensive while still maintaining its structural integrity. Currently, I am designing a model to be totally 3D printed - once it's printed, it's ready to use. This means embedding the piezoelectric crystals in the model (most likely, a paused print) and experimenting with other materials, such as nylon and rubber-like materials. Ultimately, 3D printing an end-use model will make it even more efficient, as the energy can be transferred into the crystals more directly when it is embedded in the layers. Additionally, I'm also working on applying for a patent.