Flow energy harvesting devices and systems
US11316447B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 24, 2017 |
| Grant date | Apr 26, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 29, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N30/30
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A flow energy harvesting system including a nozzle-diffuser defining a spline-shaped flow channel and a flow energy harvesting device in the spline-shaped flow channel of the nozzle-diffuser. The spline-shaped flow channel includes a converging portion, a diverging portion, and a constriction section between the converging and diverging portions. The flow energy harvesting device includes a flextensional member having a frame and a cantilever extending outward from the frame, and a stack of piezoelectric elements housed in an interior cavity defined in the frame. The cantilever is a non-piezoelectric material. The frame of the flextensional member is in the converging portion and the cantilever is in the constriction section of the spline-shaped flow channel. The frame is configured to deform and elongate the piezoelectric elements to generate a current based on the piezoelectric effect when a fluid flows through the spline-shaped flow channel and generates unbalanced forces on the cantilever due.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.