Ambient wind energy harvesting using cross-flow fluttering

TLDR

The study proposes and tests a bioinspired piezo‑leaf architecture that converts wind energy into electrical energy via wind‑induced fluttering. The device employs a dangling cross‑flow stalk arrangement of flexible piezoelectric stalks and polymer film leaves, fabricated into prototypes that flutter in wind. The design amplifies vibration by an order of magnitude and achieves a peak output power of ~600 μW with a power density of ~2 mW/cm³ from a single leaf.

Abstract

In this experimental study, we propose and test a bioinspired piezo-leaf architecture which converts wind energy into electrical energy by wind-induced fluttering motion. While conventional fluttering devices are arranged in parallel with the flow direction, here we explore a dangling cross-flow stalk arrangement. This architecture amplifies the vibration by an order of magnitude, making it appropriate for low-cost organic piezomaterials. We fabricated prototypes using flexible piezoelectric materials as stalks and polymer film as leaves. A series of experiments demonstrated a peak output power of approximately 600 μW and maximum power density of approximately 2 mW/cm3 from a single leaf.