Contactless Electrostatic Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Electric Double Layer Electrets
Daisuke Yamane, Kentaro Tamura, Keigo Nota, Ryuta Iwakawa, Cheng‐Yao Lo, Kazumoto Miwa, Shimpei Ono
Abstract
In this paper, we present demonstration results for a contactless electrostatic vibration energy harvester (E-VEH) using electric double layer electrets (EDLEs). We, for the first time, utilize the surface potential of EDLEs to generate electrostatic induction currents for contactless VEH devices. A proof-of-concept in-plane EDLE E-VEH is designed and developed using precision machining technology. An array of EDLEs is developed and the surface potential is measured under atmospheric conditions and found to be -1 V on average. The proposed contactless energy harvesting method using the electrostatic induction of EDLEs is successfully demonstrated by performing vibration experiments under atmospheric conditions. We confirm a typical output current of about 2 pA (peak-to-peak) with a load resistance of 1 M at an input acceleration of 1 G with a frequency of 155 Hz. The proposed vibration energy harvesting mechanism is expected to expand the range of environments in which E-VEHs are used with EDLEs.