Assessment of the Role of Structural Nonlinearity in Galloping Energy Harvesters

The study compares different variants of aeroelastic energy harvesters due to the power they generate. For this purpose, models of devices with different stiffness characteristics were prepared: linear, nonlinear, with combined stiffness and bistable. Then, using the authorial procedure, analytical expressions that describe the power of each system were determined and the influence of individual parameters on this quantity was examined. By way of optimization, the system parameters have been selected in such a way that, regardless of the flow velocity, each of them generates the maximum possible power. Based on the results obtained in this way, the advisability of using a device with combined stiffness and bistable characteristics was rejected. Moreover, it was pointed out that the linear system would provide greater efficiency for lower flow velocities.