Apr 7, 2017 | No Comments | By Sarah Preis
HEMI fellow Sung Hoon Kang and his team were recently published in Applied Energy, a journal focusing on the modern state of research and development for energy conversion and conservation. Titled “Harvesting Ambient Wind Energy With an Inverted Piezoelectric Flag,” the publication showcases a novel way to enhance the wind-harvesting capabilities of piezoelectric materials.
Pictured above, HEMI postdoctoral fellow Santiago Orrego demonstrates the technology; optimizing the flexible and conductive properties of piezoelectric material to make a nano-generator that could provide energy for time-spans extending over months, and even years. Dr. Kang’s group has since refined this innovative energy source by changing the flag orientation, allowing the “piezo-flag” to be tuned to the most efficient flapping direction for ambient wind conditions.
The paper describes an experimental study of wind energy harvesting by self-sustained oscillations (flutter) of a flexible piezoelectric membrane fixed in a novel orientation called the ‘‘inverted flag.”
The flutter and piezo-leaf design was experimentally tested using a wind tunnel simulator, as shown in the video here. The design was also mounted onto the roof of Garland Hall at Johns Hopkins University to test ambient wind conditions on the nano-generator. In this case, the generator powered a sustainable temperature sensor.
Orrego is working on this project in conjunction with Assistant Professor Sung Hoon Kang from the The Kang Group and the Department of Mechanical Engineering and mechanical engineering Professor Rajat Mittal from the Flow Physics & Computational Lab.
To read the full abstract and publication, click here.
Follow the project and check out a sustainable temperature reading: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDxonH3QS1GNzysYly6hsTw/live
