Dynamic Analysis of a Tubular Generator for Automotive Suspension Applications

In this paper, a slotless three-phase tubular permanent magnet generator applied to vibration energy harvesting in automotive suspensions is considered. A two-dimensional finite element method model of the harvester is created as well as an experimental setup, containing the generator. Signal decomposition utilizing Fourier series is applied to suspension displacement data and the resulting signal components are applied to the model. The individual responses of the model are superposed, from which the corresponding harvested energy is derived. Comparisons are made with measurements on the setup that act as reference to determine the error of the harmonic reconstruction.