Analysis of a watt-range contactless electromechanical energy harvester facing a moving conductive surface

A watt-range contactless electromechanical energy harvester based on the interaction of a rotating permanent magnet wheel with a moving conductive surface is analyzed, modeled and optimized. The extracted models are verified with two-dimensional (2-D) finite-element-method (FEM) simulations and measurement results. Finally, a ρη-Pareto optimization indicates a power density of the harvester wheel in the range of 2 W/cm
³
for surface speeds of 10m/s and an air gap of 3 mm.