Thermoelectric coupled dynamics modeling and control of asymmetric vibration energy converter

This paper presents a novel approach for modeling the thermoelectric coupling dynamics of an asymmetric vibration energy converter (AVEC), an unconventional mechanical system that directly converts thermal energy from fuel combustion into electrical energy via mechanical vibration. The challenge lies in the complex coupling between various subsystems, including combustion, mechanical vibration, power generation, friction, and spring recovery, which complicates the modeling and stability analysis of the energy conversion process. To address these issues, the paper introduces a new methodology to model the thermoelectric coupling dynamics of AVEC, taking into account the inherent strong interactions among these mechanical subsystems. By analyzing the vibration dynamics under combustion fluctuations, the study develops a nonlinear controller using a backstepping approach to ensure stable thermal-mechanical-electric energy conversion. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed thermoelectric coupling model accurately simulates the operational behavior of AVEC. Moreover, the adaptive trajectory tracking controller, constructed via the backstepping method, successfully resolves the instability issues associated with energy conversion during combustion fluctuations, offering a reliable solution for enhancing AVEC performance.