Dynamic stability analysis of inclined galloping based piezoelectric energy harvester employing finite element method

A finite element model is proposed for a galloping based piezoelectric energy harvester (GPEH) with an inclined square prism. The absence of any numerical model to capture the effects of inclinations of the bluff body on the performance of GPEH system necessitate the present study. The proposed model is solved in MATLAB environment and validated using the available experimental data. Dynamic stability analysis of the system is done at various vertical inclinations. A substantial decrease in power generation is noticed with the increment of the forward inclination angle. Again, large backward inclinations reduce the power output but perform well compared to forward inclinations. The present work aims to enhance the probability of power generation (GPEH system) in extreme natural flow conditions with negligible structural damage.