Modeling of a low threshold bistable device for energy scavenging

Compared to linear resonant oscillators, typically based on cantilever beams, nonlinear (bistable) configurations of vibrational energy harvesters can provide better performance in terms of the amount of energy extracted from environmental wide spectrum mechanical vibrations. In this paper a low threshold nonlinear snap-through-buckling (STB) configuration and two piezoelectric transducers, placed near the inflection points of the potential energy function that underpins the dynamics of the system is considered. In particular the modeling of the mechanical behavior of the STB beam is discussed. Performance of two different theoretical models are compared against experimental results.