This study seeks to investigate the feasibility of energy harvesting from mechanical buckling of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) induced by a steady fluid flow. In particular, we propose a harvesting device composed of a paddle wheel, a slider-crank mechanism, and two IPMCs clamped at both their ends. We test the system in a water tunnel to estimate the effects of the flow speed and the shunting resistance on power harvesting. The classical post-buckling theory of inextensible rods is utilized, in conjunction with a black-box model for IPMC sensing, to interpret experimental results.
|