Vibration energy harvester for battery-free industrial IoT
This technology is a small mechanical device that captures energy from everyday vibrations—like those from machinery, vehicles, or structures—and converts it into usable electricity. It uses a flexible beam with a weighted tip mounted on a spring-suspended clamp, so the whole assembly can tune itself to resonate with a wider range of vibration frequencies than a fixed harvester could. The result is more efficient energy extraction from ambient vibration sources that would otherwise be wasted. The harvested electricity can power small sensors or wireless devices without batteries.
What you could build
A self-powered sensor module embedded in industrial equipment, bridges, or HVAC systems that harvests vibration energy to continuously power condition-monitoring sensors—sold to industrial IoT integrators or building automation companies as a maintenance-free sensing node.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense contractors and federal facilities operators in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads managing large inventories of vibration-heavy equipment would be natural early adopters for maintenance-free wireless sensing.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Abdessattar Abdelkefi, Nathan Sharpes, Shashank Priya, Muhammad R. Hajj, Kyunghoon CHO, Hwiyeol PARK, Jin S. Heo
- Granted
- October 10, 2017
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 9786832
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.