Vibration energy harvesting system with cyclically time-varying potential barrier

Nonlinear kinetic energy harvesters are becoming more and more popular as well as advanced and efficient. This paper presents the study of the dynamics of such a system in a wide range of excitation parameters, assuming at the same time the possibility of a cyclical and smooth change of the potential function. We have designed a system that allows to obtain a wide spectrum of potential characteristics, from a single well to a three-well system, and we have analyzed its effectiveness. Next, we checked the influence of parameters characterizing the change of potential using bifurcation diagrams and their comparison with the effective voltage values. We also analyzed the behavior of the system in chaotic and periodic motion zones and presented selected sections of Poincare and Fourier amplitude-frequency spectra of chaotic solutions. The last element of the analysis was the impact of cyclic potential change on coexisting solutions. We have shown that the best effectiveness is achieved when the frequency of the external load is equal to the resonant frequency of the flexible cantilever beam and the change of potential is limited to extreme positions. •A new way of the potential function dynamic change in EH was proposed.•EH effectiveness analysis was made for chaotic and periodic motion zones.•Influence of the range and frequency of potential changes on the dynamics of the system was checked.