by F. KERHERVÉ, A. SCHMIDER, N. TONIONI & L. CORDIER - Institut Pprime UPR CNRS 3346 - Dept. FTC, Team Curiosity - Poitiers (FR)
This work presents an energy harvesting module designed to exploit flow-induced vibrations of an elastically mounted rigid bluff body immersed in a water current. The system relies on manipulation of vortex-induced vibrations, where energy is transferred from the fluid flow to structural motion and converted into electricity through a motor–generator setup. A low-mass experimental platform with virtual damping and stiffness control enables real-time emulation of linear and nonlinear forcing laws, allowing optimization of harvesting efficiency under realistic flow conditions. Advanced metrology combined with machine-learning-based low-order modeling provides accurate characterization and prediction of the coupled fluid–structure dynamics. The modular design also enables the study of arrays of harvesters and wake-induced interactions, supporting scalability for potential increased technology readiness for green energy applications.
