Delayed feedback control scheme for improved energy harvesting using piezoelectric networks

The delayed resonator concept uses time-delayed feedback control to convert an ordinary passive vibration absorber into an actively tuned resonator. Inspired by this idea, this study proposes to enhance energy harvesting capacity using a delayed resonator-like feedback control. Although the proposed control action consumes some power, the resulting increase in harvestable energy from the actively sensitized structure can be much larger, which makes the new operation feasible. Following the broad literature, we select piezoelectric components as the energy transduction elements and deploy the existing theory on a piezoelectric network setup. This study brings two scientific novelties: experimental validation of the feasibility of delayed feedback induced enhancement of energy harvesting and the stability declarations of the time-delayed control. This encouraging proof-of-concept study is expected to yield some broader future pathways in energy harvesting enhancements, and beyond the confines of piezoelectric transduction alone.