Harvesting energy from natural and anthropogenic vibrations

This project explores the potential of harnessing energy from natural and human-made vibrations to address the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions in response to climate change.
Details
- Period: 2024-01-01 – 2025-12-31
- Budget: 2,703,613 SEK
- Funder: Formas
- Type of funding: Project grant
Description
As the energy demand continues to rise and the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, there is a critical need for accessible and sustainable energy solutions. While renewable energy sources have made significant progress in recent decades, new technologies are still needed to meet the growing demand for energy. Developing countries, in particular, face challenges related to energy shortages and rising energy prices, making finding affordable and green energy alternatives essential.
This project explores the potential of extracting green energy from vibrations by leveraging the physics behind them. Despite being abundant, vibrational energy is often overlooked as a potential energy source. Mechanical vibrations, including human activities, industrial operations, and seismic activity, can be converted into usable energy.
The project focuses on two different energy harvesting technologies: piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEH) and electromagnetic energy harvesters (EMEH). PEH generates electrical voltage in response to mechanical stress, allowing scalability down to the nanometer and micrometer levels. EMEH, on the other hand, relies on Faraday’s law of induction, which describes how changes in a magnetic field induce electrical voltage and is more suitable for large-scale energy generation at lower frequencies. The primary goal of this project is to harness natural and anthropogenic vibrations to generate mechanical energy, which will be captured by PEH and/or EMEH devices and converted into electricity for municipal and industrial use.
The project aims to create an innovative and groundbreaking solution by utilizing existing knowledge in physics and materials science.
The interdisciplinary research team from Norway, Chile, and Sweden will conduct theoretical and technical work and conduct a socioeconomic evaluation of the developed technology. Promising sources of vibration will be identified, and energy-harvesting devices will be designed, manufactured, and tested in the laboratory and the field. Collaborating with the Chilean state mining company and the CCS environment will demonstrate the technology’s applicability in emergency power supply and self-sustaining monitoring sensors.
The project focuses on achieving social implementation and aims to improve living conditions in the Chilean town of Camarones, which is characterized by high levels of poverty. The technology will provide school lighting and charging stations, contributing to an improved quality of life for the community. The harvested energy will be clean and non-invasive, reducing environmental damage and dependence on fossil fuels. This initiative aligns with the SDG-2030 agenda, promoting affordable and clean energy solutions, sustainable development, and climate action.
By involving local authorities, research institutions, mining companies, and CCS organisations, the project aims to have a significant societal impact and foster collaboration towards sustainable development.
Project members
Contact
- Project leader
- Magdalena Kuchler