A novel energy harvesting device for self-monitoring wireless sensor node in fluid dampers

This paper mainly investigates energy supply capacity of a novel energy harvesting device which is directly connected to the piston head of a fluid damper. The harvested energy obtained in this way can be used for the operation of a wireless sensor node required for the self-powered real-time monitoring sensor system of fluid dampers primarily applied to structural damage protection. A theoretical equation is derived to predict the harvested electrical power of a fluid damper with an energy harvesting device. Three experiments are carried out, and the results show that theoretical and experimental power values are basically consistent. In addition, it is shown that the harvested electrical power enables the wireless sensor node to work normally.