Description: Low energy harvesting mechanisms are unique opportunities to provide source of electrical energy for autonomous sensors for predictive maintenance applications, self-powered and wireless micro-actuators, monitoring devices for health care, energy hubs, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled energy networks etc. This PhD course handles the fundamentals of energy harvesting technologies such as thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and electromagnetic devices by introducing recent development techniques and detailed module design. This course will continue with integration principles of the energy harvester modules with the system components to enhance output power performance of the modules. Furthermore, control of electrical output of the devices will be discussed for maximum power point tracking by power electronic converting methods. This course also addresses recent applications of such energy harvesting mechanisms with introducing opportunities, challenges and relevant applications in renewable energy IoT industries.
Day 1:
Morning: Thermoelectric generator model and module design; Alireza Rezaniakolaei (3 hours)
- The lectures cover history of thermoelectrics, typical thermoelectric systems, basic arrangement & characterizing quantities, challenges for thermoelectrics, contact resistance, effect of geometry and inter-leg heat transfer.
Afternoon: Electromagnetic energy harvesters; Kaiyuan Lu (3 hours)
- The lectures cover the state-of-the-art designs of electromagnetic energy harvesters, typical design principle, device modelling, characterizing quantities, performance improvement challenges etc.
Day 2:
Morning: Integration of heat exchangers with thermoelectric modules; Alireza Rezaniakolaei (3 hours)
- The lectures cover coupled thermoelectric device/thermal system design, high performance cooling technologies, cooling energy vs. power generation, integrated model of thermoelectric & heat sinks.
Afternoon: MPPT and power electronic converters; Erik Schaltz (3 hours)
- The lectures covert thermoelectric generators modelling from power electronics point of view. Fundamentals of Power Electronics, power electronic converters for energy harvester device and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms for the device will be discussed.
Day 3:
Applications for thermoelectric energy harvesting; Alireza Rezaniakolaei (1:30 hours)
- The lectures cover integration of the thermoelectric generation with solar power systems and autonomous sensor platforms
Piezoelectric energy harvesting, model, design and applications; Majid Khazaee (2 hours)
- The lecture does cover basics about piezoelectric materials and material properties.
- Presenting the different applications of the piezoelectric energy harvesters.
- Modeling techniques for piezoelectric beams and characteristics of the power output from piezoelectric beams.
IoT applications for low power energy harvesting; Amjad Anvari-Moghaddam (2 hours)
- The lecture covers a background on IOT definitions and edge devices, energy harvesting technologies and its requirements IoT applications.
Prerequisites: No
Form of evaluation: Completion of design and metaphysics simulation of a form of the energy harvesting mechanisms or power output management of the chosen energy harvesting technology in the selective list of the tasks. The assignment will be done in groups and each group must submit the final report.
Organizer: Associate Professor, Alireza Rezaniakolaei, alr@energy.aau.dk
Lecturers: Associate Professor, Alireza Rezaniakolaei (ALR), Aalborg University
Associate Professor, Kaiyuan Lu (KLU), Aalborg University
Associate Professor, Amjad Anvari-Moghaddam (AAM), Aalborg University
Associate Professor, Erik Schaltz (ESC), Aalborg University
Guest researcher, Majid Khazaee (MAD), Aalborg University
ECTS: 2.5
Date/Time: 27-29 November 2023
Deadline: 6 November 2023
Price: 6000 DKK for PhD students outside of Denmark and 8000 DKK for the Industry excl. VAT
The Danish universities have entered into an agreement that allows PhD students at a Danish university (except Copenhagen Business School) the opportunity to free of charge take a subject-specific course at another Danish university. Guests at AAU Energy can free attend the course.
Payment: A Online link will be annonced after deadline for registration
Place: AAU Energy, Aalborg
Max no. of participants: 25
- Teacher: Amjad Anvari-Moghaddam
- Teacher: Majid Khazaee
- Teacher: Kaiyuan Lu
- Teacher: Alireza Rezaniakolaei
- Teacher: Erik Schaltz