Course detail
Energy Harvesting and Smart Materials
FSI-RAE-A Acad. year: 2025/2026 Winter semester
The course “Energy Harvesting and Smart Materials” deals with introduction of unique ways of the energy generating from surroundings. Currently remote electronics, autonomous low power devices and wireless sensors are used in Industry 4.0 applications. One possibility to overcome energy limitations of batteries is to harvest ambient energy from the environment. The ambient energy is available in the form of radiation, thermal energy and mechanical energy of the environment. The course deals with Smart Materials, metamaterials and mainly focused on energy harvesting from mechanical energy of vibrations, shocks, deformation, human behaviour etc., and simulation modelling of energy harvesting systems.
Supervisor
Learning outcomes of the course unit
Prerequisites
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes
Language of instruction
English
Aims
Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences
The study programmes with the given course
Programme N-MET-P: Mechatronics, Master's
branch ---: no specialisation, 5 credits, compulsory-optional
Programme N-AIŘ-P: Applied Computer Science and Control, Master's
branch ---: no specialisation, 5 credits, elective
Programme N-IMB-P: Engineering Mechanics and Biomechanics, Master's
branch BIO: Biomechanics, 5 credits, compulsory-optional
Programme N-IMB-P: Engineering Mechanics and Biomechanics, Master's
branch IME: Engineering Mechanics, 5 credits, compulsory-optional
Type of course unit
Lecture
13 hours, optionally
Syllabus
1. Introduction of energy harvesting technologies
2. Photovoltaic cells
3. Thermoelectric generators
4. Electro-mechanical conversion – physical principles
5. Electro-mechanical conversion – analysis of ambient vibration energy
6. Electromagnetic principle
7. Design of electromagnetic generators
8. Mechatronic system of energy harvesters
9. Piezoelectric principle
10. Piezoelectric materials and other SMART materials
11. Energy storage elements, Electronics – power management
12. Wireless sensor networks
13. MEMS
Laboratory exercise
26 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
1. Analysis of ambient energy for energy harvesting
2. Model of solar cells a thermoelectric generators
3. Thermoelectric module model
4. Vibration measurement and analysis
5. Mechanical energy analysis
6. Simulation and modelling of electromagnetic conversion
7. Model of magnetic field
8. Simulation modelling of complex electromagnetic generator
9. Measurement of energy harvesting devices
10. Model of piezoelectric elements and basic analysis
11. Model of piezoelectric generator
12. Model of power management electronics
13. Presentation of final projects