Energy Harvesting Technologies for Developing Countries
About the project or challenge area
Reliable electric power is key to development. In this project several alternatives of micro-power generation from vibration will be studied for application in developing countries. The aim of the project is to design a prototype able to harvest enough energy to power a personal device. The prototype must be portable and cheap.
Why choose this opportunity?
In this project you will have the opportunity to learn about different mechanics of energy harvesting from vibration: electromagnetic and piezoelectric. Also, you will use your creativity for finding the right scenario where the harvesters are going to be used (playground, dancing schools!) You will have the opportunity to gain numerical analysis and modelling skills as well as experimental analysis doing testing in the dynamics laboratory.
About you
Knowledge about vibrations is fundamental: natural frequency, damping ratio, etc. Knowledge about low powered electronics will be an advantage. Experience on experimental testing, dynamical and electrical will be an advantage.
How to apply
All students can apply using the button below, following the Admissions Statement (PDF, 220kB).
Before applying, we recommend getting in touch with the project's supervisors. If you are interested in this project and would like to learn more about the research you will be undertaking, please use the contact details on this page.
Supervisor
Your supervisor for this project will be Alicia Gonzalez-Buelga, Senior Research and Teaching Associate in the Faculty of Engineering. You can contact her at +44 (0) 117 331 5554 or email A.GonzalezBuelga@bristol.ac.uk.
Find out more about your prospective research community
The Low Carbon Energy theme is a vibrant community of researchers who integrate expertise across multiple disciplines to develop sustainable energy policy and technologies which are crucial to providing a safe, reliable and low-cost energy supply for a growing global population. We innovate in every part of the energy system, from generation and storage, to regulation and end-user demand Find out more about the Low Carbon Energy theme.