Design and Optimization of Forced Transducers for Energy Harvesting from Ambient Mechanical Vibrations, Wind, and Ocean Waves

Dharmendra Kumar Dubey — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The growing demand for sustainable and self-powered systems has intensified research into harvesting energy from ambient environmental sources. This paper focuses on the design and optimization of forced transducers for efficient energy harvesting from ambient mechanical vibrations, wind, and ocean waves. A unified multiphysics modeling framework is developed to describe the dynamic behavior of transducers under externally forced excitations and to capture the coupling between mechanical motion and electrical energy conversion mechanisms. The study systematically analyzes key design parameters, including mass, stiffness, damping, geometry, and transduction mechanisms, to maximize harvested power, efficiency, and operational bandwidth. Source-specific strategies are proposed to address the distinct characteristics of vibration-based, wind-induced, and wave-driven excitations, particularly their low-frequency and variable nature. Analytical and numerical optimisation techniques are employed to tune the transducer response to the dominant excitation frequencies and enhance robustness under varying environmental conditions. The optimized designs demonstrate improved energy conversion performance compared to conventional transducers, highlighting gains in output power and frequency adaptability. The findings provide practical design guidelines for selecting suitable transduction mechanisms and structural parameters based on the targeted ambient energy source. Overall, the study contributes to the development of reliable and efficient forced transducers for powering low-energy electronic devices and sensor networks in diverse real-world environments.

Evaluating the Variations in Microbial Specific Velocity and Substrate Heat-Release Dynamics in Fresh and Saltwater Media

Faith Uchendu Okirie, Tuboalabo Eno Okon, Ozioko Fabian Chidiebere — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Temperature plays a crucial role in regulating microbial kinetics and substrate degradation in aqueous environments during bioremediation. Understanding the thermal influence on microbial specific velocity (UB) and substrate-related heat generation is critical for optimizing engineered systems such as bioreactors. This research investigates the effect of temperature on microbial activity in two contrasting media freshwater and saltwater through MATLAB-generated plots that analyze velocity-temperature response under both inhibitory and activation regimes. Results show a dual microbial response: while high temperatures demonstrate inhibitory effects on bacteria in fresh water reducing active microbial density and slowing substrate degradation lower temperatures tend to activate bacterial metabolic efficiency, particularly for mesophilic communities. In contrast, saltwater media exhibit thermally modulated behavior dependent on both substrate characteristics and ionic composition, heat-generation profiles reveal fluctuating increases and decreases tied to operating temperature and residence time. Comparative plots illustrate that while activation regimes show rapid increases in specific microbial activity until reaching linear steady states, inhibitory regimes reflect suppressed UB velocities. Findings confirm that microbial-temperature relationships are nonlinear, substrate-dependent, and medium-specific. This serves as a foundation for adapting temperature-controlled bioreactors for petroleum bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and environmental restoration. The study concludes that maintaining temperature within biologically permissible operating ranges is essential to prevent enzymatic inhibition and ensure optimal microbial performance.

Journal of Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources

Design and Optimization of Forced Transducers for Energy Harvesting from Ambient Mechanical Vibrations, Wind, and Ocean Waves

Evaluating the Variations in Microbial Specific Velocity and Substrate Heat-Release Dynamics in Fresh and Saltwater Media