Design, Manufacturing, and Experimentation of an Innovative Efficient Energy Harvesting Suspension System

This study presents the design, development, and experimental validation of an energy-harvesting suspension system aimed at improving vehicle energy efficiency and supporting sustainable mobility. The proposed system captures vibration energy from road-induced suspension motion, converts it into mechanical energy stored in a flywheel, and stabilizes alternator speed through a one-way clutch mechanism. A cascade circuit regulates output voltage at different thresholds to enhance energy recovery performance. The system was modeled in MATLAB Simulink and experimentally tested under sinusoidal vibrations with various frequencies. Results demonstrated an average power output of 112.64 W at 5 Hz and ±10 mm amplitude and resistance value 83.3Ω, with a 68.5% efficiency improvement compared to systems lacking the one-way clutch. These findings confirm the system's potential to extend vehicle range, reduce emissions, and increase energy utilization. Technical challenges encountered during development are discussed, and future directions for performance optimization are proposed.