Massimo Vitelli - IEEE Xplore Author Profile

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Photovoltaics represents one of the key sources of clean energy to help reduce the carbon footprint and fight climate change, enabling the so-called green energy transition. To maximize photovoltaic production in any irradiation and temperature conditions, Maximum Power Point Tracking techniques must be implemented to determine and set the working point at which the photovoltaic panel delivers the...Show More
In this article, a novel MPPT technique is proposed and experimentally tested. It is called “grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique driven by the power factor correction (PFC) controller” (CICERONE). It generates, for both single stage (SS) and double stage (DS) grid-connected PV systems, the bulk voltage reference by exploiting only the internal (no...Show More
This paper is aimed at experimentally investigating the performance of a Water Droplet Energy Harvester (WDEH) as a function of the main harvester characteristics. A prototype of a WDEH composed of two electrodes and a PolyTetraFluoroEthylene (PTFE) layer is implemented and tested. The PTFE is placed between an upper electrode (a simple conductive terminal) and a lower electrode (a conductive laye...Show More
This paper is focused on resonant piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters loaded by diode bridge rectifiers. Typically, in such applications the voltage at the output of the rectifier is properly regulated by a DC/DC converter for maximum power point tracking purposes. Resistance emulation and voltage adaptation are the strategies that are usually adopted. In this paper, an optimal shape of the ...Show More
A droplet electrical generator (DG) is an energy harvester able to scavenge energy from water droplets sliding on its surface. A compact electrical model of a droplet generator is here presented together with a black-box identification procedure. Even if previous research works have shown the great potential of the droplet generator in terms of extracted power and have investigated the optimizatio...Show More
In this paper a circuital emulation technique for resonant electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters is proposed and discussed. The idea of circuital emulation is here proposed for the first time in the field of electromagnetic vibration harvesters. In particular, a circuital emulation technique based on a cheap hardware system with easily adjustable parameters is much more easy, fast and practi...Show More
Backpack energy harvesting systems are very promising solutions for powering portable devices without primary batteries, especially in excursionist and military applications. During human walking, they allow the conversion of the backpack mechanical vibration energy into electricity. In this paper the attention is focused on a backpack regenerative system based on a mechanical motion rectifier, wh...Show More
A theoretical analysis aimed at predicting the power extracted from resonant piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters feeding synchronous switching-type electronic interfaces under variable mechanical excitation is proposed. In particular, for the widely used synchronous electric charge extraction (SECE) and synchronized switching harvesting on an inductor (SSHI) switching interfaces, the nonline...Show More
This article focuses on the dynamic optimization of the operating conditions of two types of ac–dc converters, a diode bridge rectifier and a full bridge active rectifier, which are used for interfacing regenerative rail vehicle suspensions based on ac electromagnetic generators. A theoretical analysis shows that, for both types of converters, the optimal operating conditions, leading to the maxim...Show More
A backpack energy harvester converts mechanical energy associated with the oscillation of the backpack during human walking, into electric energy. It can be a very promising solution for supplying portable devices, especially in outdoor activities, disaster relief, and military applications. In this article, a backpack energy harvesting system that is able to self-adapt its operating condition to ...Show More
An electronic interface for the maximization of the power extraction from train suspension energy harvesters is presented in this article. It is made up of a passive rectifier and a dc-dc converter equipped with a digital control unit that implements a novel maximum power point tracking technique. It can settle the voltage at the rectifier output to its optimal value, despite the time-varying trai...Show More
In Resonant Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters (RPVEHs) applications the maximization of the extraction of power represents one of the most important aspects. Typically, in practical applications an RPVEH is used for supplying DC loads and, for this reason, a power electronics AC/DC interface is placed between the RPVEH and the DC load. Two architectures are the most exploited ones for the ...Show More
The most widely used AC/DC architecture in low-power harvesting applications is made up of a passive diode bridge rectifier and a DC/DC converter. The latter usually implements a maximum power point tracking technique (MPPT) in order to dynamically ensure the maximum power extraction from the harvester. In this paper, the performance of the Open-Circuit Voltage MPPT technique is investigated as a ...Show More
An energy harvesting system that scavenges onboard train vibrations to supply a DC load is here presented. The developed system benefits from an electronic interface, which is equipped with a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller to maximize the power extraction. In particular, the train suspension vibration is mechanically converted into a unidirectional rotation of a shaft by a rack and...Show More
This paper is focused on energy harvesting from railcar suspensions. In particular, the power extracted from a train suspension energy harvester based on a mechanical motion rectifier system is evaluated in presence of a passive AC/DC converter. Through a proper theoretical analysis, experimentally validated, it is shown that the extracted power is strictly dependent on the DC side voltage and tha...Show More
An active electronic interface for maximizing the power extracted from a resonant piezoelectric vibration harvester by means of a multi-variable Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique is presented. The input voltage of the electronic interface is dynamically adapted in order to ensure that the maximum power is extracted even if the vibration characteristics change with time. The digital con...Show More
The prediction of the extractable power from energy harvesting devices is of utmost interest for system designers. In this paper, this issue is addressed in the case of Piezoelectric Resonant Vibration Energy Harvesters (PRVEHs) driven by amplitude and frequency modulated vibrations. The widespread architecture of PRVEH systems made up of a passive rectifier cascaded by a DC/DC converter is here c...Show More
This paper is focused on resonant Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters (PVEHs). In all energy harvesting applications, and in particular in PVEH applications, the maximization of the extracted power is mandatory. It is well known that, in order to maximize the harvested power, it is necessary to get the optimal matching between the harvesting device and the load. In particular, in PVEH applic...Show More
In this paper, the problem of the Maximum Power Extraction is discussed with reference to Resonant Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvesters driven by non-sinusoidal vibrations. It is well known that, in order to maximize the harvested power in case of purely sinusoidal vibrations, the Maximum Power Transfer Theorem must be exploited. Instead, in case of non-sinusoidal vibrations, the Nonlinear ...Show More
The most widespread architecture of ac/dc converters for resonant electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters (REVEHs) is based on a diode bridge rectifier followed by a dc/dc converter. In order to maximize the power extraction from the harvester, the voltage at the output of the bridge rectifier must be regulated by a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. This paper is focused on the op...Show More
The performance of resonant piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters (RPVEHs) is strongly affected by the characteristics (shape, amplitude, spectrum, and so on) of the vibrations from which energy is harvested. In particular, the estimation of the power that can be harvested by a given RPVEH fed by a specific vibration source is of great importance for design purposes. A fast estimation of the e...Show More
In this paper it is shown that Resonant Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvester (REVEH) systems nearly always need to be equipped with suitable MPPT (Maximum average Power Point Tracking) controllers due to the fact that the characteristics of vibrations (frequency, amplitude etc.) change with time. The particular (but frequent) case of Constant Frequency Time Varying Amplitude (CFTVA) vibratio...Show More
In this paper, the Ideal Utilization Factor (IUF) is presented and discussed with reference to Resonant Electromagnetic Vibration Energy Harvesters (REVEHs). The IUF is an important figure of merit that allows the identification suitable additional non-dissipative components to insert between the REVEH coil and the bridge rectifier. Such components allow improving the actual energetic performances...Show More
The starting point for the proper design of an efficient wireless sensor node (WSN) supply system that is based on the adoption of a resonant electromagnetic vibration energy harvester (REVEH) is represented by the choice of a REVEH with a proper resonance frequency. But further likewise important design guidelines need to be also taken into account especially if, as in the case of freight wagons ...Show More
In this paper, the theoretical analysis and the experimental validation of a modified version of the maximum power point tracking technique, that is known with the acronym TEODI, are presented and discussed. The modified version of TEODI (MTEODI) outperforms TEODI in photovoltaic (PV) applications operating under mismatching conditions. The working principle of MTEODI is based on the periodic meas...Show More