Anisotropic magnetostriction for low-frequency energy harvesting applications

In the framework of energy conversion devices for energy harvesting, magnetostrictive materials are an attractive alternative solution to the brittleness and geometrical limitations of piezoelectric materials. So far, the anisotropy of magnetostriction has never been studied to improve an energy harvesting system's performance. In this work, we investigated the performances of an oriented grain electrical steel material in an energy harvesting context. Well-known magnetic properties, including low magnetostriction and significant anisotropy, characterize this material. We combined experimental and predictive simulation results and discussed the possibility of increasing the energy level by playing with the orientation of both the magnetic and the mechanical stimuli.