Measuring shake, rattle and hum

(PHOTO: The composite used is a carbon fibre laminate that 'snaps' between 2 different shapes when weight is applied/NPL)(HN, 3/22/12) - NPL scientists are involved in an innovative project investigating how energy can be harvested from a wide range of frequencies from unwanted vibrations found in most industrial processes & our environment, such as cars driving along a road, or footsteps across a station concourse, or a rattling air conditioning unit. Currently, energy is mainly harvested from the resonant area of the frequency spectrum, but this project aims to use new materials (called 'bistable composites') to harvest energy that would otherwise be wasted from a much wider range of frequencies, capturing more that can be used to power low energy electronics at no cost.   Bistable composites, as their name suggests, are materials that can be stable in two different configurations depending on where a force is applied. This three year project began in January, & is led by the University of Bath in the UK.  (Read more at NPL)