Harvesting wind energy to detect weak signals using mechanical stochastic resonance

Authors

Barbara J. Breen, Grinnell College
Jillian G. Rix, Grinnell College
Samuel J. Ross, Grinnell College
Yue Yu, Grinnell College
John F. Lindner, The College of WoosterFollow
Nathan Mathewson, The College of Wooster
Elliot Wainwright, The College of WoosterFollow
Ian Wilson, The College of Wooster

Publication Date

12-2016

Document Type

Article

Volume

94

Issue

6

Abstract

Wind is free and ubiquitous and can be harnessed in multiple ways. We demonstrate mechanical stochastic resonance in a tabletop experiment in which wind energy is harvested to amplify weak periodic signals detected via the movement of an inverted pendulum. Unlike earlier mechanical stochastic resonance experiments, where noise was added via electrically driven vibrations, our broad-spectrum noise source is a single flapping flag. The regime of the experiment is readily accessible, with wind speeds ∼20 m/s and signal frequencies ∼1 Hz. We readily obtain signal-to-noise ratios on the order of 10 dB.

Recommended Citation

Breen, Barbara J.; Rix, Jillian G.; Ross, Samuel J.; Yu, Yue; Lindner, John F.; Mathewson, Nathan; Wainwright, Elliot; and Wilson, Ian, "Harvesting wind energy to detect weak signals using mechanical stochastic resonance" (2016). Physical Review E, 94(6), 062205-. 10.1103/PhysRevE.94.062205. Retrieved from https://openworks.wooster.edu/facpub/219