Influence of Geometric and Material Uncertainties on the Behavior of Monostable and Bistable Electromagnetic Energy Harvesters

Uncertainties in geometry, material properties, and excitation forces critically influence the performance of nonlinear electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters, which are promising power sources for wireless sensor networks in industrial environments. These nonlinear harvesters rely on tunable magnetic stiffness to achieve broadband operation, but their strong nonlinear coupling makes them highly sensitive to small parameter deviations. This study investigates how geometric tolerances, variability of magnetic material properties, and excitation irregularities affect the dynamic response and harvested output power of electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters. Nonlinear magnetic restoring forces were obtained using Finite Element Method Magnetics simulations and implemented in a one-degree-of-freedom model for numerical analysis. The results show that deviations as small as ±0.1 mm in geometry or ±5 % in magnetic coercivity can shift the system between monostable, bistable, and chaotic regimes, which could dramatically change wireless sensor operation. Controlled asymmetry of design and impulsive excitation were found to facilitate high-energy orbits, enhancing stability and energy conversion. These findings demonstrate that understanding and managing uncertainty amplification across geometric, material, and excitation domains is essential for reproducible and reliable operation, supporting the design of robust nonlinear electromagnetic harvesters for industrial applications of wireless sensor networks.