Review on piezoelectric wind-excited vortex-induced vibration energy harvesting technologies

In the realm of ambient energy harvesting, wind is widely recognized as one of the most cost-effective renewable resources, supporting the development of distributed wind energy harvesting technologies. Unlike conventional rotary wind turbines, wind-induced vibration energy harvesting (WIVEH) systems feature simpler architectures, greater design flexibility, and superior site adaptability, making them promising supplementary power solutions for low-power electronic applications. However, natural winds in inland and urban environments are typically characterized by low and fluctuating velocities, posing significant challenges to the efficiency and reliability of WIVEH systems. To address these challenges, this article comprehensively reviews recent advances in wind-excited vortex-induced vibration energy harvesting technologies, with particular emphasis on fundamental mechanisms, bluff body optimization, nonlinear dynamics, frequency tuning strategies, and adaptive structural designs. Beyond structural performance enhancement, the scaling characteristics of different energy conversion approaches are discussed, highlighting the advantages of piezoelectric mechanisms for microscale energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications. The integration of WIVEH systems with wireless sensor networks and smart infrastructure is also reviewed, demonstrating their potential for distributed and autonomous monitoring applications. Current challenges and future development directions are further analyzed, including broadband operation under complex wind conditions, efficient power management, multifunctional materials, and system-level integration. This review provides comprehensive insights into the development of WIVEH technologies from fundamental vibration mechanisms toward practical self-powered sensing platforms.