Energy harvesting: Measurement and analysis of swing doors

For the purposes of energy harvesting, the energy potential of human-operated doors in public buildings was investigated. Hinged, swinging doors that are typically found in public buildings comprised the focus of this work. These doors are either pushed or pulled open by the user and are then closed by a mechanism combining spring and damping forces. The door under test was first characterized to determine the energy required to open it to specific angular positions. The door was then monitored over a period of several days to collect usage data, lhe usage data was combined with the characterization information to produce an energy-potential profile for the door. The instrumentation used to characterize the door closer and to monitor the usage is presented and discussed. Results from a typical public building door are also presented.