An electricity generating apparatus applied to footwear and an operating method thereof are disclosed. The electricity generating apparatus includes a stress plate, an electricity generating module and a charging circuit. The stress plate is disposed in footwear to bear a stress. The electricity generating apparatus generates magnetic field changes under the stress and induces the magnetic field changes to generate electricity. The charging circuit is coupled to the footwear and used to receive the electricity and selectively provide the electricity to the footwear.

A sub-micrometer pressure sensor including a multilayered magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) pillar containing a magnetostrictive material layer above or below a magnetic free layer of the multilayered MTJ pillar is provided. Advanced patterning allows for scaling of the multilayered MTJ pillar down to 25 nm or below which enables the formation of a large array of extremely high resolution pressure sensors. By varying the thickness of the magnetostrictive material layer, the sensitivity of the pressure sensor can be fine tuned. Unique magnetostrictive materials in the multilayered MTJ pillar will alter the device current with the input of external pressure. Furthermore, unique arrays with much smaller critical elements can be organized in differential sensing arrangements of the multilayered MTJ pillar with pressure sensing capability that can outperform current piezoelectric based pressure sensing arrays.

Provided herein is an FeGa-base magnetostriction element that has specific characteristics with regards to magnetostriction along the longitudinal direction, and that shows a sufficiently high magnetostriction level along the longitudinal direction. The magnetostriction element is formed of a magnetostrictive material that is a monocrystalline alloy represented by Fe.sub.(100-)Ga.sub. ( represents the Ga content (at %), and satisfies 1419) or Fe.sub.(100--)Ga.sub.X.sub. ( and represent the Ga content (at %) and the X content (at %), respectively, X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Cu, and C, and the formula satisfies 1419, and 0.51). The magnetostriction element has a longitudinal direction with a first dimension, and a transverse direction with a second dimension smaller than the first dimension, the transverse direction being orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal direction being parallel to the <100> crystal orientation of the monocrystalline alloy. The magnetostriction element, under a magnetic field applied parallel to an x-y plane of an x-axis representing the transverse direction and a y-axis representing the longitudinal direction and within an angle of 090 with respect to the x-axis, has an Lmax and an Lmin that satisfy 0LminLmax/10, and 100 ppmLmax1,000 ppm along the y-axis direction.

The task of the present invention is to provide a magnetostrictive power generation device that is low cost and excellent in durability and can achieve a power generation amount equal to or exceeding those of conventional magnetostrictive power generation devices. The present invention provides a power-generating magnetostrictive element that is formed from a laminate comprising at least one electromagnetic steel sheet layer which comprises at least one electromagnetic steel sheet and satisfies at least one of the following Condition A and Condition B. Condition A: The at least one electromagnetic steel sheet layer comprises two or more electromagnetic sheets, and the two or more electromagnetic sheets are bonded to each other through a brazing material part. Condition B: The laminate further comprises at least one elastic material layer, and the at least one electromagnetic steel sheet layer is bonded to the elastic material layer through a brazing material part.

Provided herein is a magnetostriction element having a large power output and a high power density. The magnetostriction element is comprised of a magnetostrictive material that is a monocrystalline alloy represented by the following formula (1),

Fe.sub.(100--)Ga.sub.X.sub.,Formula (1)

wherein and represent the Ga content (at %) and the X content (at %), respectively, X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Cu, and C, and the formula satisfies 540, and 01.

An electronic combination lock comprising a rotatable dial, an energy-harvesting device operatively connected to and configured to harvest energy from the rotatable dial, an energy-storage device operatively connected to and configured to be powered by the energy-harvesting device, a security status indicator operatively connected to and configured to by powered by the energy storage device, and logic configured to determine whether the combination lock is in a secure state and to activate the security-status indicator when the electronic combination lock is not in a secure state. A security-indication device for use with a combination device. A method for indicating a combination lock is not in a secure state comprising the steps of harvesting energy, storing the harvested energy, determining whether the combination lock is in a secure state, and, upon determining the combination lock is not in a secure state, activating a security-status indicator by powering it with stored energy.

The bluff body attaches to an elastic mount and is capable of generate vortex shedding when the elastic mount orients the bluff body in a flow-line traverse to a fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding. A harvester is located within the bluff body and is capable of generating power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration.

The bluff body attaches to an elastic mount and is capable of generate vortex shedding when the elastic mount orients the bluff body in a flow-line traverse to a fluid flow and vibrates in response to the vortex shedding. A harvester is located within the bluff body and is capable of generating power above a specified threshold in response to the vibration.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a film portion, one or more detectors fixed to the film portion, and a processor. The detector includes first and second detecting elements. The first detecting element includes a first magnetic layer. The second detecting element includes a second magnetic layer. A first change rate of a first signal is higher than a second change rate of the first signal. The first signal corresponds to a first electrical resistance of the first detecting element. A change rate of a second signal with respect to the change of the magnitude of the strain is higher than the second change rate. The second signal corresponds to a second electrical resistance of the second detecting element. The processor is configured to perform at least a first operation of outputting a second value. The second value is based on the second signal and a first value.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a film portion, one or more detectors fixed to the film portion, and a processor. The detector includes first and second detecting elements. The first detecting element includes a first magnetic layer. The second detecting element includes a second magnetic layer. A first change rate of a first signal is higher than a second change rate of the first signal. The first signal corresponds to a first electrical resistance of the first detecting element. A change rate of a second signal with respect to the change of the magnitude of the strain is higher than the second change rate. The second signal corresponds to a second electrical resistance of the second detecting element. The processor is configured to perform at least a first operation of outputting a second value. The second value is based on the second signal and a first value.