  This paper analyzes the impact of parametric uncertainties on the dynamics of
bistable energy harvesters, focusing on obtaining statistical information about
how each parameter's variability affects the energy harvesting process. To
model the parametric uncertainties, we use a probability distribution derived
from the maximum entropy principle, while polynomial chaos is employed to
propagate uncertainty. Conditional probabilities and probability maps are
obtained to investigate the effect of uncertainty on harvesting energy. We
consider different models of bistable energy harvesters that account for
nonlinear piezoelectric coupling and asymmetries. Our findings suggest a higher
probability of increasing harvested power in the intrawell motion regime as the
excitation frequency increases. In contrast, increasing the excitation
amplitude and piezoelectric coupling are more likely to increase power in the
chaotic and interwell motion regimes, respectively. An illustrative example is
presented to emphasize the importance of investigating the influence when all
parameters vary simultaneously.

Dynamical Systems;Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science;Chaotic Dynamics;Classical Physics;Applications