DOCSLIB.ORG

Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems White Paper – RX100 Microcontroller Family Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems By: David Squires, Squires Consulting; Forrest Huff, Renesas Electronics America Inc. Feb. 2015 Abstract This white paper details important design issues associated with designing the very-low-power remote sensors that play important roles in the feedback control loops of embedded electronic systems. Using a basic configuration for a standalone sensor system as a reference, the discussion covers sensor/transducer types, power budgets, power sources (especially devices that harvest ambient energy) and energy-storage solutions. It also summarizes microcontroller requirements and highlights the latest power-management chips and wireless ICs. Special emphasis is placed on the concept and reality of energy harvesting as a viable method for powering standalone embedded systems for extended periods of time. An example security alarm design is described and explained to provide engineering context and perspective. Index I. Introduction – III. Additional Insights on Very-Low-Power Sensor Products 2 Sensor Components 7 II. Basic System Design Issues 2 • Sensors 7 • Sensors 3 • Energy Storage Devices 7 • Power Budgets 3 • Energy Harvesting Solutions 12 • Energy Storage Devices 3 • MCUs 15 • Energy Harvesting Solutions 4 • Power Management Devices 18 • Microcontrollers (MCUs) 6 • Wireless Connectivity Modules 20 • Power Management Devices 6 IV. Example Design: Glass Break Sensor 22 • Wireless Connectivity Modules 6 V. Summary 28 VI. Appendix 28 White Paper – Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems Page 1 of 29 I. Introduction – Very-Low-Power Sensor Products Modern low-power sensors enable precise local, remote or autonomous control of a vast range of products. Their use is rapidly proliferating in vehicles, appliances, HVAC systems, hospital intensive care suites, oil refineries, and military and security systems. They are key components for a vast range of applications with global markets. Importantly, energy harvesting (EH) technology allows small, standalone sensors to function continuously for extended periods of time — decades, even — without power-line connections or battery replacements. This technology greatly enhances the problem-solving capability of low-power sensors and its use is growing rapidly. For that reason, an energy-harvesting function is shown as the power-source element in the block diagram of a typical very-low-power sensor product shown below in Figure 1. Events Ambient Energy Sensor MCU RF Power Energy Energy Mgmt. Storage Harvest Optional elements including actuators, displays, keys, etc. Figure 1: Components in a Typical Very-Low-Power Sensor Product. II. Basic System Design Issues Electronic engineers developing standalone sensor systems must address design issues associated with the following system elements, among others: • Sensors (transducer type, performance characteristics, operating requirements, etc.) • Power budget (operating voltage; peak, quiescent and average operating currents) • Energy storage devices (capacity, leakage, temperature performance, etc.) • Energy harvesting chips (capability, requirements, limitations, etc.) • Microcontroller (processing performance, power efficiency, DSP, I/O, low-power modes, etc.) • Power management devices (features, performance, etc.) • Wireless connectivity device (peak power, range, frequency, protocols, etc.) Other technical issues may include size limitations, challenges of operational environments, life- time costs, long-term reliability, safety, and more. Aspects of the main design areas listed above are presented in the sections that follow. White Paper – Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems Page 2 of 29 Sensors Eight physical characteristics are most commonly monitored in embedded system applications. They are listed below with the types of sensors and transducers typically used for measuring them: • Motion Ultrasound position detectors • Temperature Silicon diodes or thermistors • Presence of people Passive IR detectors • Pressure Micro Electro-Mechanical (MEMs) chips • Acceleration Micro Electro-Mechanical (MEMs) chips • Picture LCD cameras (like those used in cellphones) • Location Geomagnetic sensors (like those used in cellphones) • Proximity Sensors similar to cellphone components Power Budgets For standalone sensor designs that cannot connect to the AC power mains—especially those that must operate for long periods of time between battery changes or cannot be accessed for main- tenance—the amount of power consumed by every component in the system must be carefully identified and minimized. If the data reveals that a design can be powered by a reasonable-sized battery, or a battery + energy-harvester solution, that’s great! If it doesn’t, then it may be neces- sary to implement a top-down design approach. The top-down approach starts with the embedded system’s total power requirement. A primary battery must be sized to fit in the available space, and that size and the battery type will determine the maximum power-source capability, usually measured in mAh. The Energy Storage Devices sections of this white paper provide technical data on different types of batteries. For discussion purposes here, however, let’s assume that a hypothetical design has enough space to accommodate two AA-size batteries occupying a volume of 16cm3. To function properly, the electronics in this design requires a supply voltage of 1.8V, so two 1.5V batteries must be connected in series. The total battery capacity is 16cm3/1000cm3/l*450Wh/l = 7.2Wh. To convert this to mAh, we know that the nominal voltage is 3V, therefore 7.2/3 = 2.4Ah = 2400mAh, which is consistent with pub- lished numbers for AA batteries. This hypothetical sensor product mandates a continuous battery-operating lifetime of 5 years. Thus, the average current consumed by the sensor’s circuits must not exceed 2400mAh/(5yr x 24hr/day x 365days/yr) = 2400mAh/43800h = 55µA. In practice, this value should be derated some- what—perhaps by 10% to 20% or more over a 5-year timeframe, depending on the self-leakage of the particular battery. In this hypothetical design, that would impose an upper limit on the average current of about 45µA. Although the 45µA average operating current limit might seem to be very low, it’s more than sufficient for designs built with very-low-power MCUs. That’s the case for the example design described later in this paper, which applies the Renesas RX111 MCU. Energy Storage Devices There are many component choices for storing the energy needed to power a standalone sensor product (see Figure 2). Conventional batteries are inexpensive, readily available, well understood and relatively easy to incorporate into a design. They would be the first choice if they meet a prod- uct’s target energy budget. White Paper – Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems Page 3 of 29 If conventional primary cells can’t be used, however, the alternatives are either a rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, solid-state batteries, or a combination thereof. Solid-state batteries are rechargeable, but they are so new that for the purposes of this document it was deemed best to put them into a separate category. Conventional Batteries Supercapacitors Solid State Batteries + High discharge current + Peak power delivery + Moderate energy density + High energy density + Long life + Near zero leakage + Inexpensive + Inexpensive + Long life / Permanent – Limited life – High leakage + Low cost of ownership – Replacement labor cost – Very low energy density + Form factor – Unsafe, polluting – High temperature + Safe / Eco-friendly – Form factor degradation + Broader temp. range – Form factor Figure 2: Comparison of types of energy storage devices. More application information about batteries is contained in Section III. Energy Harvesting Solutions Energy harvesting technology is exciting, beneficial and—thanks to developments in ultra-low- power semiconductors—meets the needs of and facilitates exciting classes of new embedded system applications. Free Energy Available in the Environment The major types of energy normally wasted in the environment can readily be captured are described below: • Energy from light—Sunlight and indoor and outdoor lighting can be converted into electricity by photoelectric energy cells; i.e., solar cells. To work efficiently, those cells have to be optimized for the characteristic spectra of the incident illumination. Despite the fact that indoor lighting is a good power source for wristwatches and handheld calculators, it doesn’t provide enough energy to be useful for most harvesting applications. • Mechanical energy—Objects that vibrate or move can be made to produce electricity. Vibrations generate considerable voltage when they are applied to piezoelectric materials. Also, the mechanical energy of pressing or moving an object such as a switch can generate a current if the action changes the flux of a magnetic core situated within an internal coil. • Thermoelectric energy—If the temperature at one point of the surface of an object is different than what it is at a nearby point, that temperature difference can be converted directly into an electric current via a physical phenomenon called the Seebeck effect. Certain semiconduc- tors and metals with high Seebeck coefficients transform temperature differentials into useful electric energy. White Paper – Energy Harvesting for Low-Power Sensor Systems Page 4 of 29 • Electromagnetic waves—Radio emissions are pervasive everywhere
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Planar Dual Polarized Metasurface Array for Microwave Energy Harvesting
    electronics Article Planar Dual Polarized Metasurface Array for Microwave Energy Harvesting Maged A. Aldhaeebi 1 and Thamer S. Almoneef 2,* 1 Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Hadhramout University, Mukalla 50512-50511, Yemen; [email protected] 2 Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 26 October 2020; Accepted: 18 November 2020; Published: 24 November 2020 Abstract: The design of a dual polarized metasurface collector based on the metamaterial full absorption concept for electromagnetic energy harvesting is introduced. Unlike previous metamaterial absorber designs, here the power absorbed is mostly dissipated across a resistive load rather than within the dielectric substrate. This is achieved by channeling the absorbed power to an optimal resistive load through a via hole. The simulation results show that a power absorption efficiency of 98% is achieved at an operating frequency of 2 GHz for a single unit cell. A super unit cell consisting of four cells with alternating vias was also designed to produce a dual polarized metasurface. The simulation results yielded a radiation to AC efficiency of around 98% for each polarization. Keywords: planar meatsurface; dual polarized absorbers; energy harvesting; rectenna 1. Introduction The microwave energy harvesting system (MEHS) has recently received much attention in the field of developing rectenna arrays based on metamaterials [1]. The two main components of any microwave energy harvesting system are an antenna and a rectification circuit. The antenna is used for collecting incident electromagnetic radiated power and converting it to AC (Radiation to AC efficiency), whereas a rectification circuit is used for converting the collected AC power to DC (AC to DC efficiency) [2].
    [Show full text]
  • A Review on Thermoelectric Generators: Progress and Applications
    energies Review A Review on Thermoelectric Generators: Progress and Applications Mohamed Amine Zoui 1,2 , Saïd Bentouba 2 , John G. Stocholm 3 and Mahmoud Bourouis 4,* 1 Laboratory of Energy, Environment and Information Systems (LEESI), University of Adrar, Adrar 01000, Algeria; [email protected] 2 Laboratory of Sustainable Development and Computing (LDDI), University of Adrar, Adrar 01000, Algeria; [email protected] 3 Marvel Thermoelectrics, 11 rue Joachim du Bellay, 78540 Vernouillet, Île de France, France; [email protected] 4 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans No. 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 7 June 2020; Accepted: 7 July 2020; Published: 13 July 2020 Abstract: A thermoelectric effect is a physical phenomenon consisting of the direct conversion of heat into electrical energy (Seebeck effect) or inversely from electrical current into heat (Peltier effect) without moving mechanical parts. The low efficiency of thermoelectric devices has limited their applications to certain areas, such as refrigeration, heat recovery, power generation and renewable energy. However, for specific applications like space probes, laboratory equipment and medical applications, where cost and efficiency are not as important as availability, reliability and predictability, thermoelectricity offers noteworthy potential. The challenge of making thermoelectricity a future leader in waste heat recovery and renewable energy is intensified by the integration of nanotechnology. In this review, state-of-the-art thermoelectric generators, applications and recent progress are reported. Fundamental knowledge of the thermoelectric effect, basic laws, and parameters affecting the efficiency of conventional and new thermoelectric materials are discussed. The applications of thermoelectricity are grouped into three main domains.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy Harvesters for Space Applications 1
    Energy harvesters for space applications 1 Energy harvesters for space R. Graczyk limited, especially that they are likely to operate in charge Abstract—Energy harvesting is the fundamental activity in (energy build-up in span of minutes or tens of minutes) and almost all forms of space exploration known to humans. So far, act (perform the measurement and processing quickly and in most cases, it is not feasible to bring, along with probe, effectively). spacecraft or rover suitable supply of fuel to cover all mission’s State-of-the-art research facilitated by growing industrial energy needs. Some concepts of mining or other form of interest in energy harvesting as well as innovative products manufacturing of fuel on exploration site have been made, but they still base either on some facility that needs one mean of introduced into market recently show that described energy to generate fuel, perhaps of better quality, or needs some techniques are viable source of energy for sensors, sensor initial energy to be harvested to start a self sustaining cycle. networks and personal devices. Research and development Following paper summarizes key factors that determine satellite activities include technological advances for automotive energy needs, and explains some either most widespread or most industry (tire pressure monitors, using piezoelectric effect ), interesting examples of energy harvesting devices, present in Earth orbit as well as exploring Solar System and, very recently, aerospace industry (fuselage sensor network in aircraft, using beyond. Some of presented energy harvester are suitable for thermoelectric effect), manufacturing automation industry very large (in terms of size and functionality) probes, other fit (various sensors networks, using thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and scale easily on satellites ranging from dozens of tons to few electrostatic, photovoltaic effects), personal devices (wrist grams.
    [Show full text]
  • Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting for Sensor Powering
    Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting for Sensor Powering Yongjia Wu Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Mechanical Engineering Lei Zuo, Chair Thomas E. Diller Rui Qiao Michael D. Heibel 05/09/2019 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Thermoelectric, energy harvesting, heat transfer, sensor powering Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting for Sensor Powering Yongjia Wu ABSTRACT The dissertation solved some critical issues in thermoelectric energy harvesting and tried to broaden the thermoelectric application for energy recovery and sensor powering. The scientific innovations of this dissertation were based on the new advance on thermoelectric material, device optimization, fabrication methods, and system integration to increase energy conversion efficiency and reliability of the thermoelectric energy harvester. The dissertation reviewed the most promising materials that owned a high figure of merit (ZT) value or had the potential to increase ZT through compositional manipulation or nano-structuring. Some of the state-of-art methods to enhance the ZT value as well as the principles underneath were also reviewed. The nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials were identified as the most promising candidate for future thermoelectric applications as they provided enormous opportunities for material manipulation. The optimizations of the thermoelectric generator (TEG) depended on the accuracy of the mathematical model. In this dissertation, a general and comprehensive thermodynamic model for a commercial thermoelectric generator was established. Some of the unnecessary assumptions in the conventional models were removed to improve the accuracy of the model. This model can quantize the effects of the Thomson effect, contact thermal and electrical resistance, and heat leakage, on the performance of a thermoelectric generator.
    [Show full text]
  • Feasibility of Harvesting Solar Energy for Self-Powered Environmental Wireless Sensor Nodes
    electronics Article Feasibility of Harvesting Solar Energy for Self-Powered Environmental Wireless Sensor Nodes 1, 1, 1 2 2 Yuyang Li y, Ehab A. Hamed y, Xincheng Zhang , Daniel Luna , Jeen-Shang Lin , Xu Liang 2 and Inhee Lee 1,* 1 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; [email protected] (Y.L.); [email protected] (E.A.H.); [email protected] (X.Z.) 2 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; [email protected] (D.L.); [email protected] (J.-S.L.); [email protected] (X.L.) * Correspondence: [email protected] These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 5 November 2020; Accepted: 30 November 2020; Published: 3 December 2020 Abstract: Energy harvesting has a vital role in building reliable Environmental Wireless Sensor Networks (EWSNs), without needing to replace a discharged battery. Solar energy is one of the main renewable energy sources that can be used to efficiently charge a battery. This paper introduces two solar energy harvesters and their power measurements at different light conditions in order to charge rechargeable AA batteries powering EWSN nodes. The first harvester is a primitive energy harvesting circuit that is built using elementary off-shelf components, while the second harvester is based on a commercial boost converter chip. To prove the effectiveness of harvesting solar energy, five EWSN nodes were distributed at a nature reserve (the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, USA) and the sunlight at their locations was recorded for more than five months. For each recorded illumination, the corresponding harvested energy has been estimated and compared with the average energy consumption of the EWSN with the most power consumption.
    [Show full text]
  • Power Optimization Configurations in Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems
    Power Optimization Configurations in Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems by Kristen Thompson Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Engineering in the Electrical Engineering Program YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY December 2020 Power Optimization Configurations in Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Systems Kristen Thompson I hereby release this thesis to the public. I understand that this thesis will be made available from the OhioLINK ETD Center and the Maag Library Circulation Desk for public access. I also authorize the University or other individuals to make copies of this thesis as needed for scholarly research. Signature: Kristen Thompson, Student Date Approvals: Frank X Li, Thesis Advisor Date Mike Ekoniak, Committee Member Date Eric MacDonald, Committee Member Date Dr. Salvatore A. Sanders, Dean of Graduate Studies Date ABSTRACT Energy harvesting research from vibration gained great interest for its potential to excel in lower power applications. Often piezoelectric devices are implemented and harness the vibrational frequency as a means to excite the component. The piezoelectric device converts mechanical strain into electrical charge and exists in various prototypes. The cantilevered beam and performance are dependent on the material configuration, size, shape, and layers. This thesis analyzes several piezoelectric components to determine the best way for power optimization and efficiency in this conversion. Store purchased piezoelectric components were soldered and assembled
    [Show full text]
  • Charge-Based Supercapacitor Storage Estimation for Indoor Sub-Mw Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting Powered Wireless Sensor Nodes
    IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICS 1 Charge-Based Supercapacitor Storage Estimation for Indoor Sub-mW Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting Powered Wireless Sensor Nodes harvested energy can be continuously accumulated into energy Abstract— Supercapacitors offer an attractive energy storage components (such as a Lithium (Li) battery or a storage solution for lifetime “fit and forget” photovoltaic supercapacitor) so that a high power pulse can be supplied for (PV) energy harvesting powered wireless sensor nodes for a short-term measurement. internet of things (IoT) applications. Whilst their low The power density of indoor PV energy harvesting devices storage capacity is not an issue for sub-mW PV (10~20µW/cm2) is much higher than that of RF (0. 1µW/cm2 applications, energy loss in the charge redistribution for GSM, 0.001µW/cm2 for WiFi), making PVs the most process is a concern. Currently there is no effective method suitable for indoor IoT applications. However, when to estimate the storage of the supercapacitor in IoT considering that the energy harvested from a credit card size applications for optimal performance with sub-mW input. (85×55 mm) indoor PV panel is lower than 0.8 mW, either a Li- The existing energy-based method requires supercapacitor battery or a supercapacitor must be used in conjunction with the model parameters to be obtained and the initial charge state sub-mW indoor PV energy harvester to provide the required to be determined, consequently it is not suitable for storage capacity. practical applications. This paper defines a charge-based The total number of recharge cycles for the lifetime of a Li- method, which can directly evaluate supercapacitor’s battery is several hundreds.
    [Show full text]
  • Rectifying Antennas for Energy Harvesting from the Microwaves to Visible Light: a Review C.A
    Rectifying antennas for energy harvesting from the microwaves to visible light: A review C.A. Reynaud, David Duché, Jean-Jacques Simon, Estéban Sanchez-Adaime, O. Margeat, Jörg Ackermann, Vikas Jangid, Chrystelle Lebouin, Damien Brunel, Frederic Dumur, et al. To cite this version: C.A. Reynaud, David Duché, Jean-Jacques Simon, Estéban Sanchez-Adaime, O. Margeat, et al.. Rectifying antennas for energy harvesting from the microwaves to visible light: A review. Progress in Quantum Electronics, Elsevier, 2020, 72, pp.100265. 10.1016/j.pquantelec.2020.100265. hal- 02895836 HAL Id: hal-02895836 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02895836 Submitted on 10 Jul 2020 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Rectifying antennas for energy harvesting from the microwaves to visible light: a review C.A. Reynauda,∗, D. Duchéa, J-J. Simona, E. Sanchez-Adaimea, O. Margeatb, J. Ackermanb, V. Jangidc, C. Lebouinc, D. Bruneld, F. Dumurd, G. Bergince, C.A. Nijhuisf, L. Escoubasa aAix Marseille Univ, Univ Toulon, CNRS, IM2NP UMR 7334, Marseille, France bAix-Marseille
    [Show full text]
  • Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting in Airport Pavement
    CAIT-UTC-NC17 Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting in Airport Pavement FINAL REPORT August 2019 Submitted by: Hao Wang Jingnan Zhao Associate Professor Graduate Research Assistant Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 96 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854 External Project Manager Navneet Garg, FAA In cooperation with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey And Federal Aviation Administration And U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Disclaimer Statement The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented herein. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) is a National UTC Consortium led by Rutgers, The State University. Members of the consortium are the University of Delaware, Utah State University, Columbia University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, University of Texas at El Paso, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and University of South Florida. The Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. CAIT-UTC-NC17 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting in Airport Pavement August, 2019 6. Performing Organization Code CAIT/Rutgers University TECHNICAL REPORT STANDARD TITLE PAGE 8. Performing Organization Report No. 7. Author(s) CAIT-UTC-NC17 Hao Wang, PhD, and Jingnan Zhao 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No.
    [Show full text]
  • Wireless Information and Power Transfer: a New Paradigm for Green Communications Dushantha Nalin K
    Wireless Information and Power Transfer: A New Paradigm for Green Communications Dushantha Nalin K. Jayakody • John Thompson Symeon Chatzinotas • Salman Durrani Editors Wireless Information and Power Transfer: A New Paradigm for Green Communications 123 Editors Dushantha Nalin K. Jayakody John Thompson Department of Software Engineering, School of Engineering Institute of Cybernetics University of Edinburgh National Research Tomsk Institute for Digital Communications Polytechnic University Edinburgh, UK Tomsk, Russia Salman Durrani Symeon Chatzinotas College of Engineering Interdisciplinary Centre for Security and Computer Science University of Luxembourg The Australian National University Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Canberra, Aust Capital Terr, Australia ISBN 978-3-319-56668-9 ISBN 978-3-319-56669-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56669-6 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017943674 © Springer International Publishing AG 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy Harvesting Solution to Go
    Silicon Labs‘ EFM32 Würth Elektronik – Giant Gecko Starter Kit more than you expect The EFM32GG-STK3700 provides More of our smallest inductors: WE-TPC SMD Shielded Tiny Power Inductors Evaluation of the world’s most energy friendly microcontroller EFM32 Gecko family (Size 2811, 2813, 2828 and 3510) - On board: EFM32GG990F1024 with ARM Cortex M3, 48 MHz, 1024 kB Flash, WE-EHPI Energy Harvesting Power Inductor 128 kB RAM, LCD Controller, USB, Low Energy Sense, Backup Power Domain, etc. WE-PMI Power Multilayer Inductor - 200 µA/MHz in active mode and Deep Sleep Mode with 1.1 µA with various functions running in this mode on 1 µA level More components designed for sensor network: Debugging with a SEGGER J-Link debugger WE-KI SMD Wire Wound Ceramic Inductor Energy Debugging with an integrated Advanced Energy Monitoring (AEM) WE-MK Multilayer Ceramic SMD Inductor and Voltage Monitoring Energy Harvesting Solution To Go More LTCC components: WE-LPF Multilayer Chip Low-Pass Filter Silicon Labs‘ EFM32 WE-BPF Multilayer Chip Band-Pass Filter Giant Gecko Starter Kit WE-BAL Multilayer Chip Balun Linear Technology WE-MCA Multilayer Chip Antenna Multi-Source Energy Harvester Most efficient More chip bead ferrites: passive components WE-CBF Chip Bead Ferrites E-IC-744885BR.1012.10‘.DD More connectors: WERI Connectors DIE NECKARPRINZEN Würth Elektronik offers more complete solutions, such as sample kits with continuous free re-fills, EMC lab support, seminars, technical design books and much more! Want more info about your kit? Please
    [Show full text]
  • Materials and Techniques for Energy Harvesting
    17 Materials and techniques for energy harvesting M. E. KIZIROGLOU and E. M. YEATMAN, Imperial College London, UK Abstract: Energy harvesting, the collection of small amounts of ambient energy to power wireless devices, is a very promising technology for applications where batteries are impractical, such as body sensor networks and inaccessible remote systems. The performance and potential of energy-harvesting devices depend strongly on the performance and specifi c properties of materials. In this chapter the important properties and potential of materials used in energy-harvesting devices are reviewed. An introduction to the concept of energy harvesting is given with a special discussion on motion energy-harvesting limits. The state of the art of materials for piezoelectric, electrostatic, thermoelectric and electromagnetic harvesting devices is discussed, with emphasis on desired material properties and corresponding available materials. In addition to the materials required in the energy transduction mechanism itself, the performance of mechanical oscillators at small scales is a critical factor in motion energy harvesting. For this reason, material requirements, performance and limitations for the implementation of low-frequency and broadband mechanical oscillators are reviewed in the fi nal section of this chapter. Key words: energy harvesting, MEMS, generator, piezoelectric, electrostatic, thermoelectric. 17 .1 Introduction Energy harvesting is one of the key emerging technologies of the twenty- fi rst century. It refers to the collection of energy from the environment; energy that would otherwise be lost to heat. In order to distinguish from renewable energy sources more generally, energy harvesting can be defi ned as the collection of local naturally available energy for local use.
    [Show full text]