Collecting energy one spoonful at a time powers sensors, circuits

Collecting energy one spoonful at a time powers sensors, circuits

Energy harvesting is a field of research and development that involves the generation of electrical power from environmental sources. The basic assumption is that energy is available everywhere in the environment. The energy can come in the form of thermal energy, light (solar) energy, wind energy, and mechanical energy. However, the energy from these sources is often found in such minute quantities that it cannot supply adequate power for any viable purpose. The introduction of energy-harvesting modules is changing that.

For energy harvesting to become a viable alternative energy source, the process must involve the capturing of minute amounts of energy from one or more naturally occurring energy sources, accumulating them and storing them for later use. Energy-harvesting devices capture, accumulate, store, condition and manage this energy and supply it in a form that can be used to perform a helpful task. Similarly, an energy-harvesting module is an electronic device that performs all these functions to power a variety of sensor and control circuitry for intermittent duty applications.

The EH300 and EPAD energy-harvesting modules accept energy from an assortment of widely available ambient energy sources that operate from vibration, light, chemical reaction, fluid and air flow, environmental heat, and others. The modules then store this energy to power conventional electrical circuits and systems such as wireless sensor networks or remote controls. The modules are completely self-powered, always in the active mode, and always ready to harvest energy from sources that generate intermittent energy impulses with varying source impedances. The modules begin charging from 0.0 V and operate at nano-power to ensure that even the most miniscule energy charges can be captured, stored and used for the application. Full operation of the module’s cycle requires a minimum of 4 V and 200 nA from the energy source.

Advanced Linear Devices , Sunnyvale , CA
John Skurla 408-747-1155, ext. 511

http://www.aldinc.com