Thermo-Driven Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors

摘要

One of the latest trends in sensing technology is creating wireless devices with cutting-edge additions, such as energy harvesting solutions to avoid battery maintenance or an external power source. German manufacturer Micropelt recently introduced a mini thermo-harvester capable of producing power from minimum differences in temperatures of virtually any heat source, including body heat, under favorable conditions. The only limitation is a maximum temperature of 200℃ in order to not destroy the generator and a minimum gradient of approximately 3℃ for running a DC converter. Temperature differences are converted by the unit into electrical power and used to operate wireless sensors.