Energy Harvesting Generators and Transducers Information

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Energy harvesting generators and transducers are products that produce electricity from mechanical, thermal, or photonic sources. Applications for energy harvesting generators and transducers include manufacturing and internet of things (IoT). They are often used with IC voltage regulators, supervisory circuits and battery monitor chips, and wireless sensors and electronic devices.

Wind energy

Operation

The primary function of energy harvesting generators and transducers is to generate electricity from nonstandard sources such as vibrations, thermal differences, and photonic sources. These products rely on external forces to produce electrical energy. Mechanical energy harvesting and transducers generate energy by movement. This movement is generally in the form of slight vibrations in equipment or structures. This vibration causes a mass or piezo material to move, thereby translating to electrical energy. Thermal energy harvesting generators and transducers use changes in temperature to generate electricity. These devices use the waste heat of systems and convert the heat to electricity. A photonic energy harvesting generator and transducer uses solar cells to generate electricity from sunlight.

Types

There are multiple types of energy harvesting generators and transducers:

Mechanical energy harvesters use electromagnetic, electrostatic, or piezoelectric designs to produce electricity.
- Electromagnetic technology has a magnet that moves with the vibration of the equipment or system and generates a current in a wire.
- Electrostatic technology has electrodes and a mass connected to a spring that moves with the vibration of the equipment or system.
- Piezoelectric technology uses piezoelectric material that moves with the vibration of the equipment or system to generate electricity.
Thermal energy harvesters and transducers use pyroelectric or thermoelectric generators to produce electricity.
- Pyroelectric material generates a current when exposed to a temperature gradient.
- The thermal generator or transducer is a thermoelectric generator that uses excess heat produced by the system to generate electricity.

Specifications

The following specifications determine the functionality of energy harvesting generators and transducers.

Output Voltage: The output voltage of the generator or transducer.
Output Current: The output current of the generator or transducer.
Output Power: The output power of the generator or transducer.
Lifetime: The lifetime of the generator or transducer.
Vibration Range: The vibration range is the generator's or transducer's energy harvesting vibration range.
Frequency: The frequency range is the generator's or transducer's energy harvesting frequency range.
Temperature Range: The temperature range is the generator's or transducer's energy harvesting temperature range.