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Micro Energy Harvesting?

Energy is everywhere in the environment around us - available in forms such as solar (light), wind, thermal and mechanical. Where this energy is found in concentrated amounts you will often find large-scale electricity generation taking place, such as wind and solar farms. In fact, energy harvesting dates back to the windmill and waterwheel!

However, the majority of energy around us is often found in such minute quantities that it cannot supply adequate power for any viable purpose. In fact, until recently, it has not been possible to capture such energy sufficiently to perform any useful work.

Micro-energy-harvesting is the process of capturing small amounts of energy from one or more of these naturally occurring energy sources, accumulating them and storing them for later use. The key components of any energy harvesting system are:

1. An energy source
2. A conversion device that translates the energy into electricity
3. A harvesting module that captures, stores and manages the electricity
4. An end application

Recent technological advancements have increased the efficiency of devices in capturing trace amounts of energy from the environment and turning it into electrical energy. Microprocessor improve-ments have increased the power efficiency of the system, which reduces the amount of power a device needs to draw from the supply. 

The driving force behind these changes is the desire to power small mobile devices without the requirement of batteries.

If we can effectively harvest tiny amounts of energy from (essentially inexhaustible) natural resources it is not only good for the environment, but will also reduce reliance on batteries. It could also potentially be used as an alternative energy source to supplement a primary power source, enhancing the reliability of the overall system and even potentially preventing power interruptions.

Common Sources of Energy Harvesting

• Mechanical Energy - from sources such as vibration, mechanical stress and strain
• Thermal Energy - waste energy from furnaces, heaters, and friction sources
• Light Energy - captured from sunlight or room light via photo sensors, photo diodes, or solar panels
• Electromagnetic Energy - from inductors, coils and transformers
• Natural Energy - from the environment such as wind, water flow, ocean currents, and solar
• Human Body - a combination of mechanical and thermal energy naturally generated from bio-organisms or through actions such as walking and sitting
• Other Energy - from chemical and biological sources

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