Analysis and design of ultra low power thermoelectric energy harvesting systems

Thermal energy harvesting using micro-scale thermoelectric generators is a promising approach to alleviate the power supply challenge in ultra low power systems. In thermal energy harvesting systems, energy is extracted from the transducer using an interface circuitry, which plays a key role in the determining the energy extraction efficiency. This paper presents techniques for the systematic modeling, analysis, and design of interface circuitry used in micro-scale thermoelectric energy harvesting systems. We characterize the electrical behavior of a micro-scale thermoelectric transducer connected to a step-up charge pump based power converter and model the relationship between the transducer output voltage and the charge pump switching frequency. We model various power loss components inside the interface circuitry and present an analytical design methodology that estimates optimal parameter values for the interface circuitry. These parameter values lead to maximum net output power b...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2010
• Where: ISLPED
• Authors: Chao Lu, Sang Phill Park, Vijay Raghunathan, Kaushik Roy
• Keywords: Energy Harvesting Systems, Hardware, Interface Circuitry, ISLPED 2010, Thermal Energy