Low power-energy storage system for energy harvesting applications

Abstract

The emergence of low power wireless devices has created a strong need for power supply systems capable of storing energy harvested from the local environment and providing a regulated output to applications. Common problems with harvested energy include the inconsistency of available energy sources and the efficiency of conversion and regulation. Using high efficiency CMOS components for DC-DC conversions, ultra-capacitors for storage, and a novel method of energy management using variable hysteresis, we have developed an energy supply with sufficient capabilities to operate many of the low power wireless products in today's market. In our paper we present and discuss the overall design of our system while quantifying its operational parameters with data and analysis, finishing with a discussion of the results of extensive testing and validation.