Modelling and Analysis of Energy Harvesting in Internet of Things (IoT): Characterization of a Thermal Energy Harvesting Circuit for IoT based Applications with LTC3108

Abstract

This paper presents a simulation-based study for characterizing and analyzing the performance of a commercially available thermoelectric cooler (TEC) as a generator for harvesting heat energy along with a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) power management integrated circuit (PMIC); LTC3108. In this model, the transformation of heat was considered in terms of an electrical circuit simulation perspective, where temperature experienced by TEC on both cold and hot sides was incorporated with voltage supply as Vth and Vtc in the circuit. When it comes to modeling a system in a simulation program with an integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE) like environment, the selection of thermoelectric generator (TEG) and extraction methods are not straightforward as well as the lack of information from manufacturer’s datasheets can limit the grip over the analysis parameters of the module. Therefore, it is mandatory to create a prototype before implementing it over a physical system for energy harvesting circuit (EHC) optimization. The major goal was to establish the basis for devising the thermal energy scavenging based Internet of Things (IoT) system with two configurations of voltage settings for the same TEG model. This study measured the data in terms of current, voltage, series of resistive loads and various temperature gradients for generating the required power. These generated power levels from EHC prototype were able to sustain the available IoT component’s power requirement, hence it could be considered for the implementation of IoT based applications.

Modeling and Implementation of TEG-Based Energy Harvesting System for Steam Sterilization Surveillance Sensor Node

“…Thus, the Kubov's model [37] was selected for further investigation, as it is very intuitive and easy to use, using only four parameters as an input and focused on the electrical domain, which is also a main scope of this study. It have been also proven by a study by Afghan and Géza describing simulation and analysis of an energy harvesting system for wearable applications [38]. The model itself is presented in Figure 4.…”

Evolution of Micro-Nano Energy Harvesting Technology—Scavenging Energy from Diverse Sources towards Self-Sustained Micro/Nano Systems

“…Although remarkable progress has been made in developing micro-nano energy harvesters towards self-sustained systems, there are still some technical gaps that exist with regard to their final implementation. First of all, the energy output from the current micro-nano energy harvesters still cannot meet the power consumption requirements of all IoT sensor nodes, such as image sensors and gas sensors, whose power consumption reaches from 150 mW to 800 mW [170]. In addition to improving the output power of the micro-nano energy harvesters by selecting new functional materials and optimizing the device structure, possible solutions can also be to use energy storage units and power management modules.…”

Current and Future Trend Opportunities of Thermoelectric Generator Applications in Waste Heat Recovery

“…Finally, the authors addressed a combination with a DC-DC converter to boost its low output voltage for power management. A simulation-based analysis for defining the performance of TEC with the power management integrated circuit for harvesting heat energy was given in [100].…”