Novel SiC self starting DC-DC converter for high temperature wireless sensor nodes

Abstract

We report on the first demonstration of a novel self starting DC-DC converter to supply power to a wireless sensor node for deployment in high temperature environments. Utilising SiC devices we have realised a novel boost converter topology which is suitable for boosting a low voltage to a level sufficient to power a sensor node at temperatures up to 300 °C. This topology is able to self start and so requires no external control circuitry, making it ideal for energy harvesting applications, where the energy supply may be intermittent. Here we demonstrate the potential of this topology to power a direct frequency modulated Colpitts oscillator for RF transmission, when used in conjunction with a thermoelectric generator.

Self-Oscillatory DC-DC Converter Circuits for Energy Harvesting in Extreme Environments

“…In addition to the power stage of the converter, the gate-drive circuitry is also required to operate at elevated temperatures. To eliminate the need for a high temperature gate driver and also to reduce the size of the power management circuitry, a self-starting DC-DC converter is desired [34]. Here, a self-starting DC-DC converter was designed to boost the low DC output voltage of a thermoelectric generator to a level sufficient to run a SiC sensor circuit for wireless monitoring of inhospitable environments [35][36][37].…”