RF Energy Scavenging With a Wide-Range Input Power Level

Abstract

Energy scavenging is a promising technique for micro-devices such as wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Radio frequency (RF) is considered a sustainable source that can be utilized and harvested due to its important features. The essential goal of this study was designing and investigating a wide input power range through a theoretical and simulation work for the 900 MHz frequency band with acceptable efficiency. In this work, we investigated both the low input power and the high input power range circuits; the two circuits were combined to achieve the goal of the wide input power range. L impedance matching elements were used to perform the desired matching between the power source and the circuit to reduce the reflected power resulted in enhanced RF-DC conversion efficiency. 60 % was the peak efficiency for the proposed design at 0 dBm with the output voltage of 16.56 V, and a generated current of 1.39 mA for the load of 12K. INDEX TERMS Conversion efficiency, input power level, rectifier topology, RF energy scavenging.

Recent Development of High-PCE CMOS RF-DC Rectifier With Wide PIN Dynamic Range: Strategies and Trends—Review

“…The coupling capacitor C1 charges during VRF < -VDIODE through D1 and functions as a doubler during VRF > VDIODE through D2 to transfer the charges to CL to generate VOUT = 2(|VRF| -VDIODE). The unidirectional current conduction in a fast-switching diode prevents a sizeable IREV from discharging the CL, thereby achieving halfwave rectification [17].…”

“…As such, the Dickson rectifier needs a greater number of stages to meet the required VOUT while also suffering from a lowered PCE due to the inherent dropout voltage VDIODE. To overcome this undesirable VDIODE, the Schottky diode with a lower VDIODE and faster reverse recovery time (trr) is utilized to improve the PCE [17]. However, the modelling of the non-linear performance for the required Schottky diode is non-trivial for high-frequency design [18].…”

A Dual-Band Ambient Energy Harvesting Rectenna Design for Wireless Power Communications

“…The multi-tone signals from the antenna source have unstable power levels because of varying ambient signals over a range of frequencies. Furthermore, the RF-rectifier impedance is characterized as a time-varying signal that needs power buffering from the PMM for maintaining a steady operation of the circuit [3], [41]- [42]. As such, the proposed rectenna is further evaluated using a bq25504-674 EVM.…”

Simulation and optimization of rectenna systems

“…To achieve high rectenna efficiency, in 25 , 26 , the input power levels were into two ranges: a low range and a high range. Then two circuits were designed: one for the high range and a second one for the low range.…”