Thermoelectric harvesters and the internet of things: technological and economic drivers

Abstract

The spectacular growth of networks of intercommunicating sensing nodes has generated a request for alternate, renewable power sources. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs), either conventional or integrated, are possible candidates. This paper analyzes the usability of TEGs as alternate power sources for wireless sensor network. It is shown how TEGs meet power requirements of low-power sensing nodes and how they outperform batteries as of the installation costs. Factors still hampering TEG wider use are also reviewed and commented upon, and an outlook at specific applications where TEGs might be rapidly deployed is provided.

Unveiling the phonon scattering mechanisms in half-Heusler thermoelectric compounds

“…By interconverting between heat and electricity, thermoelectric (TE) technology is potentially applicable under special scenarios such as active cooling 1 or powering the nodes of the internet of things (IoT). 2 In comparison to other competing technologies, TE devices perform reliably due to their solid-state nature. They are noise-free, maintenance-free, and emission-free.…”

Highly Sensitive Self‐Powered H2 Sensor Based on Nanostructured Thermoelectric Silicon Fabrics

“…Energy would be then released during transmission periods (which are the most power-demanding operational steps, yet usually shorter than 2 s) of the IoT node. [53][54][55] However, this approach must be studied thoughtfully as H 2 presence periods need to be frequent or long enough to guarantee total energy demand is satisfied. On the other hand, with the recent advances in ultra-low DC-DC converters, only few mV are needed.…”

Piezoelectric Polymer Multilayer Coating Method for Vibration Energy Harvester

“…The film was cut to a size of 10 × 30 mm 2 , and a piezoelectric layer and top electrode were deposited on the Cu/PI film to fabricate the device. The Cu/PI film was attached and fixed to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (Dow Corning Toray Co., Ltd.: SILPOT 184) formed on a glass substrate (Matsunami Glass Ind., Ltd.: Micro Cover Glass 30 × 40 mm 2 Thickness No. 5).…”

“…(1) An energy harvester is a power-generation device that captures a small amount of power from the surrounding environment and is used in a self-sustained sensor node in combination with a sensor. The electric power generation methods include that using heat, (2) light, (3) electromagnetism, (4) and vibration. (5,6) In particular, the vibration energy harvester (VEH) is being actively researched because vibration is ubiquitous in the environment and has relatively high energy density.…”