• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Electrical Engineering News and Products

Electronics Engineering Resources, Articles, Forums, Tear Down Videos and Technical Electronics How-To's

  • Products / Components
    • Analog ICs
    • Battery Power
    • Connectors
    • Microcontrollers
    • Power Electronics
    • Sensors
    • Test and Measurement
    • Wire / Cable
  • Applications
    • 5G
    • Automotive/Transportation
    • EV Engineering
    • Industrial
    • IoT
    • Medical
    • Telecommunications
    • Wearables
    • Wireless
  • Learn
    • eBooks / Handbooks
    • EE Training Days
    • Tutorials
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars & Digital Events
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Educational Assets
    • Design Guide Library
    • Digital Issues
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • LEAP Awards
    • Podcasts
    • DesignFast
  • Videos
    • EE Videos and Interviews
    • Teardown Videos
  • EE Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online.com
  • Bill’s Blogs
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Thermoharvesting Power Supply Creates ‘Perpetual’ Energy

May 18, 2010 By ECN Staff

thermoharvesting power supply A jointly-developed evaluation kit from STMicroelectronics and Micropelt  combines thermal electrical energy harvesting and solid-state thin-film battery to drive autonomous wireless sensor applications for as long as there is energy to harvest.

STMicroelectronics, a leading supplier of semiconductors for power and power management applications, and Micropelt, a German company specializing in novel thin film thermoelectric devices, have announced a jointly-developed autonomous wireless sensor evaluation kit. The TE-Power NODE evaluation kit combines Micropelt’s Thermogenerator and ST’s EnFilm solid-state thin-film battery as energy storage for power backup and pulse current. Power management and charge monitoring circuitry connect to the included graphical user interface software via a 2.4 GHz wireless link.

Energy harvesting, in which useful electrical energy is generated from freely available sources such as vibration, heat, or light, is an essential part of building self-powered wireless sensors that do not require battery maintenance. Today, there is a growing trend towards the use of wireless sensor networks, particularly in applications such as process automation, condition monitoring, and smart buildings.

While these wireless sensor networks produce immediate benefits, including the avoidance of costly wiring of sensors and easy deployment in previously inaccessible locations, a truly ‘intelligent environment’ approach envisages a large number of sensors mounted at every useful measurement point. The sensors measure parameters such as temperature, pressure or vibration, and send this data wirelessly to a control or monitoring system. The information is then used for better process control and energy management, lower maintenance cost and more efficient buildings.

At the heart of the new evaluation kit, a Thermoelectric Generator (TEG) exploits a physical phenomenon known as the Seebeck Effect, in which electric power results from the heat flux produced by a temperature differential across a thermoelectric micro-structured layer. From an effective gradient of 10°C, the TEG generates a voltage of 1.4V. Micropelt’s custom power conditioning converts this into sufficient power to drive the wireless sensor node and charge a battery using excess thermal energy.

In the TE-Power NODE evaluation kit, the Micropelt TEG MPG-D751 is housed between a solid Aluminium base plate and a finned heatsink. The base is attached to a suitable heat source, so the cooling effect of the heatsink can create a temperature differential across the embedded TEG.

“Harvesting thermal energy holds enormous potential as a virtually infinite self-sustaining energy source, exploiting free surplus heat that would otherwise be wasted,” said Micropelt’s CEO, Fritz Volkert. “As the world leader in power management, ST was the natural choice of partner to optimize the performance profile of our advanced thermoharvesting technology.”

The rechargeable battery used in the enhanced TE-Power NODE kit is ST’s EFL700A39 EnFilm thin-film solid-state battery, a 700-microamp-hour UL1642-certified rechargeable battery that can deliver high pulsed peak current (up to 10mA) to provide power to the wireless sensor node during its communication with the network. When the base plate of the evaluation kit is in contact with a heat source, the Micropelt TEG provides power to the system and recharges the EnFilm.

When the heat source is removed, the TEG stops and only the EnFilm battery provides power to the wireless sensor. The combination of TEG and EnFilm battery balances thermal supply gaps and establishes a virtually perpetual energy supply to the attached wireless system.

The battery board, designed by ST, contains the EnFilm battery and the electronic circuitry that controls and monitors both battery charge level and the energy balance. The board includes a BiCMOS linear regulator (STLQ50) specifically designed for operating in environments with very low power consumption constraints, as well as the STC3100 battery management chip, which monitors battery voltage, current and temperature. The circuitry also incorporates a Coulomb counter to keep track of the charge/discharge status.

“The move towards ubiquitous monitoring and more intelligent control requires renewable power sources that tap into available ambient energy most effectively,” said Ricardo de Sa Earp, Group Vice President and General Manager of the ASD & IPAD Division, STMicroelectronics. “With ST’s world-leading expertise in power management, we are ideally placed to work with innovative companies such as Micropelt to ensure that their novel energy harvesting technologies deliver optimal performance and high reliability at minimum cost.”

The wireless sensor module included in the evaluation kit was designed by Micropelt to establish a versatile ultra-low power link to its graphical user interface named TE-Power SCOPE. The software displays and logs essential thermal and electrical system parameters, including a continuously measured power balance between the TEG and the EnFilm battery. To the user this setup provides a means to assess the performance of the EnFilm-buffered thermoharvester in an intended application, facilitating system design and speeding time to market.

Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com. 

EnFilm is a new generation of high-energy-density solid-state thin-film battery technology. It is a rechargeable battery with a high number of charge/discharge cycles (above 1000 at 50% depth of discharge). The EFL700A39 has a footprint of 25.4 x 25.4mm and, with a thickness of just 0.2mm, it can be used in systems where thickness is a critical parameter.

The battery can be recharged to 80% of its initial capacity in 20 min by applying a constant voltage of 4.2Vdc, no need for charge-current limiting. EnFilm batteries do not contain solvents and are completely safe, with no risk of burning in the event of short circuits or overcharging.

You Might Also Like

Filed Under: Power Electronic Tips

Primary Sidebar

EE Engineering Training Days

engineering

Featured Contributions

Five challenges for developing next-generation ADAS and autonomous vehicles

Robust design for Variable Frequency Drives and starters

Meeting demand for hidden wearables via Schottky rectifiers

GaN reliability milestones break through the silicon ceiling

From extreme to mainstream: how industrial connectors are evolving to meet today’s harsh demands

More Featured Contributions

EE Tech Toolbox

“ee
Tech Toolbox: 5G Technology
This Tech Toolbox covers the basics of 5G technology plus a story about how engineers designed and built a prototype DSL router mostly from old cellphone parts. Download this first 5G/wired/wireless communications Tech Toolbox to learn more!

EE Learning Center

EE Learning Center
“ee
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.
“bills
contribute

R&D World Podcasts

R&D 100 Episode 10
See More >

Sponsored Content

Advanced Embedded Systems Debug with Jitter and Real-Time Eye Analysis

Connectors Enabling the Evolution of AR/VR/MR Devices

Award-Winning Thermal Management for 5G Designs

Making Rugged and Reliable Connections

Omron’s systematic approach to a better PCB connector

Looking for an Excellent Resource on RF & Microwave Power Measurements? Read This eBook

More Sponsored Content >>

RSS Current EDABoard.com discussions

  • Right Half Plane Zero
  • dc-dc converter in series
  • Single ended measuring ports and balanced antenna
  • Thermal modelling of repetitive power pulse
  • Permittivity and Permealibility in CST

RSS Current Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Fun with AI and swordfish basic
  • Microinverters and storeage batteries?
  • FFC connector white
  • Is AI making embedded software developers more productive?
  • Can I make two inputs from one??
Search Millions of Parts from Thousands of Suppliers.

Search Now!
design fast globle

Footer

EE World Online

EE WORLD ONLINE NETWORK

  • 5G Technology World
  • Analog IC Tips
  • Battery Power Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Engineer's Garage
  • EV Engineering
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips

EE WORLD ONLINE

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Teardown Videos
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • About Us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy