Get Into Energy Harvesting with a Design Kit

All it takes is a sensor to be in the energy harvesting development mode with MicroStrain’s Advanced Pioneer Kit. The kit is based on MicroStrain EH-Link a hybrid energy harvesting wireless sensor node. The node collects energy from multiple sources including strain, vibration, thermal gradients, ambient light and electromagnetic fields. 

The Pioneer Kit includes an EH-Link node, USB Base Station with Antenna, Thermal Electric Generator (TEG), Solar Demo Board, 9-V Alkaline Battery, Battery Clip, EH-Link 1000 ohm Tester Board, and 1000 µF Capacitor as well as Node Commander Software and Manuals CD (Windows® XP, Vista, 7).

For more information including how to order the kit (use the Buy tab), click here.

Using Texas Instruments BQ24210 in Solar Energy Harvesting

Any energy harvesting system requires some level of power management including battery charging. At CES 2011, Jon Beall, product marketing engineer in the Battery Management Solutions Division of Texas Instruments, explains the functionality that the BQ24210 provides to a solar energy system.

To view the video, click  here.

For more information about the BQ24210 800mA, Single-Input, Single Cell Li-Ion Solar Battery Charger, click here.

Sensors Expo 2010 Exhibitors: MicroStrain Energy Harvesting

If you missed Sensors Expo or did not get a chance to check out all the exhibits, here is another of the interesting booths that I visited. Steve Arms from MicroStrain explains energy harvesting powered wireless sensing and the Sensors Expo 2010 Silver Award winning EH-Link. To see the video, click the arrow link below.

For more information about MicroStrain wireless energy harvesting solutions, click here.

Sensors Expo 2010 Exhibitors: Tellurex Corporation and Dexter Research

If you missed Sensors Expo or did not get a chance to check out all the exhibits, here is another of the interesting booths that I visited. Chuck Cauchy from Tellurex and Wayne Baer from Dexter Research explain each company’s role in developing an energy harvesting powered wireless sensor. To see the video, click the arrow link below.

For more information about Tellurex for thermoelectric solutions, click here.

For more information about Dexter Research for wireless sensing solutions, click here.

Energy Harvesting for Enthusiasts

Anyone who likes the idea of something for nothing has to be interested in energy harvesting, getting the energy to avoid reliance on traditional energy sources such as batteries, for free – once the initial hardware investment has been made. Today, in addition to solar, wind and falling or flowing water, vibration, RF, heat and other techniques are powering many products, especially sensor-based applications.

For industrial applications, one of the more intriguing energy harvesting techniques involves vibration. In a factory environment, the movement of rotating equipment provides a constant vibration source. A carefully designed system can use this low level of vibration and a piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer to power a sensor and its associated circuitry. Without the need to charge or replace a battery, the sensor can provide low maintenance feedback regarding the normal or abnormal operation of equipment for fault monitoring and downtime prevention. Several companies are involved in the development of the energy harvesting devices as well as other critical components in the ultra-low power consuming sensor circuits.

Those who are interested in more information may want to check out the Power Management: Energy Harvesting & Storage symposium (http://www.sensorsexpo.com/pre-conference-symposia/symposium-3-power-management-energy-harvesting-storage) at Sensors Expo, June 7 in Chicago, IL

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