Energy scavengers for wireless autonomous sensor nodes

Inhalt:
This paper focuses on micromachined devices that extract electrical power from ambient energy such as vibration or thermal gradients. These energy sources can be found in a large variety of applications, e.g. automotive, household appliances and industrial equipment. Energy scavengers are essential components for fabrication of wireless autonomous sensor nodes as they enable continuous recharging of an energy storage device, e.g. a battery or a supercapacitor. Besides the scavenger and its power management system, the node incorporates the sensor, signal processing capabilities and a radio module.