Low Power Energy Harvesting for Autonomous Sensors and Actuators

Alireza Rezania

Head of Research Programme

Low Power Energy Harvesting & i-Solutions

Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

Maritime Afternoon 04-12-2017

2 Low Power Energy Harvesting and i-Solutions

Mission To provide an internationally recognized comprehensive research platform that enables intelligent, independent, and integrated low-power energy harvesting solutions. Focus Area Autonomous sensors for predictive maintenance applications Self-powered, mobile, intelligent and wireless micro-actuators & monitoring devices for health care, human diagnostics, energy hubs, construction and surveillance applications Low energy harvester modules Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled energy networks

Intelligent Independent Integrated Innovative

3 Research Group Members TE Research Programme at AAU

Prof. Lasse Rosendahl Associate Prof. Yongming Xia Associate Prof. Alireza Rezania Associate Prof. Kaiyuan Lu

Guest , Dr. Shaowei Qing

PhD Student Seyed Mojtaba Mir Hosseini PhD Student

Sajjad Mahmoudi Nezhad PhD Student Seyedmohammad

Mortazavinatanzi Research Assistant

Majid Khazaee

Guest, Saeed Ahmadi Atouei PhD Student Amin Asadi Guest, Meysam Karimi Rad PhD Student YechengShen

4 Completed Research Projects

• Center for Energy Materials, CEM, (2009-2013)

• Co-simulation and Co-optimization of Thermoelectric Generation System (2010-2012)

• Integrated Photovoltaics with Thermoelectrics (2013-2014)

• Energy Efficient EV Cabin Heating for Extended Driving Range (2015-2016)

• Oxide Thermoelectrics for Effective Power Generation from Waste Heat, OTE-POWER, (2011-2016)

• Nano-Carbons for Versatile Power Supply Modules (NanoCaTe), FP7, (2013-2017)

• Development of a self-powered pad for a low power sensor and wireless communication (2016-2017)

5 Alpcon as a Close Partner

R&D Intelligent Power, Heating and Cooling

Self-powered brake pad sensor Warning of temperature & wear

Self-powered 30kW bus heater Heating bus engine and cabin

Self-powered Space Heaters (Heating Military tents/shelters)

Wireless battery-free sensor (Hot spot indication)

6 Ongoing Research Projects • Center for Thermoelectric Energy Conversion, CTEC (2014-2018)

• Optimization of module design • System integration and application of thin-film and flexible TEG at a cement plant

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Distance from the outlet, …

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7 Ongoing Research Projects • Nano-Carbons for Versatile Power Supply Modules, NanoCaTe (2013-2017)

• Optimization and modeling of thermoelectric uni-couples and module for both flexible and bulk TE materials

• Simulation of TEG system behavior in real satellite application.

8 Ongoing Research Projects_ Dispenser printing

A computer-controlled translation stage - moves a pattern-generating device - an ink-deposition nozzle - creates materials with controlled architecture and composition

Continuous filament writing

Droplet jetting

9 Ongoing Research Projects

Self-powered brake pad sensor Monitoring temperature & wear

10 Waste Vibration Energy to Produce Electricity with piezoelectrics

11 Recent Applications in Energy Harvesting

12 Micro Electromagnetic Devices for Body Energy Harvesting

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Magnet

Coil

Core

Principle:

Mechanical energy Electric energy

Vibration frequency: 𝑓𝑓 = 1~10 𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻

Faraday’s law

13 Why New Direction?

Benefits of energy harvesting for sensors • Battery replacement in off-grid or hard to reach areas

• Significant reduction in operating cost

• Self-powered low power applications • Wireless for easy & quick mounting

• Compact integrated networks

• No battery replacement

Wasted Energy is everywhere! - Just go get it

14 Why New Direction?

Benefits of energy harvesting for sensors

Energy harvesting

Dr Harry Zervos, Thermoelectric energy harvester market to reach almost $1bn in 2024

www.IDTechEx.com/thermo

15 Why New Direction?

Energy harvesting • Different types of sensors • Body sensor • Animal tracking

Medical applications • DNA

Energy intensive industries • Direct energy conversion by radiation

Data Centers

16 Challenges

Energy storage

Energy harvesting transducers Heat/cool Vibration Light Motion/Kinetic

Piezoelectric Thermoelectric

Radio waves

Photovoltaic Electromagnetic RF (rectenna)

Batteries Capacitors Ultra caps

Power management Controller

Lithium thin-film

Charger Electrical boost converters

DC/DC AC/DC

Low-power & strong signal transceivers Wi-Fi RF

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1 2 GPRS 2

“Commercial modules from Powercast Corporation”

17 Challenges

Applications

Actuators Wireless & battery free networks

Switches Sensors RFID tags

Machinery Industry & Buildings

Systems

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18

THANK YOU!