Micro-Electronics Division - Energy Scavenging Power Supply

For over 100 years, the military has depended on batteries for portable power. Batteries must be periodically replaced, they are heavy, they have low operating temperatures, and they are hazardous to dispose of, but a change is coming.  AST is developing a product which will replace the need for batteries in small electronic systems.  By imbedding a system into existing electronics that has the ability to continuously scavenge energy from the operating environment, store that energy until it is needed, and output the energy upon demand, batteries will be permanently replaced.

Purpose

• Reduce the military’s dependency on batteries by continuously scavenging energy from the operating environment.
• Reduce the carry-weight of a soldier’s pack by eliminating the need for backup batteries.
• Provide a green alternative to batteries by reducing the need to dispose of hazardous waste.

Method

The ESPS continually scavenges energy from 5 different, widely available, energy sources (solar, thermal, vibrational, shock, and electromagnetic).  This energy is stored in a dual-stage storage system allowing for both fast turn-on times and long-term storage.  The output of the power supply is regulated to provide a power signature similar to that of a battery.

Status

• Prototypes of the energy scavenging modules have been designed and are operational.
• Switching systems for the dual-storage system have been designed and are operational.
• Testing has shown that, depending on environmental conditions, the system is able to initially turn-on a small sensor system in less than 5 minutes.
• Upon a full charge, with no additional input, the system has been shown to provide energy to a small sensor system for approximately 264 hours (11 days).
• A small packaging solution is required.

An energy scavenging power supply will be a first step to eliminating the need for batteries and a significant step toward a greener energy consumption model.