Energy Harvesting for Wearable Sensors and Body Area Network Nodes

Abstract

This paper aims to present new trends in energy-harvesting solutions pertaining to wearable sensors and powering Body Area Network nodes. To begin, we will present the capability of human beings to generate energy. We then examine solutions for converting kinetic and thermal energy from the human body. As part of our review of kinetic converters, we survey the structures and performance of electromagnetic, piezoelectric, and triboelectric systems. Afterward, we discuss thermal energy converters that utilize the heat generated by humans. In the final section, we present systems for converting energy from the electromagnetic waves surrounding a person. A number of these systems are suitable for use as wearables, such as RF harvesters and micro photovoltaic cells.

Analysis of the Methods for Realization of Low-Power Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Circuits for Wearable Battery-Free Power Supply Devices

“…In a brief form, the structure and principles of the operation of circuit configurations suitable for building power management systems are considered. Furthermore, some of the publications [17,20,21] analyze and compare in tabular form the basic structural or electrical parameters of various types of piezoelectric elements or power management systems, confirming their effectiveness.…”

“…In order to satisfy the above-mentioned need, an analysis of published review papers [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] has been performed. Moreover, the published review articles can be divided into two groups in view of the trends related to the continuous improvement in the approaches to designing electronic circuits, as well as the synthesis of new materials for the construction of piezoelectric elements.…”

“…This type of specific input stage, which is used to convert AC voltage into DC voltage, is required relatively often since the energy that is obtained from piezoelectric elements depends on the presence of spontaneously occurring mechanical vibrations. The second group of publications [17][18][19][20][21][22] includes review articles reported in international scientific journals during the last year. In these publications, the attention of the authors is basically directed to consider approaches and techniques for the design and use of wearable electronic devices, as well as the capabilities of wireless connection with data acquisition systems.…”

RF Energy Harvesting

“…Research very often focuses on wearable devices as the most promising use-cases for energy harvesters [7]. It is suggested that a combination of different ambient energy sources can maximise the output power available to be reused [8].…”

Experimental Assessment of Electromagnetic Fields Inside a Vehicle for Different Wireless Communication Scenarios: A New Alternative Source of Energy

“…Hence, the question of how to provide a sustainable energy supply to IoT devices is becoming an increasingly important issue for the success of next-generation IoT networks. Energy from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) is considered a promising new energy source for ultra-low-power consumption IoT devices, such as wearable devices and IoT sensors [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Radiofrequency (RF) energy harvesting, which is the conversion of energy from EMFs emitted from devices in wireless cellular networks (2G, 3G, 4G and Energies 2023, 16, 5622 2 of 22 5G) and local networks (IEEE 802.11) into usable electrical energy, has several advantages compared to the rest of the resources [15].…”