Hybrid Energy Harvesting System Based on Microfluidics With Interface Circuitry

Abstract

We present a fluidic-based energy harvesting device that incorporates microfluidic structures, which can hydraulically disperse and accommodate large input force into a micro structure; and power handling circuitry, which converts varying energy to support a commercial wireless link, into a single layer of a shoe insole. The microfluidic structures utilize hydraulic amplification of deflection and de-amplification of force to enhance power generation through electromagnetic induction while preventing potential mechanical fracture of the micro structures. The power regulation circuitry converts AC power into DC at each fluidic channel and then adds them into high voltage output. The fabricated energy harvesting system generated a raw power rms output of 7.28mW under 647.5kPa pressure and power density of 1mW/cm 3 from a device volume of 7.2cm 3 . The integrated power regulating circuitry demonstrated power conversion efficiency of 62.8%.

Energy harvesting from human motion: exploiting swing and shock excitations

“…A different approach employs the triboelectric effect, which is based upon materials of different electrochemical potential coming into contact, to generate maximum power outputs of up to 4.2 mW with a stacked structure which was pressed by a human palm [4]. Further force-driven devices can be found in [5][6][7].…”