Energy Harvesting for Sensor systems

The project described aims to determine the technological limits of autonomous wireless sensor systems that are fed with environmental energy (“energy harvesting”). Where classical sensor systems use a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery or existing cabling for power supply, energy harvesting offers the opportunity to extract energy from the immediate vicinity of the system via an interface – the harvester. This harvester uses physical material properties to convert various energy forms of natural or artificial origin into electrical energy that can be stored and used to feed the sensor system. As a result, the system no longer requires external supply of electrical energy, allowing it to run continuously for a longer period of time compared to an identical battery-powered system. Over time, such systems are cheaper and more environment friendly. In addition, the expandability of a system is greatly simplified.