Energy harvesting makes a powerful case
Dr Simon Aliwell - Technology Translator, Sensors & Instrumentation Knowledge Transfer Network
I have seen technologies set back years in their development by early hype and energy harvesting was another looking set to follow that path. It therefore gives me great pleasure to point out that energy harvesting is delivering solutions, not just technology but real solutions, in the commercial world right now. This is thanks to the vision and dedication of a small number of companies and academics.
Forget for now the body sensor networks and implantable medical devices powered by your heart beat or body temperature. Right now energy harvesting companies have systems in place in industries as diverse as oil refineries, water treatment plants and building management. Energy harvesting may not be a universal solution to everyone’s desire for free energy but it is certainly creating real value in some applications.
Studying practical application
I recently completed a study of energy harvesting technologies with a particular focus on how they might enable remote and wireless sensing. Power is the major limiting factor in rolling out full scale wireless sensor networks and in many scenarios batteries are either unsuitable or completely impractical. Energy harvesting devices are therefore potentially an attractive alternative. This study focussed particularly on understanding and critically questioning the barriers to application in situations of real interest to industry, through consulting with both the developers and the end users of the technology.
Energy harvesting scavenges low grade sources of energy from the environment to provide useful quantities of electrical power to electronic devices. The most common energy sources are light, thermal and vibration and various techniques are available to harvest this.
Europe is where it’s at
This is an area in which Europe actually leads the USA. In particular, European companies like [...] EnOcean are noted for their commercial focus. This is a message I have heard from the USA too! The technology has its roots in both corporate research and universities and here in the UK the success of Perpetuum builds upon the fantastic advances at Southampton University. Keep watching them for the next generation of energy harvesting systems – some of those futuristic applications may not be so outlandish after all!
(Source kn.theiet.org, 24.09.2008)
