Milliwatt power supply by dynamic thermoelectric harvesting

Abstract

In this work we demonstrate a power supply that collects thermal energy from temperature fluctuations in time, to provide regulated power in the milliwatt range. It is based on the dynamic thermoelectric energy harvesting concept, in which a phase change material is used to store heat and create spatial heat flow from temperature transients. A simple, cost-effective and reproducible fabrication method is employed, based on 3D printing and off-the-shelf components. The harvester is integrated with a commercial power management module and supercapacitor storage. Output energy up to 2 J is demonstrated from temperature cycles corresponding to avionic applications. The demonstration includes harvesting while powering a 10 kΩ analogue voltmeter directly from the supercapacitor, including during cold-starting.