Optimization of the Voltage Doubler Stages in an RF-DC Convertor Module for Energy Harvesting
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented an optimization of the voltage doubler stages in an energy conversion module for Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting system at 900 MHz band, where the function of the module is to convert the RF signals into direct-current voltage at the given frequency band to power the low power devices/circuits.
Abstract: This paper presents an optimization of the voltage doubler stages in an energy conversion module for Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting system at 900 MHz band The function of the energy conversion module is to convert the (RF) signals into direct-current (DC) voltage at the given frequency band to power the low power devices/circuits The design is based on the Villard voltage doubler circuit A 7 stage Schottky diode voltage doubler circuit is designed, modeled, simulated, fabricated and tested in this work Multisim was used for the modeling and simulation work Simulation and measurement were carried out for various input power levels at the specified frequency band For an equivalent incident signal of –40 dBm, the circuit can produce 3mV across a 100 k? load The results also show that there is a multiplication factor of 22 at 0 dBm and produces DC output voltage of 50 V in measurement This voltage can be used to power low power sensors in sensor networks ultimately in place of batteries
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TL;DR: This paper characterize an RF energy harvesting system, which makes the design of system possible to obtain the maximum efficiency and correspondingly the maximum output power, and presents detailed information about the system parameters.
110 citations
TL;DR: This article presents an RF energy harvesting system that can harvest energy from the ambient surroundings at the downlink radio frequency range of GSM-900 band to provide an alternative source of energy for energizing low power devices.
Abstract: Electromagnetic energy harvesting holds a promising future for energizing low power electronic devices in wireless communication circuits. This article presents an RF energy harvesting system that can harvest energy from the ambient surroundings at the downlink radio frequency range of GSM-900 band. The harvesting system is aimed to provide an alternative source of energy for energizing low power devices. The system design consists of three modules: a single wideband 377› E-shaped patch antenna, a pi matching network and a 7-stage voltage doubler circuit. These three modules were fabricated on a single printed circuit board. The antenna and Pi matching network have been optimized through electromagnetic simulation software, Agilent ADS 2009 environment. The uniqueness of the system lies in the partial ground plane and the alignment of induced electric fleld for maximum current ∞ow in the antenna that maximizes the captured RF energy. The design and simulation of the voltage doubler circuit were performed using Multisim software. All the three modules were integrated and fabricated on a double sided FR 4 printed circuit board. The DC voltage obtained from the harvester system in the fleld test at an approximate distance of 50m from GSM cell tower was 2.9V. This voltage was enough to power the STLM20 temperature sensor.
105 citations
TL;DR: Although Dickson and Villard topologies have principally comparable efficiency for multi-stage voltage multipliers, the Dickson topology reaches a better efficiency within the novel ultra-low input power converter concept.
Abstract: For radio frequency energy transmission, the conversion efficiency of the receiver is decisive not only for reducing sending power, but also for enabling energy transmission over long and variable distances. In this contribution, we present a passive RF-DC converter for energy harvesting at ultra-low input power at 868 MHz. The novel converter consists of a reactive matching circuit and a combined voltage multiplier and rectifier. The stored energy in the input inductor and capacitance, during the negative wave, is conveyed to the output capacitance during the positive one. Although Dickson and Villard topologies have principally comparable efficiency for multi-stage voltage multipliers, the Dickson topology reaches a better efficiency within the novel ultra-low input power converter concept. At the output stage, a low-pass filter is introduced to reduce ripple at high frequencies in order to realize a stable DC signal. The proposed rectifier enables harvesting energy at even a low input power from -40 dBm for a resistive load of 50 kΩ. It realizes a significant improvement in comparison with state of the art solutions.
45 citations
Cites background from "Optimization of the Voltage Doubler..."
...Thus, the voltage on C2 is roughly two times the peak voltage of the RF source minus two times the turn on voltage of the diode [15]....
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TL;DR: The charging distances, energy harvesting techniques, electronic device improvements, transmitting issues, etc., are considered to provide an overview of common problems in utilizing and charging UAVs.
Abstract: Wireless power transfer (WPT) techniques are important in a variety of applications in both civilian and military fields. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used for many practical purposes, such as monitoring or delivering payloads. There is a trade-off between the weight of the UAVs or their batteries and their flying time. Their working time is expected to be as long as possible. In order to support the UAVs to work effectively, WPT techniques are applied with UAVs to charge secondary energy supply sources in order to increase their working time. This paper reviews common techniques of WPT deployed with UAVs to support them while working for different purposes. Numerous approaches have been considered to illustrate techniques to exploit WPT techniques. The charging distances, energy harvesting techniques, electronic device improvements, transmitting issues, etc., are considered to provide an overview of common problems in utilizing and charging UAVs. Moreover, specific problems are addressed to support suitable solutions with either techniques or applications for UAVs.
42 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a microstrip antenna fabrication using materials a Phenolic White Paper - FR4 with a dielectric constant (�r�=3.9) is described.
Abstract: Rectifier antenna is an antenna that is integrated with a rectifier circuit that has the ability to convert RF waves into DC voltage. Microstrip antenna on the rectenna can serve as capture electromagnetic waves is then converted into AC waveform that will by rectifier will be recycled again into a DC waveform. Recycling concept can be applied electromagnetic waves at a frequency of 16500–2700 MHz, which is then the frequency will be altered to produce a DC waveform that can be measured into a voltage. Of order to make a rectenna is capable of working at a frequency of 1650–2700 MHz, it is necessary to design a microstrip antenna and a rectifier circuit that is able to work at that frequency. Microstrip antenna design dimensions obtained through calculation optimization and simulation. This microstrip antenna fabrication using materials a Phenolic White Paper - FR4 with a dielectric constant (�r�=3.9.
28 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this paper, a two-phase voltage doubler and a multiphase voltage multiplier are discussed and design guidelines for the desired voltage and power levels are discussed, as well as the area requirements, the voltage gain, and the power level.
Abstract: A novel organization of switched capacitor charge pump circuits based on voltage doubler structures is presented in this paper. Each voltage doubler takes a dc input and outputs a doubled dc voltage. By cascading n voltage doublers the output voltage increases up to 2/sup n/ times. A two-phase voltage doubler and a multiphase voltage doubler (MPVD) structures are discussed and design considerations are presented. A simulator working in the Q-V realm was used for simplified circuit level simulation. In order to evaluate the power delivered by a charge pump, a resistive load is attached to the output of the charge pump and an equivalent capacitance is evaluated. A comparison of the voltage doubler circuits with Dickson charge pump and Makowski's voltage multiplier is presented in terms of the area requirements, the voltage gain, and the power level. This paper also identifies optimum loading conditions for different configurations of the charge pumps. Design guidelines for the desired voltage and power levels are discussed. A two-stage MPVD was fabricated using MOSIS 2.0-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. It was designed with internal frequency regulation to reduce power consumption under no load condition.
288 citations
"Optimization of the Voltage Doubler..." refers methods in this paper
...The energy conversion module designed in this paper is based on a voltage doubler circuit which can be able to output a DC voltage typically larger than a simple diode rectifier circuit as in [5], in which switched capacitor charge pump circuits are used to design two phase voltage doubler and a multiphase voltage doubler....
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01 Oct 2008
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey of expected power density levels distant from GSM 900 and GSM-1800 base stations has been conducted and power density measurements have been performed in a WLAN environment.
Abstract: To assess the feasibility of ambient RF energy scavenging, a survey of expected power density levels distant from GSM-900 and GSM-1800 base stations has been conducted and power density measurements have been performed in a WLAN environment. It appears that for distances ranging from 25 m to 100 m from a GSM base station, power density levels ranging from 0.1 mW/m2 to 3.0 mW/m2 may be expected. First measurements in a WLAN environment indicate even lower power density values, making GSM and WLAN unlikely to produce enough ambient RF energy for wirelessly powering miniature sensors. A single GSM telephone however has proven to deliver enough energy for wirelessly powering small applications on moderate distances.
200 citations
"Optimization of the Voltage Doubler..." refers background or methods in this paper
...12 V for 4, 5, 6 and 7 stages respectively compared to 2 mS as shown in [10]....
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...These power levels may be elevated by a factor between one and three for the GSM-900 downlink frequency bands depending on the traffic density [10]....
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13 Sep 2004
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented a system using existing antenna and charge pump technology to charge a cellular phone battery without wires and incorporated the charging technology into a commercially available base station.
Abstract: It seems these days that everyone has a cellular phone. Whether yours is for business purposes or personal use, you need an efficient way of charging the battery in the phone. But, like most people, you probably don't like being tethered to the wall. Imagine a system where your cellular phone battery is always charged. No more worrying about forgetting to charge the battery. Sound Impossible? It is the focus of this thesis to discuss the first step toward realizing this goal. A system will be presented using existing antenna and charge pump technology to charge a cellular phone battery without wires. In this first step, we will use a standard phone, and incorporate the charging technology into a commercially available base station. The base station will contain an antenna tuned to 915MHz and a charge pump. We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a system, and hopefully pave the way for a system incorporated into the phone for charging without the use of a base station.
85 citations
12 May 2008
TL;DR: In this article, a concept for rectifying low ambient radiation sources to supply autonomous measurement systems like micro-systems was presented and the circuit was built and the efficiency factor of the RF-Harvesting system was measured.
Abstract: This paper presents a concept for rectifying low ambient radiation sources to supply autonomous measurement systems like microsystems. Among an analytic computation and nonlinear simulation of the rectifier circuit with ADS (Advanced Design System), the circuit was built and the efficiency factor of the RF-Harvesting system was measured. A radiation source with the power of 1 muWatt (-30 dBm) and an impedance of 50 Ohm at 300 MHz was used. By well matching of the impedance and a resonance circuit transformation with a high quality factor in front of a Schottky-Diode a passive charge pump with the factor of 25 was realized.
47 citations