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An efficient energy and power manager for autonomous systems based on energy harvesting

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Abstract

This paper describes the design of an energy and power manager for energy-harvesting devices consisting of four power converters operating in PFM mode for a low-energy and load current. The harvested energy can be maximized using a maximum power point tracking technique by a battery-charging converter, and stable voltages are generated and supplied to the charger and output loads by the other converters. These converters are optimized for high conversion efficiency with optimal switch sizes and an inductor peak current based on a numerical approach. For a further increase at a light load, the power management reduces the average bias current dynamically. It also controls the consumed or output power according to the operating condition. Using an IC fabricated in a 0.18 μm process, we verified experimentally that the energy and power manager achieves high efficiency through an optimal design with a numerical approach, and through the power management, especially for a light load, and is therefore efficient for low-energy harvesting.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the IT R&D program of MKE/KEIT, Republic of Korea. [KI002077, EPMIC Based on Self-Chargeable Power Supply Module, and 10035171, Development of High Voltage/Current Power Module and ESD for BLDC Motor].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Convergence Components & Materials Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon, Republic of Korea

    Sewan Heo, Sang-kyun Lee & Yil Suk Yang

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  1. Sewan Heo
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  2. Sang-kyun Lee
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Correspondence to Sewan Heo.

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Heo, S., Lee, Sk. & Yang, Y.S. An efficient energy and power manager for autonomous systems based on energy harvesting. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 81, 299–311 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-014-0386-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10470-014-0386-x

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