Thermal Energy Harvesting from Slow Variations in Environmental Temperatures

Abstract

With the Internet of Things expanding to more locations across our planet, power becomes the main factor affecting device longevity. There is a need for more novel energy harvesting systems that are able to power remote devices for sustained periods. This publication presents one such device. Based on a novel actuator that utilises off-the-shelf gas mixtures to generate a variable force from temperature change, this publication presents a device capable of generating up to 150mJ per diurnal temperature cycle; this is enough electrical energy to send up to three LoRaWAN transmissions per day using slowly changing environmental temperatures.