Power Analysis of Toroidal Core Electromagnetic Energy Harvesters for Transmission Lines

Abstract

Introduction. As the need for energy increases, energy harvesting methods have also been intensively researched. Energy harvesting techniques which are a way of converting low amounts of energy from the environment into electrical energy can be used to meet the energy needs of low-power electronic devices and sensors. The increase in such sensors and devices with low power consumption also makes energy harvesting techniques more important. One of these harvesting techniques is energy harvesting from electromagnetic fields, which is obtained from transmission lines. Aim of the Article. The article is aimed at developing an effective electromagnetic energy harvester from energy transmission lines for unmanned aerial vehicles. Materials and Methods. The method of harvesting energy from transmission lines through magnetic field energy harvesting is reviewed. Theoretical analyses, Finite Element Analyses (FEA), and experimental studies are conducted on toroidal core structures designed in different sizes and with different materials. Results. Among the selected materials and under the specified line conditions, current of 0‒30 A and a frequency of 50 Hz, the highest power of 695.516 mW was harvested by the 60x30x20 sized ferrite core harvester at a line current of 30 A. Discussion and Conclusion. Detailed experiments were conducted based on the 60x30x20 mm ferrite core, which demonstrated the highest induced voltage. Different load resistances were used to find the resistance value for the highest power at each current value. The optimal load resistance for maximum power transmission was determined for each core using the curve fitting method at all current values.