How to Make a Device Self-rechargeable With the RECOM Energy Harvesting Module

Why Go Energy Autonomous?

Energy harvesting module technology offers a solution to the challenge of changing drained batteries, which is a pain for both industries and individuals. It eliminates the need for frequent battery replacements and reduces costs, making it an ideal choice for sustainable energy management in devices. For producers, it also optimizes space typically occupied by large batteries, contributing to renewable energy solutions and a greener footprint. Discover how the RECOM energy harvesting module can transform your device into a self-rechargeable powerhouse, enhancing efficiency and sustainability.

Understanding Energy Harvesting

To explain briefly how it works: each device is surrounded by different types of energy sources:

• Solar/Photovoltaic
• Thermal
• Vibration
• Radio Frequency
• And more

These sources can charge a device continuously, eliminating the need to change batteries. This makes life easier for industrial and private consumers. With these energy sources, you can achieve:

• No need to replace batteries
• No need to spend extra money on new batteries
• Good consciousness for not polluting the environment with harmful batteries
• Overall satisfaction of using a sustainable, innovative device

Benefits for Producers

Producers of devices also gain several benefits:

• Competitive advantage
• Greener footprint
• Increased sales
• More space in a device for useful technologies
• Satisfied customers

The Solution

Technologies like e-peas’ Ambient Energy Managers, combined with the RECOM energy harvesting module, can help you shift a device into a batteryless future with ease and confidence.

Getting Started With Energy Harvesting

One of the main challenges in shifting to energy harvesting is simply getting started. At the beginning, there are often too many unknowns, and it can be overwhelming:

• Which energy source to use: photovoltaic, thermoelectric generator, electric field, flow-based, or vibrational?
• How big should my storage element be?
• Should I use a supercapacitor or a rechargeable battery?
• What about energy security? Do I need a backup battery, or will I scavenge enough energy during the day to keep running through the night?

These are just the external aspects. Internal considerations include optimization, choice, and supply chain management of the electronic components in the harvester itself, such as inductors, resistors, and capacitors needed on the PCB to make a fully functioning energy harvesting system.

Pre-Built Modules for Fast Time-to-Market

To help with this make-or-break decision, RECOM has developed a pre-built, pre-tested energy harvesting module and an evaluation board based on the AEM10941 harvester IC for solar energy harvesting:

e-peas’ AEM10941

The AEM10941 is an integrated energy management circuit that extracts DC power from up to 7-cell solar panels to simultaneously store energy in a rechargeable element and supply the system with two independent regulated voltages. It facilitates extended battery lifetime and ultimately eliminates the need for disposable batteries as energy storage elements in a large range of wireless applications such as industrial monitoring, geolocation, home automation, e-health monitoring, and wireless sensor nodes. To find out more, check the AEM10941 Datasheet.

The AEM10941 was chosen by RECOM for its competitive specifications, versatility of functions, and ease of use.

RECOM Energy Harvesting Module

The REH-3.31.8 module is a complete energy harvesting power supply, requiring just an energy source and a storage element. This frees up the design engineer’s valuable time to focus on more important decisions such as finding the optimal solar cell for the light conditions available, fine-tuning the resonant frequency of the vibrational generator, or experimenting with the size of the supercapacitor or Li-Ion battery needed to supply the load reliably 24/7.

To make this process even easier, RECOM also manufactures the REH-3.31.8-EVM-1 evaluation board with push-in wire connections for the energy source, storage element, and the 3.3V and 1.8V output voltages. The evaluation board also contains pads for a CR2032 battery holder if an on-board backup primary cell battery is needed. With the REH-3.31.8-EVM-1, it is possible to configure all the features of the REH-3.31.8 module, such as the selection of the type of the storage element (rechargeable battery or supercapacitor), setting the backup battery switch-over threshold voltage, and independently enabling either or both outputs. All input and output signals of the module are easily accessible for test probes.

5 Benefits of Using the RECOM Module

1. Ready-to-go: The REH-3.31.8 is a pre-tested 12.2mm x 12.2mm x 3.75mm SMD module with solder pads on the bottom and a metal case. No other external components are needed apart from the source and storage element to make a fully functioning energy harvester.
2. Simple assembly: The large grid array (LGA) pads allow easy, reliable soldering onto a low-cost main PCB, which can be single or double-sided. The metal case makes handling and using the pick-and-place machine uncomplicated, and there is only one part in your BoM.
3. Fast time-to-market: Get your energy harvesting design up and running from Day 1. From prototyping to mass-production runs, RECOM’s European distribution hub and express delivery ensure that you can scale up your production quickly.
4. Easy experimentation: The REH-3.31.8-EVM-1 evaluation board allows experimentation with different energy sources or storage element manufacturers to select the optimal components fine-tuned for the individual needs of your application.
5. Simple upgrade: If you later decide to upgrade to increase the amount of harvested energy, the push-in connectors permit swapping over to a more effective energy harvester or larger storage element in seconds. Once everything is functioning correctly, production can continue using the new configuration, with confidence that the operating specifications will not change.

Technical Specifications of the REH-3.31.8 and REH-3.31.8-EVM-1

The REH-3.31.8 is a dual output energy harvester module designed primarily for photovoltaic (PV) cells but capable of running from other low voltage DC supplies delivering 50mV or more. This unique and compact (12.19 x 12.19 mm) module contains all the circuitry required to run an energy harvesting system, including a Maximum Power Point (MPP) tracking function for the PV cell.

The user needs only to add the storage element (user-selectable rechargeable battery or supercapacitor) and connect the power source to make it operational. Two short-circuit protected fixed voltage regulated outputs (1.8V@20mA and 3.3V@80mA) can be individually enabled/disabled. An imminent shutdown signal warns the application that there is not sufficient energy being harvested to maintain the output voltage and the module is about to power down.

Source: RECOM Energy Harvesting

The REH-3.31.8-EVM-1 allows a quick and easy evaluation of the REH-3.31.8 energy harvester module. It contains all the necessary easy-plug-in connectors to connect the energy source, energy storage element, twin output voltages, and an external backup battery. The PCB footprint includes pads for a space-saving CR2032 battery holder to serve as an on-board backup battery, if required.

If a primary cell backup battery (1.5V to 3V) is fitted, the REH module will automatically switch over to the backup supply if the energy harvesting input fails to maintain an uninterrupted output.

How to Purchase

Both the REH-3.31.8 module and the REH-3.31.8-EVM-1 evaluation board are available from RECOM headquarters in Austria or from one of RECOM’s business development managers based in the UK, Germany, Italy, Russia, USA, or Japan. For more information, go to RECOM Energy Harvesting.

About RECOM

RECOM headquarters is in the heart of Europe, in the picturesque town of Gmunden, surrounded by the beautiful Austrian Alps. In this inspiring location, RECOM engineers innovate and develop new ideas to make standard and customized power converters as well as innovative platform architectures even more efficient and reliable, promoting the concept of modular, decentralized power architectures. RECOM products have proven success in all areas of electronics – from industrial automation and energy technology through e-mobility, measurement and railway technology to medical, IoT, and automotive. The three main pillars of our success are innovative products, reliable customer support, and an extensive, global distribution network, allowing our customers worldwide access to RECOM power converters in under 48 hours.

Website: RECOM Power
LinkedIn: RECOM Power LinkedIn
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YouTube: RECOM Power YouTube

About e-peas

e-peas develops and markets disruptive ultra-low power semiconductor technology, enabling industrial and IoT wireless product designers to substantially extend battery lifespans and eliminate the heavy call-out costs of replacing batteries, without compromising reliability.

Relying on 15 years of research and patented intellectual property, e-peas’ products increase the amount of harvested energy and drastically reduce the energy consumption of all power-consuming blocks within wireless sensor nodes. This technology is crucial for extending the life of IoT devices and making them more sustainable and cost-effective.

Headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, with additional offices in Switzerland and the USA, e-peas offers a portfolio of energy harvesting power management interface ICs, microcontrollers, and sensor solutions. These products support various energy sources, including solar, thermal, vibration, and RF, to ensure a broad range of applications and environments.

For more information, visit www.e-peas.com.

Connect with e-peas:

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