Energy Harvesting a Reality with AdaptivEnergy's Wireless, Remote Sensing Solution

TheJoule-Thief energy harvesting device is based on AdaptivEnergy's RuggedizedLaminated Piezo (RLP(R)) technology, which enables compact energyharvesting modules to power applications such as wireless sensors. Thesewireless sensors could be used to gather ambient intelligence to detect andreport critical conditions in factories, automobiles, office buildings,homes and other environments -- all without wiring or batteries. For moreinformation, please visit: http://www.ti.com/msp430. An emerging market with vast potential According to Darnell Group, the potential worldwide market for energyharvesting solutions used in wireless sensor systems could reachapproximately 164 million units by 2013, a compound annual growth rate ofnearly 65 percent.

Energy harvesting is an important emerging area of lowpower technology that can provide energy not only for large-scale needsthrough wind and solar systems, but also for smaller-scale needs such assensor networks, utilizing the vibrations inherent in structures, vehiclesand machinery to create power, or harvest energy, that can drive sensorswhile eliminating the need for wires and batteries. For example,Joule-Thief-enabled sensors could harvest energy from the rumblingvibrations created by traffic on a bridge, then send that data from all thewireless sensors on the bridge to a collection point where it would beanalyzed to monitor structural soundness. Energy harvesting made easy and affordable Supplying power to a network of sensor-transmitters has traditionallyrequired expensive wiring installation or routine battery changes.Gathering data from difficult or dangerous-to-reach locations using wiredsensors may be impossible and or even compromise the safety of personnelinstalling wiring and replacing batteries.

Today, however, AdaptivEnergy'sJoule-Thief technology makes remote structural and safety monitoring astraightforward and relatively inexpensive process. Joule-Thief technology combines AdaptivEnergy's unique stressed-biasedRLP energy harvesting beam that converts vibrations or movement into usableelectric energy. The RLP Smart Energy Beam allows up to ten times morestrain to be applied to the piezoceramic than competing piezoelectricenergy harvesting devices, creating more converted electric power forsystem use. In addition to directly sensing movement, the versatile designaccepts inputs from external sensing elements that can help detect strainin bridges and high-rise buildings, equipment fatigue in factories,excessive temperatures, the presence of dangerous chemicals, unsafe eventsin automobiles and a variety of other environmental conditions. Complementing the RLP Smart Energy Beam and collection electronics isactive intelligence and communications based on a chipset consisting of anMSP430F2274 microcontroller and a CC2500 RF transceiver, which allows theJoule-Thief design to gain as much processing and transmission as possiblefrom the charge stored in a capacitor.

With leading low power consumptionin active and standby modes, the MSP430 microcontroller provides a fastwake-up time of less than a microsecond for a preferable low power/highperformance solution. For a demonstration of the Joule-Thief technology andother energy harvesting applications, visithttp://www.ti.com/energyharvesting. System-on-chip (SoC) integration of peripherals in the MSP430microcontroller such as analog-to-digital converters (ADC), timers,comparators and a variety of memory configurations helped AdaptivEnergysave space and board costs while enabling them to build a maintenance-freewireless sensor suitable for a wide range of ambient intelligenceapplications. TI's CC2500 RF transceivers operate in the 2.4-GHz range,making them well-suited for reliable, low-cost digital wirelessapplications. Get started fast with Joule-Thief Demo kit and eZ430-RF2055 developmenttool AdaptivEnergy offers a Joule-Thief Energy Harvesting Demonstration Kitthat includes a RLP Smart Energy Beam along with collection and storageelectronics in a matchbox-sized package, allowing developers to easilyexplore harvesting energy from vibrations. AdaptivEnergy also supplies TI'seZ430-RF2500 microcontroller development tool, which includes all thehardware and software required to develop an entire wireless controlnetwork and comes in a USB stick form-factor with an emulator for in-systemprogramming and debugging. Using the Joule-Thief kit and the eZ430-RF2500microcontroller tool in conjunction, developers have a complete system fordesigning a low-cost, low power wireless sensor driven by environmentalvibrations. AdaptivEnergy has already engaged with a number of leading systemdevelopers who are using the Joule-Thief design to create advanced sensingapplications that will begin appearing in the next one to two years. Inaddition, AdaptivEnergy has entered into a strategic agreement withIn-Q-Tel, a company that identifies innovative technology to support themission of the U.S. intelligence community. For more information onAdaptivEnergy please visit http://www.adaptivenergy.com.