Thermal Battery generates up to 15 mW from excess heat.
March 24, 2008 -
With micro-thermogenerator built into M24 steel screw, TE-Power-Bolt harvests energy from surfaces and structures from 10-20°C over ambient temperature or directly from hot liquids. Output power can range from 0.2-15 mW and is voltage stabilized by dc-dc converter, which can be set to fixed voltages from 1.2-5 V. Self-sustaining energy supply sticks out about 2.2 in. from host's surface. By exposing 1.5 in. dia aluminum heat sink to fresh air, TE-Power-Bolt acts as never-charge battery.
(Archive News Story - Products mentioned in this Archive News Story may or may not be available from the manufacturer.)
Original Press release
Micropelt GmbH
Emmy-Noether-Str. 2
Freiburg, , 79110
Germany
Micropelt's TE-Power-Bolt Generates Up To 15mW Power From Excess Heat
Makes Wireless Sensors Maintenance Free
Freiburg, Germany - March 11, 2008 - Micropelt GmbH, manufacturer of thin-film thermoelectric chip-like devices, announces the TE-Power-Bolt, a voltage adjustable thermal battery that uses excess heat to generate electrical energy for devices that consume only a few milliwatts (mW) of power, such as wireless sensor nodes. With its micro-thermogenerator that is built into an M24 steel screw, the Power-Bolt can harvest energy from surfaces and structures from 10-20 degrees Celsius over ambient temperature or directly from hot liquids. Output power can range from 0.2 to over 15mW and is voltage stabilized by an integrated DC-DC converter which can be set to fixed voltages between 1.2 and 5 Volts.
The TE-Power-Bolt is an easy-to-deploy self-sustaining energy supply that sticks out about 2.2" (55mm) from its host's warm or hot surface. By exposing the cylindrical 1.5" (38.1mm) diameter aluminium heat sink to fresh air, the TE-Power-Bolt acts as a 'never-charge battery' which provides a few milliwatts, depending upon actual thermal conditions. Continuous air flow multiplies the output instantly. Heat can also be obtained from liquids by screwing the bolt into the threaded hole of a hot liquid container or a pipe. The design is presently in the prototype phase.
"More and more low-power wireless sensor nodes and similar devices are being offered; however, most industries simply dislike batteries," said Micropelt CEO Fritz Volkert. "The TE-Power-Bolt can work for them as an infinite maintenance-free battery for infrequent duty cycle applications. As a component manufacturer, we are looking to license this technology to strong industry partners wanting to integrate it into devices or build generic 'green' power supplies."
About Micropelt
Micropelt GmbH resulted from a seven year research cooperation between Infineon Technologies AG and the Fraunhofer IPM Institute. Micropelt develops and markets miniaturized thermoelectric components, such as Peltier coolers and thermogenerators, based on a patented scalable MEMS micro-structuring wafer platform technology. Dramatically reduced component and feature sizes let Micropelt products reduce power consumption and package size in fiber optics and photonic sensors, provide enormous thermal cycling power to new and existing bio-chemical applications, and feed wireless sensors and other low-power electronics via high-voltage energy harvesting. The company's strong engineering support facilitates industrialization. For more information contact: Micropelt at +49(0)761 156 337 0, info@micropelt.com, or visit our website at www.micropelt.com.
For more information contact:
Elisabeth Frey
Micropelt GmbH
Emmy-Noether-Str. 2
79110 Freiburg
Phone: +49 (0) 761 156 337 0
Fax: +49 (0) 761 156 337 21
E-mail: elisabeth.frey@micropelt.com
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