Figure 1. Developed room temperature power generation device. (Pen is placed for size comparison.) The inset on the upper left shows the internal structure, which consists of the heat storage part, thermoelectric element, heat dissipation structure (back side), sensor, CPU, and wireless unit.
Figure 2. An example of the amount of power generation that corresponds to environmental temperature changes, measured by a room temperature power generation verification unit. It shows the change in the amount of power generation corresponding to the temperature change for half a day.
Figure 3. Electric power is generated by changing the ambient temperature, the battery temperature is used to operate the temperature sensor, and the information is sent wirelessly. The temperature changes inside the building were measured over 39 days. It is shown that the battery-less IoT sensor can be operated by using the room temperature power generation element.
Tohoku Univ: Developed room temperature power generation device: Batteryless IoT sensor
[Point of announcement]
Developed a power generation device that will serve as an energy source in the dark.
Development of a room temperature power generation device that generates electricity not only from temperature differences but also from environmental temperature changes in thermoelectric elements*1 incorporating heat storage and heat dissipation mechanisms.
Succeeded in operating the IoT*2 sensor without batteries and wirelessly transmitting that information over a long period of time.
It can be expected to be battery-free in combination with various sensors used in IoT.
【Overview】
Smart society:
As an enormous number of sensor power sources, “an energy source in the dark where solar power cannot be used” is an issue.
Tohoku University Research Group:
Using micro processing technology
Developed technology to mass-produce thermoelectric elements,
Utilizing changes in ambient temperature,
Prototype a thermoelectric system to generate electricity,
We have succeeded in operating the IoT sensor without a battery.Use environmental temperature change:
Even in a dark place, it uses the temperature change of the environment to generate electricity.
After storing electricity, you can operate it by supplying power to the sensor.
Disaster prevention and security,
For monitoring structures,
No maintenance such as battery replacement is required for a long time,
It is expected to be applied to sensor systems.Tohoku University –
https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/japanese/2020/08/press20200817-03-IoT.html