In the 21st century, approximately 80 percent of the world relies on fossil fuels to run its cars, factories, schools and homes. With such a heavy reliance on a finite resource, scientists and engineers are searching for alternatives. Energy harvesting – or scavenging – is a cutting-edge method that has the potential to provide clean and unlimited power worldwide.

It’s All Around Us

There are minute amounts of energy all around us. It’s in natural sources such as thermal, mechanical, wind, kinetic and solar energies. While scientists have known about these resources for a long time, the problem they’ve faced to-date is how to successfully capture them. After energy has been captured in sufficient quantities, it can used immediately or stored for future use.

Waste heat can also be harvested from non-natural sources like server stations, computers, and microwaves. These sources produce excess heat that can be captured to power low voltage applications.

How It Works

Once a byproduct is determined, it can be converted with sensors and other devices into usable electrical currents. Electromagnetic inductor coils, solar photo voltaic cells, thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and. piezoelectric (PZT) crystals or fiber composites are all examples of technologies that be used for conversion purposes.

After converted, energy can be stored to successfully power devices and applications that use minimal amounts of electrical or battery resources. Examples of theses types of devices include: microprocessors, portable medical hardware, personal fitness watches, and sensors.

One major challenge is that the devices receiving the small packets of power from the converters must be designed to handle the input. As well, scavenging resources such as motion or vibrations can be an engineering challenge. The harvester must be designed efficiently and able to retain and manage what’s been stored effectively. The use of a wireless sensor network also establishes control of input and output functions.

The Benefits of Scavenging The Overflow

The best reason for this kind of harvesting is that it’s a toxic free and renewable resource. As a clean energy source, it doesn’t create any byproducts or pollutants. It also creates a situation where many devices can charge themselves, thus eliminating the need for external chargers or batteries. By reusing output that has already been spent and using it to boost another device, a cycle is created that is beneficial in many ways. As a bonus result, systems become easy to take care of and require little maintenance.

Another great application of energy harvesting is the part it plays in the creation of new products. Wireless sensor networks have been used in a variety of ways such as in the military, the government, and within security systems. The problem with wireless sensor networks is that their batteries run out quickly. By using energy harvesting techniques in conjunction with wireless sensor networks, there’s no danger of being offline due to an unexpected loss of power.

The Importance of This Technology

The over-reliance on fossil fuels has made it necessary for scientists to seek alternatives. Harvesting energy from natural, mechanical, or ambient sources opens a door to the possibility of having infinite sources of clean energy. New technologies are developing that bring to life new products powered by energy harvesting, which in turn will create a cleaner, more efficient, and sustainable world.