• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

Wireless Self-Powered Temperature Sensor for UHF Sensor Tags which are basic device for construction of ubiquitous sensor network is proposed. The key parameters of the target specification are resolution of $0.1\;^{\circ}C$ per output bit, below 1.5 V of operating voltage and below 5 uW of power consumption during sensing operation. Temperature sensor circuit consists of PTAT current generator, band gap reference circuit generating both reference voltage and current, Sigma-Delta Converter, and Digital Counter. Simulated maximum resolution was $0.23\;^{\circ}C/bit$ in 11-bit output. The proposed temperature sensor was fabricated by using a 0.25 m CMOS process. The chip area is $0.32\;{\times}\;0.22\;mm$ and the operating frequency is 2 MHz. Measured resolution from fabricated temperature sensor was $4\;^{\circ}C/bit$ in 8-bit output for the temperature range from $10^{\circ}C$ to $80^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 2017

In recent year, energy harvesting technologies from the ambient environments such as light, motion, wireless waves, and temperature again a lot of attraction form research community [1-5] due to its efficient solution in order to substitute for conventional power delivery methods, especially in wearable together with on-body applications. The drawbacks of battery-powered characteristic used in commodity applications lead to self-powered, long-lifetime circuit design. Thermoelectric generator, a solid-state sensor, is useful compared to the harvesting devices in order to enable self-sustained low-power applications. TEG based on the Seebeck effect is utilized to transfer thermal energy which is available with a temperature gradient into useful electrical energy. Depending on the temperature difference between two sides, amount of output power will be proportionally delivered. In this work, we illustrated a low-input voltage energy harvesting circuit applied discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) method for getting an adequate amount of energy from thermoelectric generator (TEG) for a specific wearable application. With a small temperature gradient harvested from human skin, the input voltage from the transducer is as low as 60mV, the proposed circuit, fabricated in a $0.6{\mu}m$ CMOS process, is capable of generating a regulated output voltage of 4.2V with an output power reaching to $40{\mu}W$. The proposed circuit is useful for powering energy to battery-less systems, such as wearable application devices.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.501-512
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• 2018

Radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor tag provides several advantages including battery-less operation and low cost, which are suitable for long-term monitoring. This paper presents a self-powered RFID temperature sensor tag for online temperature monitoring in substation. The proposed sensor tag is used to measure and process the temperature of high voltage equipments in substation, and then wireless deliver the data. The proposed temperature sensor employs a novel phased-locked loop (PLL)-based architecture and can convert the temperature sensor in frequency domain without a reference clock, which can significantly improve the temperature accuracy. A two-stage rectifier adopts a series of auxiliary floating rectifier to boost its gate voltage for higher power conversion efficiency. The sensor tag chip was fabricated in TSMC $0.18{\mu}m$ 1P6M CMOS process. The measurement results show that the proposed temperature sensor tag achieve a resolution of $0.15^{\circ}C$/LSB and a temperature error of $-0.6/0.7^{\circ}C$ within the range from $-30^{\circ}C$ to $70^{\circ}C$. The proposed sensor tag achieves maximum communication distance of 11.8 m.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1347-1356
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• 2022

In this paper, we investigate the properties of CoGe thin film-based galvanic cells as a function of their dimension (cell length, width, etc.) and show their application as sensors to Arduino-based IoT sensor networks to detect water contact. Because these CoGe thin film-based galvanic cells do not require mechanical strains or temperature gradients unlike piezoelectric and thermoelectric energy harvesters, we think that these thin film-based galvanic cells are more suitable for self-powered sensor networks demanding sustainable and robust energy harvesters. In the past, a sputter-deposited CoGe thin film has not been intensively investigated for energy harvesting appilcations. Thus, in this study, we perform a feasibility study of galvanic cells composed of a sputter-deposited CoGe thin film to see if they can be applied as potential self-powered sensors. We believe that this paper will be of great help in developing even more enhanced sensor networks.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.125-133
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• 2022

Along with the increasing need for point-of-care diagnostics, development of portable, user-friendly, as well as sensitive sensors have gained intensive attention. Among various strategies, electrochromic sensors, which are electrochemically operated colorimetric sensors, have been actively studied. With their ability to report the presence and concentration of analytes by optical signals, electrochromic sensors utilize the advantages of both electrochemical and colorimetric sensors, enabling the simplification of device composition as well as convenient interpretation of results. Up to date, electrochromic sensors have been applied for a wide range of analytes, and further developments such as the introduction of flexible platforms or self-powered systems have been reported, providing a path towards the development of wearable sensor devices. In this review, various types of electrochromic sensors, according to the main strategy in which the electrochemical signals are converted to colorimetric signals, are introduced.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.312-317
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• 2022

Piezoelectric energy harvesting has attracted increasing attention over the last decade as a means for generating sustainable and long-lasting energy from wasted mechanical energy. To develop self-powered wearable devices, piezoelectric materials should be flexible, stretchable, and bio-eco-friendly. This study proposed the fabrication of stretchable piezoelectric composites via dispersing perovskite-structured BaTiO₃ nanoparticles inside an Ecoflex polymeric matrix. In particular, the stretchable piezoelectric sensor array was fabricated via a simple and cost-effective spin-coating process by exploiting the piezoelectric composite comprising of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles, Ecoflex matrix, and stretchable Ag coated textile electrodes. The fabricated sensor generated an output voltage of ~4.3 V under repeated compressing deformations. Moreover, the piezoelectric sensor array exhibited robust mechanical stability during mechanical pushing of ~5,000 cycles. Finite element method with multiphysics COMSOL simulation program was employed to support the experimental output performance of the fabricated device. Finally, the stretchable piezoelectric sensor array can be used as a self-powered touch sensor that can effectively detect and distinguish mechanical stimuli, such as pressing by a human finger. The fabricated sensor demonstrated potential to be used in a stretchable, lead-free, and scalable piezoelectric sensor array.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.292-297
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• 2023

Triboelectric devices are attracting attention from researchers as self-powered electronic systems that can instantly convert mechanical input into electrical energy output. To improve triboelectric energy harvesting performance, increasing the number of contacts as well as the contact area has been carried out by numerous researchers. In this study, we design a shaker-type energy harvester which is called as maracas triboelectric generator (M-TEG), inspired by the structure of maracas, one of the musical percussion instruments. A tripod frame is inserted to the inside of a cylindrical case, which is a device with the electrodes of aluminum and copper. Then, the triboelectric energy harvesting characteristics between polypropylene (PP) balls and the electrodes are measured. The M-TEG with the frame generates the energy harvesting signals up to ~100 V and ~2.5 ㎂ due to larger contact area and numbers, which enhances the voltage and current output by 250% and 610% compared to that without the frame, respectively. This study presents the feasibility of self-powered sensors and toys using improved triboelectric energy performance with a low-cost and simple manufacturing process in the interesting structure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.717-725
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• 2004

A power generation systems are proposed to convert ambient mechanical vibration into electrical energy using cantilever-type piezoelectric materials. The vibration-based power device can be used for self-powered systems without batteries. This paper presents the theoretical analysis for the coupled equations of piezoelectric and structural motions and investigates the dynamic characteristics of the self-power system using transfer function method. The theoretical model is verified by the finite element analysis of the resonance frequency, the dynamic response of the structure and the sensor sensibility. Experimental results measured using a prototype system agree with the theoretical predictions. The system is shown to produce 34.5 ㎼ in average. Finally, we perform the optimal design for system variables to maximize output power.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.263-263
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• 2007

In the future, self-contained sensors and processing units will need on-board, renewable power supplies to be truly autonomous. One way of supplying such power is through energy harvesting, processes by which ambient forms of energy are converted into electricity. One energy harvesting technique involves converting kinetic energy, in the form of vibrations, into electrical energy through the use of piezoelectric materials. Researchers are currently investigating how piezoelectric materials can be used to harvest power. This study examines the use of auxiliary structures, consisting of a mechanical fixture and a lead zirconate/lead titanate (PZT) piezoelectric element, which can be attached to any boundary conditions vibrating beam of the any boundary conditions. Adjusting various boundary conditions of these structures can maximize the strain induced in the attached PZT element and improve power output.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1059-1066
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• 2003

A power generation system are proposed to convert ambient mechanical vibration into electrical energy using cantilever-type piezoelectric materials. The vibration-based power device can be used for self-powered systems without batteries. This paper presents the theoretical analysis for the coupled equations of piezoelectric and structural motions and investigates the dynamic characteristics of the self-power system using transfer function method. The theoretical model is verified by the finite element analysis of the resonance frequency, the dynamic response of the structure and the sensor sensibility. Experimental results measured using a prototype system agrees with the theoretical predictions. The system is shown to produce 2.53㎼ in average. Finally, we perform the optimal design for system variables to maximize output power.