Analysis of pulsed vs. continuous power delivery from an electromagnetic generator

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to present alternative power conversion techniques for an energy harvester optimized to the power requirements of an activity monitoring device. Many energy harvesters designed to use human motion provide a pulsed type of output waveform, as the signal will be strongly related to the pattern of motion used for harvesting energy. Due to this type of discontinuous signal it is considered that wearable sources have the potential to provide higher energy values by pulses rather than continuous form. For this work an electromagnetic generator system was optimised to power a monitoring device located in the shoe. Rectification techniques as well as coil parameters design have been employed and powering conditions have been analysed. The generator system can provide pulses of power high enough to sustain a low power consumption device.