Background: A key component of any energy harvesting system is the power converter also known as a charge pump. A charge pump steps up the input voltage from a transducer to a higher voltage. Current micro-scale charge pumps see a sharp drop off in efficiency when input voltage from the transducers is very low (below 1 volt). Technology Description: Purdue University researchers have developed a new charge pump design for use in micro-scale energy harvesting. The power converter is configured to transfer electrical energy from an energy transducer to energy storage device. This new converter design is effective at very low input voltages from near zero to 1 volt where conventional charge pumps fail. It also increases harvested power by at least 20% over existing power converters. Applications: Energy harvester
1) Significant increase in harvested power 2) Improved efficiency at very low voltages over current designs