Challenges in Energy Harvesting Techniques for Autonomous Self-Powered Wireless Sensors

This paper focuses on a variety of issues related to energy harvesting techniques and their possible application in self-powered wireless sensor network (WSN) environments. Three different sources have been considered for the harvesting, including electromagnetic, solar and thermal energy. First, the results of a measurement campaign carried out in different urban environments are presented and discussed; then, the study and design of rectenna and DC/DC converter topologies for solar energy collection and DC voltage boosting in WSN application is described. Finally, the possibility to harvest thermal energy resulting from the power dissipated in PA architectures is investigated, showing the results of different measurement setups.