Linear Technology

Corporation

Tony Armstrong
Director of Product Marketing - Power Products

Energy Harvesting - Opportunity

• Charge, supplement or replace batteries in systems where battery

use is inconvenient, impractical, expensive or dangerous

• Eliminate the need for wires to carry power or to transmit data

• Smart wireless sensor networks to monitor and optimize complex

industrial processes, remote field installations and building HVAC

• Harvesting otherwise wasted heat from industrial processes, solar

panels, internal combustion engines, etc.

• Various consumer electronic accessory chargers

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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Energy Harvesting Sources

• Thermo-Electric Generator or Thermopile (Heat)

• Piezo-Electric (Vibration or strain)

• PhotoVoltaic (Light)

• Galvanic (Moisture)

• Coil/Magnet (Motion)

© 2009 Linear Technology

LTC3108: Ultra-Low Voltage (20mV) Step-Up converter and Power Manager

• Operates from inputs as

low as 20mV
• Selectable Fixed Output
Voltages
• Unique Resonant Power
converter / Energy
Harvester
• Auxiliary LDO
• Manages Energy storage
between Reservoir and Main
Cout or Batt
• Compact Step-up X-former
• 3x4mm DFN or GN16
packages

Transformer: Coilcraft LPR-6235

Design: Dave Salerno

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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LTC3108: Energy Harvesting Applications

Power Conversion and

• Remote Industrial Sensor networks
Energy Management is • HVAC monitoring and control
the Missing Link •
•
Building Automation
Predictive Maintenance
• Avionics
• Automatic Metering

“Free” Energy Sensors, Wireless

Energy Harvester / A/D, transmitter /
Source Manager UController receiver

TEG, PV, Piezo, LTC3108

Electrochemical,
trees…

© 2009 Linear Technology

LTC3108 Block Diagram Review

Rectifier VOUT2: Switched VOUT

20mV Vin Source VOUT: Main Output

Digital Vout Select

Compact Step-Up transformer

Depletion Mode
MOSFET
VSTORE: Energy Reservoir

3mA LDO: uController

power

VAUX: Intermediate Charge storage and

IC bias supply Charge Control and Prioritizer

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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LTC3108 Feature: 20mV Resonant Boost Topology

• 20mV Operation or ~1deg dT if powered from a Peltier

Effect Thermal Electric Generator (TEG or TEC)

• LTC proprietary compound Depletion mode N-Channel

MOSFET makes extreme low voltage possible

• Circuit Self-oscillates, resonant circuit formed by Lmag and

Cg

• Built-in Synchronous rectification improves Energy

harvesting “yield”

• 1:100 transformer is standard Coilcraft part (LPR-6235),

6mm x 6mm x 3.5mm

© 2009 Linear Technology

LTC3108: Typical Performance Data

LTC3108: Typical Performance

Key Points:

Average Power for the App, must be 10s of mWs or less…

Higher Sample Rates = Higher dT or better TEG required

Best Performance is obtained with lowest Rs TECs/TEGs

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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LTC3108: More Typical Performance Data

Key Points:

Bigger Area TEG = More mV per delta T, but also more ESR

Small dT – Use 1:100 transformer

Large dT – Use 1:50 or 1:20 or lower turns ratio transformers

© 2009 Linear Technology

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LTC3108: TEG / TEG Reference Data

Remember: Bigger TEG doesn’t always mean more available power!

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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LTC3108: Indoor Light Powered PhotoVoltaic Charger

• ~200 to 300mV available from

small Solar Cells with Indoor
lighting

• Battery or Storage Capacitor on

output is trickle charged

• 1:20 transformer maximizes power

delivery (charging current)

Potential Applications:

Autonomous Proximity Sensors

Battery-less Smoke/Gas detectors

© 2009 Linear Technology

12

LTC3108: Demo Circuit – DC1582A

Rev.B will use the 3x4mm DFN package.

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology

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LTC3108: Schedule

• Datasheet: Now

• First Samples: Now

• Demo Boards: Now

• Product Release Date: December 1, 2009

© 2009 Linear Technology

© 2005 Linear Technology