Boost Converter Design for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting from Body Heat
Speaker: Quinn Brogan
Host: MICS
Date: April 24 (Friday), 2015
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Whittemore 654 (6th Floor Conference Room)
Abstract:
Body sensor networks, medical devices, and other wearable sensors and devices are becoming more and more common. However, one of the major limitations of these technologies in terms of both cost and lifetime is the battery. Energy harvesting from ambient sources, such as human body heat, is a promising solution to this problem. However, the output of thermoelectric generators is very low in terms of both power and voltage, compared to other energy sources. This seminar discusses the issues posed by thermoelectric energy harvesting from body heat and proposes a partial solution currently in development.
Bio:
Quinn Brogan received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2014. She had joined MICS in her senior year to help Dr. Ha with testing the solar jacket energy harvesting project. Since then, she has been working within the PMIC group to design an efficient low-voltage boost dc-dc converter for energy harvesting purposes. She plans to receive her M.S. from Virginia Tech next spring. Her research interests include power electronics, PMICs, and energy harvesting.
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