Analysis Of A Micro-electric Generator For Microsystems

Supplying power to remote microsystems that have no physical connection to the outside world is difficult, and using batteries is not always appropriate. A solution is offered by the device proposed in this paper, which generates electricity from mechanical energy when embedded in a vibrating medium. This micro-generator has dimensions of around 5x5x1mm. Analysis predicts that the power produced is proportional to the cube of the frequency of vibration, and that to maximise power generation the mass deflection should be as large as possible. Power generation of 1/spl mu/W at 70Hz and 0.1mW at 330Hz are predicted for a typical device, assuming a deflection of 50/spl mu/m.