STEP-UP CONVERTERS FOR HUMAN BODY ENERGY HARVESTING THERMOGENERATORS

Two different approaches are presented for the challenge of the design of a low-input voltage converter to increase the voltage generated by a thermogenerator (TEG). One of the circuits employs a charge-pump in conjunction with a step-up converter whereas the other one is a step-up converter based on coupled inductors. The TEG makes use of the temperature gradient between the human body and the ambient (3-6 K) to generate a low output voltage that covers a range from 120 mV to 240 mV with a maximum output current of 18 mA.