Solar powered Class-E active antenna oscillator for wireless power transmission

The design of a compact and efficient autonomous signal generator for wireless power transmission applications is presented. The design is based on the use of a Class-E active antenna oscillator operating at 905 MHz that obtains the DC power needed to operate from solar energy. The selected topology integrates flexible solar cells sharing the surface of the antenna element leading to a compact design. Parallel connection of solar cells is used in order to maximize the available current, and optimize performance for low light spectral irradiance. Harmonic balance optimization is used to maximize the DC-to-RF conversion efficiency of the oscillator. A prototype is fabricated and the simulated results are compared with measurements.