Small electronic equipment can be powered by the energy that comes from electromagnetic radiation. The radiation, like gsm-, radio – and tv-signals, by special antennas collected and used.
Researchers from the U.s. Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering have a prototype antennas developed that em-radiation as an energy source can use. The idea behind it is not new: the energy in radiation from cell towers is decided, can be used to generate electricity. The amount of voltage and current that can be supplied is, however, very limited and mostly insufficient for practical applications. The Americans, led by Manos Tentzeris, like the energy use for energy-saving purposes, such as sensors.
The antennas that the team of Tentzeris developed, can be paper or plastic substrates are printed with inkjet printers. The ink to be silver nanoparticles and other nanoparticles for the application desired characteristics have been added. The antennas can be combined with wireless sensors, and electronic circuits that switch in dc to be able to convert and the electricity in capacitors or batteries to store. The researchers have already a prototype built a few hundred microwatts can catch: they think that to be able to expand to more than a milliwatt. By the use of capacitors, they expect even equipment 50mW requires to be able to float.
The researchers aimed their technique, sensors to build not only almost anywhere to be able to deploy, but also extremely cheap. The independence of a power source would be a proliferation of sensors to be able to achieve. The sensors would be temperature, humidity, structural integrity, and chemicals can detect. Also medical applications and the monitoring of food would be possible.
