Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026
07:02
Investigating the Potential of Singly Curved Thin Piezoelectric Transducers for Energy Harvesting and Structural Health Monitoring
Published on: November 14, 2025
864
Energy Harvesting Research: The Road from Single Source to Multisource
Yang Bai1, Heli Jantunen1, Jari Juuti1
1Microelectronics Research Unit, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|June 8, 2018
Summary
Energy harvesting technology offers a sustainable alternative to batteries for wireless sensor networks. This review comprehensively covers single-source, hybrid, and novel multisource energy harvesters, detailing various conversion principles and material configurations.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Energy Systems
Background:
- Energy harvesting is crucial for powering wireless sensor networks, aiming to replace conventional batteries.
- Research has progressed from single-source harvesters to hybrid and, recently, single-material multisource devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of energy harvesting technologies.
- To detail material and device configurations for various energy harvesting approaches.
- To cover energy conversion principles for a wide range of harvester types.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on energy harvesting.
- Categorization of harvesters into single-source, hybrid, and multisource.
- Analysis of material science and device configurations.
- Explanation of diverse energy conversion principles.
Main Results:
- Detailed review of single-source (solar, thermal, kinetic) and hybrid energy harvesters.
- Introduction to novel single-material multisource energy harvesters.
- Explanation of photovoltaic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, triboelectric, thermoelectric, and other conversion mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Energy harvesting research spans a wide array of technologies and materials.
- The development of multisource harvesters from single materials represents a significant advancement.
- This review serves as a comprehensive guide to the energy harvesting research landscape.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Design Example: Alignment of a Road Line Using GIS
350
The alignment of a road line using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a critical process in civil engineering, combining advanced technology with practical decision-making. This methodology begins with the collection of geospatial data, including information on land cover, geomorphology, drainage patterns, slope, and contour details. Such data is typically acquired through satellite imagery and GIS tools, offering a comprehensive understanding of the terrain.Once the data is gathered, it...
350
01:26Activation Energy
86.8K
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
86.8K
04:10What is Energy?
59.2K
The universe is composed of matter in different forms, and all forms of matter contain energy. The different forms of energy on Earth originate from the Sun — the ultimate energy source. Plants capture light energy from the Sun, and, via the process of photosynthesis, convert it into chemical energy. This stored energy from plants can be harnessed in many ways. For example, eating plant products as food provides energy for our body to function, and burning wood or coal (fossilized...
59.2K
01:21Free Energy
52.2K
Free energy—abbreviated as G for the scientist Gibbs who discovered it—is a measurement of useful energy that can be extracted from a reaction to do work. It is the energy in a chemical reaction that is available after entropy is accounted for. Reactions that take in energy are considered endergonic and reactions that release energy are exergonic. Plants carry out endergonic reactions by taking in sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen. Animals, in turn, break...
52.2K
02:27Energy Basics
47.8K
Chemical reactions, such as those that occur when you light a match, involve changes in energy as well as matter.
47.8K
03:25Free Energy Changes for Nonstandard States
13.6K
The free energy change for a process taking place with reactants and products present under nonstandard conditions (pressures other than 1 bar; concentrations other than 1 M) is related to the standard free energy change according to this equation:
13.6K