Driving Wi-Fi IoT Sensors by a Hybrid Magneto-Mechano-Electric Energy Generator Extracting a Power of over 50 mW

Energy harvesting technology is mainly used as a power source for driving Internet of Things (IoT) devices. However, the output power of conventional harvesting devices are limited, suitable only for low-power-consumption IoT sensors based on Bluetooth communication. In contrast to Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication offers superior real-time monitoring and transmission capabilities, but requires more power in the range of hundreds of milliwatts or higher. Therefore, the hybridization of three energy conversion devices, namely, piezoelectric magneto-mechano-electric (MME) generator, electromagnetic (EM) induction coil, and triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is proposed as a standalone power source for Wi-Fi communication sensors. By integrating these three mechanisms, the hybrid MME energy harvester can achieve an output power exceeding 50 mW at the second harmonic resonance condition under the alternating current (AC) magnetic field of 10 Oe. Furthermore, it can successfully drive the Wi-Fi sensor, enabling continuous real-time monitoring without the degradation of charged power in a supercapacitor. These results highlight that energy harvesting technology is not limited to low-power devices but can also be applied to Wi-Fi communication sensors and beyond.