Patent ID: 8664931
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: G05F

Abstract:
1. A self-optimizing energy harvester for powering a load, comprising: a thermoelectric generator coupling to a heat source and a heat sink and producing a source voltage that is proportional to a temperature difference between the heat source and the heat sink; a sampling means attenuating said source voltage and leaving an input voltage; a feedforward means receiving said source voltage and said input voltage and processing a resulting differential voltage, the feedforward means generating a variable resistance and a reference resistance being summed to form a dynamic set point resistance, the variable resistance being proportional to said differential voltage, and the reference resistance for setting a minimum start-up voltage, said processing performing at least one of the following: buffering, amplifying, level shifting, digitizing, storing, and analog recovery; a boost circuit coupling to said input voltage larger than the minimum start-up voltage and generating an output voltage generally larger than the input voltage, the boost circuit having a maximum output power only according to the input voltage for which it is configured; and a set point control means being coupled to the boost circuit and to the feedforward means, said set point control means instantaneously configuring the boost circuit for increased output power for each occurring input voltage by using the dynamic set point resistance relative to using a fixed resistance, the boost circuit delivering the output power to the load.