ABSTRACT

Harvesting energy from AC signals typically requires rectification since many of the payloads require DC power. Schottky diodes are a good choice for rectification in these lower systems because of their inherent low forward voltage drop. However, using a diode for rectification sets a lower limit on the amplitude of the signal that can be harvested. One solution is to use a resistor to rectify the AC signal. Because of Joule heating as current flows through a resistor, the energy is dissipated as heat. Of course, the direction of heat transfer, given a heat sink, is not alternating. In this sense, a resistor can theoretically harvest energy without the drawback of a forward voltage drop. In this paper, I investigate thermal power transfer between resistors, as well as harvesting arbitrarily small signals. Furthermore, a simple harvesting system using a thermoelectric generator is simulated.