Energy Generation through Multiple Renewable Sources for Low Power Gadgets: A Review

Abstract

Energy harvesting has emerged as a promising solution for powering low-power medical devices, offering the potential for sustainable and autonomous operation. This paper explores the application of various energy harvesting techniques, including solar, wind, piezoelectric crystal, and thermal, specifically tailored for powering low-power medical devices. Solar energy harvesting utilizes photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy. It offers a reliable and widely available source of power, especially for wearable and implantable medical devices. Wind energy harvesting harnesses the kinetic energy of air currents to generate electricity. Innovative designs and materials enable the development of compact and efficient wind energy harvesting systems for low-power medical devices. Piezoelectric crystal energy harvesting takes advantage of the piezoelectric effect to generate electrical energy from mechanical vibrations. Thermal energy harvesting utilizes temperature differentials to generate electricity. The integration of these energy harvesting techniques into low-power medical devices presents numerous opportunities, such as reducing the reliance on batteries and enabling long-term, maintenance-free operation. However, challenges related to efficiency, miniaturization, and device integration must be addressed to ensure reliable and sustainable energy harvesting solutions for medical applications. This paper provides an overview of the principles, technologies, and potential applications of solar, wind, piezoelectric crystal, and thermal energy harvesting for low-power medical devices, laying the foundation for future advancements in this field.