Development of a High Efficiency DC-DC Converter Using Hysteretic Control for Hydroelectric Energy Harvester in a Wireless Sensor Network

Abstract

Efficiency is a requirement when it comes to utilizing a wireless sensor network (WSN) where hydrokinetic energy harvesting through turbine is involved. Thus, not only WSN needs an efficient supply but also the sensors and the storage unit which are powered up by an energy harvesting module, a turbine DC generator. Turbine DC generator produces a low voltage and low voltage means low power. To produce high efficiency output despite the low power it produces, a DC-DC converter is one of the preliminaries. DC-DC converter regulates its input coming from the turbine DC generator and produces a more stable power supply. However, blocks that the DC-DC converter supplies have different voltage requirement. Therefore, the researchers will develop two DC-DC converter topology which are the Buck Converter and the Boost Converter. On the contrary, turbine DC generator produces varying DC supply to the boost converter inducing noises and reducing the efficiency needed. Therefore, to achieve a highly efficient output the device needs to be low noise. To prevent noise from affecting the efficiency of the device, the researchers will use a technique called Hysteretic Control (HC) of DC-DC converter. This research intended to design a high efficiency Direct Current-to-Direct Current Converter for hydroelectric energy harvester in wireless sensor network. Using an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool, Synopsys, and ensuing the full custom analog design is practiced, the researchers develop a DC-DC converter that will provide an efficiency of 80% - 95% by reducing the noise by using a switching DC-DC converter.