Improving Energy Harvesting System from Ambient RF Sources in Social Systems with Overcrowding

Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach to enhance energy harvesting systems from ambient Radio Frequency (RF) sources in overcrowded environments. In environments like shopping malls, coffee shops, and airports, where wireless devices are prevalent, the electromagnetic energy emitted by these devices can be harvested and converted into electrical energy to power small devices, specifically those associated with the Social Internet of Things (SIoT). However, due to the high density of devices in such environments, the RF signals can be weak, resulting in low energy harvesting efficiency. This study focuses on developing technologies for wireless power transfer through a radio frequency ambient energy harvesting scheme, specifically designing to improve energy harvesting systems in crowded social environments. Recognizing the growing importance of energy harvesting for low-power devices in intelligent environments, our proposed method utilizes the ambient environment to capture energy in the downlink radio frequency range of the GSM-900 band. The system architecture comprises four main stages: a supercapacitor, a Villard voltage doubler circuit with seven stages, a lumped element matching network, and a microstrip patch antenna. The voltage doubler circuit is designed and simulated using the Agilent Advanced Design System (ADS) 2014 environment, and simulations and tests are conducted across different input power levels. Throughout the study, several key factors are identified as crucial to the system's efficiency, including the frequency band, input power level, voltage doubler circuit design, impedance matching, diode selection, number of rectification stages, and load resistance. The proposed method demonstrates significant potential in enhancing the energy harvesting efficiency from ambient RF sources in crowded social environments. By providing a sustainable power source for SIoT devices in such settings, our approach contributes to the advancement of energy harvesting capabilities and supports the practical implementation of energy-efficient technologies in intelligent and socially interconnected environments.