A self-sustaining micro thermomechanic-pyroelectric generator

Pyroelectric generators (PEGs) can be used for thermal energy harvesting and present a potential alternative to thermoelectric generators. However, in contrary to thermoelectric generators, the PEG principle requires thermal transients to stimulate the conversion process. Such suitable thermal transients are rare in nature, hindering the deployment. In this paper, we present a micro thermomechanic-pyroelectric energy generator (mu TMPG) that converts a stationary spatial thermal gradient into the required transient temperature profile across the PEG. The measured power output of the mu TMPG is 3 mu W from a temperature difference of 79.5 K. However, with an optimized design, a power output of 39.4 mW is estimated for the same temperature difference. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3633350]