Miniature Hybrid Power Supplies for Enclosed Spaces

The US Army needs hybrid power supplies to allow autonomous operation of electronic devices, that can extract energy from its environment in a variety of forms, store it temporarily , and then release it as needed. The power supply must have longevity,operate in a wide temperature range, and withstand high shear rates and pressure. It also must be adaptable to different electrical requirements, and be inexpensive.The purpose of this work is to develop an integrated hybrid power supply to meet this need. It will consist of (single or multiple) energy scavengers and microscopic batteries developed by Bipolar Technologies. A fuzzy-logic based controller willinterface the energy scavenger(s) and battery. The controller will monitor battery state and transmit data to a remote host. It will detect energy availability through its energy harvester(s), and either supply that energy directly, or use it to chargethe battery. This work leveraged from considerable experience by Bipolar Technologies and its affiliates, in micro power supplies and miniature energy storage. During Phase I, prototype power supplies will be built and demonstrated with several energyscavenger types. During Phase II, more mature, optimized devices will be built, with greater degree of integration and intelligence. Miniature Hybrid Power Supplies will be a significant enabler to numerous wireless technologies, particularly autonomous sensors. The potential market is hundreds of millions of dollars per year.