A self-sustaining pyroelectric energy harvester utilizing spatial thermal gradients

Pyroelectric generators (PEGs) present a potential alternative to thermoelectric generators (TEGs), to generate electric power from thermal fields. Pyroelectric generators have a predicted upper limit of 50 % of the Carnot's efficiency, which exceeds that of TEGs. However, PEGs require an oscillating thermal field or thermal vibrations. Such vibrations are rare in technical systems, hindering their deployment for energy harvesting. In this paper we present a novel thermal energy harvester utilizing PEGs. The measured power output of such a harvester is 3 μW for a temperature difference of 79.5 K. By improving the harvester design, a power output of approximately 9 mW is predicted.