Electromagnetic micro-power generator for energy harvesting from breathing

An electromagnetic energy harvesting mechanism is presented to convert the breath pressure into electrical voltage. The generated power has a general application in providing energy for portable or wearable electronic devices and a particular application in chemical respirators to power the cartridge end of service life indicator systems. Changes in the breath pressure have been measured during normal breathing, and the proposed electromagnetic system has been simulated to find the best configuration of components. Also, a prototype has been built and tested. The experimental results will show that more than 3 μW can be harvested by using this generator.