Additive manufacturing technologies for near-and far-field energy harvesting applications

This paper reviews the fabrication and design of two different types of energy harvesting systems, that utilize ambient energy to power up connected wireless modules. A 3D/inkjet-printed origami-style (morphing) cube with orthogonally-placed patch antennas is presented which enhances the nodes diversity reception capabilities. The cube changes its shape upon heating up to 60°C. In contrast, the presented near-field energy harvester utilizes the ambient RF energy of a handheld two-way radio to convert the RF signal with an efficiency of 82.5%. For proof-of-concept purposes, an E-field energy harvesting receiver is fabricated on a flexible LCP substrate with inkjet printing technology featuring an open-circuit voltage of 17.87V for an output power of 43.2 mW for the E-field energy harvester placed 7 cm away from a 1W Walkie-Talkie transmitter.