Low-cost converter for harvesting of microwave electromagnetic energy

Energy harvesting receives a lot of attention whatever the physical domain of energy. Microwave electromagnetic energy represents a large reserve to harvest. Present papers details conversion schemes depending on the value of the electromagnetic field. Practical measurements show that fields from 1.5 V/m to 30 V/m may be encountered. There is a need for high-efficiency converters and various architectures are considered depending on the field range. Simulation results give the analysis of the architectures and the attainable efficiency. Experiments confirm the results. Associated to multi-antenna system, it is possible to design a harvesting converter for various consumers.