A Multiple-Input Boost Converter for Low-Power Energy Harvesting

In this paper, a component efficient multiple-input boost converter is proposed to extract power from multiple low-power energy harvesting sources. The time-multiplexed operation of the proposed converter enables sharing of the power stage between different input sources, leading to a reduced component count. Combined with a novel digital control method and a universal tracking algorithm, maximum power is automatically extracted for all the input sources. A dual-input prototype built with off-the-shelf components validates the overall strategy with commercially available energy transducers. A tracking efficiency of more than 97.5% is demonstrated.