SmartShelter: A Sustainable power system design using energy harvesting techniques

In the event of a large-scale natural disaster, families and nations are often unprepared for post-disaster living conditions. Disaster relief shelters are inadequate replacements for destroyed homes; the crowded living space stimulates the spread of illnesses and the lack of electricity exacerbates psychological stress. A modernized shelter equipped with electricity and structural integrity would address several issues imposed by current disaster relief shelter. Using micro-energy harvesting techniques, a SmartShelter has the ability to locally generate sufficient amounts of electricity and provide adequate protection for natural disaster victims. Through its novel design, the SmartShelter utilizes solar, thermal, piezoelectric, and radiofrequency energy harvesting modules to sustain electricity generation and strategically support structural integrity. As a proof-of-concept design, a prototype SmartShelter is proposed using commercially available energy harvesting modules. With this prototype, it will be proven that micro-energy harvesting techniques may be utilized to generate sufficient amounts of power to sustain a low-power generating system.