Radioisotope thin-film fueled microfabricated reciprocating electromechanical power generator

被引:19
作者
Duggirala, Rajesh [1 ]
Poicawich, Ronald G. [2 ]
Dubey, Madan [2 ]
Lal, Amit [3 ]
机构
[1] Cornell Univ, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
[2] USA, Adv MicroDevices Branch, Res Labs, Adelphi Lab Ctr, Adelphi, MD 20783 USA
[3] Def Adv Res Projects Agcy, Arlington, VA 22203 USA
关键词
micropower generator; nickel-63; piezoelectric unimorph; radioisotope;
D O I
10.1109/JMEMS.2008.924854
中图分类号
TM [电工技术]; TN [电子技术、通信技术];
学科分类号
0808 ; 0809 ;
摘要
A radioisotope power generator with a potential lifetime of decades is demonstrated by employing a 100.3-year half-lifetime Ni-63 radioisotope thin-film source to electrostatically actuate and cause reciprocation in a microfabricated piezoelectric unimorph cantilever. The radioisotope direct-charged electrostatic actuation of the piezoelectric unimorph cantilever results in the conversion of radiation energy into mechanical energy stored in the strained unimorph cantilever. The gradual accumulation of the actuation charges leads to the pull-in of the unimorph cantilever into the radioisotope thin-film, and the resulting discharge leads to vibrations in the unimorph cantilever. During the vibrations, the stored mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy by the piezoelectric thin-film. The generator was realized by using both microfabricated lead zirconate titanate oxide-silicon (PZT-Si) and aluminum nitride-silicon (AlN-Si) unimorph cantilevers. The radioisotope direct-charged electrostatic actuation of the AlN-Si unimorph cantilevers by a 2.9-mCi Ni-63 thin-film radiating 0.3 mu W led to charge-discharge-vibrate cycles that resulted in the generation of 0.25% duty cycle 12.95-mu W power pulses (across an optimal load impedance of 521 k Omega) at an overall energy conversion efficiency of 3.97%. These electrical power pulses can potentially be useful for periodically sampling sensor microsystems.
引用
收藏
页码:837 / 849
页数:13
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