Start-Up Circuits for Ultra-Low-Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting: A Topology-Oriented Review and Design Guide.
Saved in:
| Title: | Start-Up Circuits for Ultra-Low-Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting: A Topology-Oriented Review and Design Guide. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ali, Muhammad1 (AUTHOR), Hassan, S. Jarjees Ul2 (AUTHOR), Cho, Sungbo1,3,4 (AUTHOR) sbcho@gachon.ac.kr |
| Source: | Nanomaterials (2079-4991). May2026, Vol. 16 Issue 10, p586. 25p. |
| Subjects: | Thermoelectric generators, DC-to-DC converters, Electronic circuits, Energy harvesting, Electronic systems |
| Abstract: | Thermoelectric generator (TEG)-based energy harvesting (EH) has emerged as a promising solution for powering ultra-low-power electronic systems. However, the inherently low output voltage of miniature TEGs is often below a range of 40–100 mV under small temperature gradients, presenting a fundamental cold-start challenge for DC-DC boost converters, preventing fully autonomous operation without dedicated start-up circuitry. Although numerous start-up techniques have been reported, the existing literature lacks a focused, design-oriented review of circuit architecture specifically optimized for ultra-low-voltage TEG applications. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a unified classification framework and providing a structured, topology-oriented analysis of state-of-the-art start-up strategies for TEG-based EH systems. Reported techniques are organized into five categories: external energy assistance, mechanical switch-assisted techniques, multi-source EH, transformer-based architectures, and oscillator-driven DC-AC-DC conversion. Each category is comparatively evaluated in terms of start-up voltage, integration level, efficiency, and system autonomy. Among these, oscillator-based approaches, particularly ring oscillator (RO) architectures, emerge as the most viable pathway toward fully integrated and scalable implementations, owing to their CMOS compatibility and architectural flexibility. The review further discusses key design trade-offs, handover stability challenges, and practical limitations, and provides architectural insights to guide the development of next-generation autonomous TEG-powered platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Nanomaterials (2079-4991) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 1 |
|---|---|
| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 194120568 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
| IllustrationInfo | |
| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Start-Up Circuits for Ultra-Low-Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting: A Topology-Oriented Review and Design Guide. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ali%2C+Muhammad%22">Ali, Muhammad</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hassan%2C+S%2E+Jarjees+Ul%22">Hassan, S. Jarjees Ul</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cho%2C+Sungbo%22">Cho, Sungbo</searchLink><relatesTo>1,3,4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> sbcho@gachon.ac.kr</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Nanomaterials+%282079-4991%29%22">Nanomaterials (2079-4991)</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 16 Issue 10, p586. 25p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermoelectric+generators%22">Thermoelectric generators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22DC-to-DC+converters%22">DC-to-DC converters</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+circuits%22">Electronic circuits</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Energy+harvesting%22">Energy harvesting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+systems%22">Electronic systems</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Thermoelectric generator (TEG)-based energy harvesting (EH) has emerged as a promising solution for powering ultra-low-power electronic systems. However, the inherently low output voltage of miniature TEGs is often below a range of 40–100 mV under small temperature gradients, presenting a fundamental cold-start challenge for DC-DC boost converters, preventing fully autonomous operation without dedicated start-up circuitry. Although numerous start-up techniques have been reported, the existing literature lacks a focused, design-oriented review of circuit architecture specifically optimized for ultra-low-voltage TEG applications. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a unified classification framework and providing a structured, topology-oriented analysis of state-of-the-art start-up strategies for TEG-based EH systems. Reported techniques are organized into five categories: external energy assistance, mechanical switch-assisted techniques, multi-source EH, transformer-based architectures, and oscillator-driven DC-AC-DC conversion. Each category is comparatively evaluated in terms of start-up voltage, integration level, efficiency, and system autonomy. Among these, oscillator-based approaches, particularly ring oscillator (RO) architectures, emerge as the most viable pathway toward fully integrated and scalable implementations, owing to their CMOS compatibility and architectural flexibility. The review further discusses key design trade-offs, handover stability challenges, and practical limitations, and provides architectural insights to guide the development of next-generation autonomous TEG-powered platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Nanomaterials (2079-4991) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=194120568 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.3390/nano16100586 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 25 StartPage: 586 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Thermoelectric generators Type: general – SubjectFull: DC-to-DC converters Type: general – SubjectFull: Electronic circuits Type: general – SubjectFull: Energy harvesting Type: general – SubjectFull: Electronic systems Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Start-Up Circuits for Ultra-Low-Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting: A Topology-Oriented Review and Design Guide. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ali, Muhammad – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Hassan, S. Jarjees Ul – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cho, Sungbo IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 05 Text: May2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 20794991 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 16 – Type: issue Value: 10 Titles: – TitleFull: Nanomaterials (2079-4991) Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
