Infinite Power Solutions’ INFINERGY Micro Power Module (MPM) micropower storage device is a compelling and powerful energy source that serves many micro-electronic applications.

Inside the world’s most efficient rechargeable micro-power storage device for enabling perpetually powered wireless sensors.

Infinite Power Solutions’ INFINERGY Micro Power Module (MPM) micropower storage device is a compelling and powerful energy source that serves many micro-electronic applications. The MPM was honored with a Silver Award in the Sensors category at Sensors Expo 2009 and found some time to discuss the new development with the PD&D Design Daily Staff.

PD&D Design Daily: What sets the product apart from the competition?

IPS: The INFINERGY Micro Power Module is essentially a “Plug & Play” perpetual power solution. The system designer can directly connect an energy harvesting element to the INFINERGY MPM without worrying about the electronic interface to the integrated storage device (the THINERGY MEC).

The integrated Passive Power Management Unit (PPMU™) manages all the over-voltage and under-voltage requirements of the cell. This enables designers to quickly create and deploy autonomous, perpetually powered wireless products that never need replacement.

Utilizing the MPM reduces the “total cost of ownership” for wireless sensors and systems by eliminating the need for battery maintenance or replacement (which can typically cost $50-$150 per unit in an industrial application), reduce the cost of installation (no wring, cabling or related labor) and the cost of recycling, since the MPM is a solid-state, eco-friendly device that helps to enable the deployment of “green electronics” that can now last the life of the system. This product is unique on many levels: 

• The INFINERGY Micro Power Module (MPM) uses the all solid-state THINERGY™ Micro Energy Cell (MEC) as its energy storage device. No liquid or gel electrolyte as used in batteries and supercapacitors means unrivaled power performance, cycle life, and broad operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C.
• Small footprint – smaller than anything else available today.
• Industry leading self-discharge rate of <1%/year (approximately 10nA), meaning the power cell maintains ~90% of its original charge after 10 years with no recharge.
• >99% efficiency at capturing harvested energy, again, industry leading.
• Can capture and store harvested input energy down to 350nJoules.
• 10,000–100,000 recharge cycles (depending on the depth of discharge), which is 10-100 times more rechargeable than any other thin-film or conventional rechargeable battery technology.
• Single cell option sources 40mA of continuous current at room temperature (without the aid of external capacitors like other solutions rely upon).  This is the most powerful micro-battery solution available and is enough to power most wireless sensor nodes. Additional power is available as an option with additional MECs integrated into the MPM.
• The integrated Passive Power Management Unit (PPMU) allows the battery to be charged while the PPMU is effectively in sleep mode, drawing an unprecedented low quiescent current of <3nA.  The PPMU never consumes energy from the MEC.

Design Daily: Who was instrumental in the product’s development? What was his/her role?

IPS: Joe Keating, Manager and Sr. Applications Engineer, Paul Brantner, Applications Engineer, and others on the IPS applications development and management teams. Design services were provided by Jordan Rice and the Synapse team in Seattle WA.

Design Daily: How has the industry responded to the product? What applications has it been used in?

IPS: The MPM is a compelling and powerful energy source that serves many micro-electronic applications, such as:

• Autonomous, perpetually powered wireless sensors of any kind used in:
• Smart buildings/Smart homes
• Factory automation
• Machine health monitoring
• Remote, autonomous sensors (including harsh environments)
• Industrial process controls
• HVAC controls
• Smart metering
• Structural integrity sensing systems in building, bridges, and airframes
• Security systems
• Automotive sensor systems and switches
• Medical sensors
• Precision Agriculture
• Sensor for Military and Aerospace
• Active/Battery assisted RFID tags
• Real Time Locating System (RTLS) tags

Design Daily: How does your product “demonstrate exceptional innovation, integration, ease of use, and address real needs?”

IPS: The MPM is the world’s most efficient rechargeable micro-power storage device for enabling perpetually powered wireless sensors. Unlike other rechargeable battery or supercapacitor solutions, the MPM, when combined with ambient energy harvesting, provides maintenance free continuous power to enable autonomous wireless sensor nodes and other micro-electronics—for the life of the system (approximately 10-20 years).  

It is ultra-thin (a few millimeters thick) and compact, with a footprint roughly half the size of a business card (1.5”x1.2”). Since it never needs replacement or any on-going maintenance, the MPM can be deeply embedded within a system. The designer simply connects the energy harvester to the MPM without requiring any knowledge of batteries, energy storage, or charge management electronics.

The unique MPM features two very unique functional elements: near loss-less energy storage and highly efficient energy management electronics. For the energy storage element, a THINERGY solid-state, rechargeable, thin-film Micro-Energy Cell (MEC) is used to provide unparalleled battery performance, cycle life, and service lifetime.

IPS’ patent-pending, Passive Power Management Unit (PPMU) serves as the energy management element. The ultra-efficient PPMU provides a simple, efficient and elegant electronic interface between the ambient energy harvester and the THINERGY MECs. It has the unique ability to remain “off” during normal operation and only turn on during over-voltage or under-voltage conditions. When off, the PPMU draws less than 3nA.

With the INFINERGY MPM, charge is efficiently accepted from most any ambient energy harvesting devices, allowing users to exploit shock and vibration energy, light, heat, and radio waves (RF) up to several GHz, as well as magnetic fields reversing at up to hundreds of kHz. Of particular note, the INFINERGY MPM uniquely accepts energy from “badly behaved” voltage sources such a piezoelectric elements in a random vibration environment, or photovoltaic cells under low or variable light conditions. Such variable energy can be efficiently captured and stored in the MPM even though the input power may range from below a microwatt to as high as 150mW. 

The standard MPM with a single MEC offers up to 1mAh of capacity per charge cycle, and an industry leading continuous discharge current up to 40 mA at 25°C, providing sufficient power for most wireless sensors. Additional power and capacity is available with an MPM equipped with additional integrated MECs.  An LDO (Low Drop Out) linear regulator supplies the required output voltage to the application. All the popular voltage levels between 2.1V and 3.6V are available as options.

For more information on INFINERGY, click here.