Paper Contents
Abstract
This paper presents a novel approach to battery-less Internet of Things (IoT) devices powered by radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting, addressing the growing demand for sustainable and maintenance-free solutions in fifth-generation (5G) networks and Industry 4.0 applications. The proposed system utilizes a dedicated RF energy transmitter and a solar-powered base station to efficiently radiate RF power, enabling operation in remote locations. A high-gain, optimized 12-element Yagi antenna operating at 920 MHz enhances RF energy reception, while a single-stage, fully cross-coupled RF-DC converter, coupled with a step-up converter, boosts the output to 3.3 V for low-power microcontrollers and sensors. A Constant Current-Constant Voltage (CC-CV) charging algorithm, implemented via a microcontroller, manages the charging of lithium-ion storage elements. Experimental results demonstrate successful wireless powering of sensor nodes up to 15 meters, allowing continuous sensing and data transmission for over 156 minutes using harvested RF energy. This architecture supports off-grid operation, significantly reducing maintenance and environmental impact. All in all, this work shows the power of RF energy harvesting to enable scalable IoT deployments that can be integrated with 5G networks. Here we will take care of important design-related challenges while paving the way for future improvements in system-on-chip (SoC) integration and multi-source hybrid energy harvesting.
Copyright
Copyright © 2025 Nabaneeta Banerjee. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
