Thermally Active Nanomagnets for Energy Harvesting and Sensor Applications

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This patent describes an innovative device and method for harvesting energy from heat at the nanoscale using thermally active nanomagnets. When these nanoscale magnets are heated above a certain temperature (blocking temperature), their magnetization spontaneously flips, which changes the magnetic flux and induces a small current in an adjacent conductor. The device does not require any moving parts, utilizes tunable nanomagnets, and can produce electricity from waste, ambient, or solar heat. It can also function as highly miniaturized sensors for temperature or magnetic fields.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Providing power to remote sensors where changing batteries is impractical, such as environmental monitoring stations or infrastructure sensors.
• Supplying energy to wearable devices, smart watches, or other ultra-low-power electronics.
• Replacing conventional batteries in small devices and Internet of Things (IoT) nodes to reduce electronic waste and maintenance costs.
• Creating highly sensitive, miniature temperature sensors for scientific, industrial, or medical applications.
• Developing magnetic field sensors or marker sensors in microelectronics or security tags.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• The device has no moving parts, resulting in potentially infinite operational lifetime similar to solar cells.
• It can directly harvest usable energy from low-grade heat sources, including waste heat, solar, or ambient heat, increasing overall energy efficiency.
• Tunable magnetization properties allow customization for different temperature ranges and applications.
• Reduces dependence on disposable, low-power batteries, thereby decreasing pollution and electronic waste.
• Its nanoscale size enables integration into tiny or difficult-to-access spaces, making it ideal for IoT and miniaturized electronics.
• Facilitates reliable autonomous operation in remote or harsh environments where traditional power sources are unavailable.

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Patent Abstract

According to the present invention an innovative design is disclosed for performing energy harvesting from heat directly at the nanoscale. The advantage of the proposed device is that it has no moving parts, which means the lifetime of the device is theoretically infinite, similar to the lifetime of the photovoltaic solar cells. Because the magnetization dynamics of the nanomagnets can be tuned, the working temperature of the device can also be tuned. Such a power unit can harvest energy from heat sources and can be used for sensors installed at remote locations without reliable wind or solar power where changing the battery is too costly. The use of the proposed energy harvesting device will have direct benefits to the society by reducing the pollution caused by the low-power batteries around the world.