Self-powered, piezo-surface acoustic wave apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A self-powered device, comprising:
- a radioisotope-powered current impulse generator including a spring assembly comprising a cantilever having at least one fixed end attached to a base and a reciprocal region, further including a radioactive particle emitter;
a piezoelectric-surface acoustic wave (P-SAW) structure including an input port electrically connected in parallel to the current impulse generator and an output port;
a radioactive particle receiver that is attached to one of the reciprocal region of the cantilever and the spring assembly at an opposing distance above or below the reciprocal region of the cantilever,characterized by an operable distance between the radioactive particle emitter and the radioactive particle receiver that is a maximum distance and the interdigitated electrodes of the input port have a maximum number of electrode fingers, wherein each of the input port and the output port include a plurality of interdigitated electrodes.
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Abstract
An autonomous, self-powered device includes a radioisotope-powered current impulse generator including a spring assembly comprising a cantilever, and a piezoelectric-surface acoustic wave (P-SAW) structure connected in parallel to the current impulse generator. Positive charges are accumulated on an electrically isolated 63Ni thin film due to the continuous emission of β-particles (electrons), which are collected on the cantilever. The accumulated charge eventually pulls the cantilever into the radioisotope thin-film until electrical discharge occurs. The electrical discharge generates a transient magnetic and electrical field that can excite the RF modes of a cavity in which the electrical discharge occurs. A piezoelectric-SAW resonator is connected to the discharge assembly to control the RF frequency output. A method for generating a tuned RF signal includes inputting an energy pulse to a P-SAW resonator, exciting the resonant frequency thereof, and outputting an RF signal having a frequency tuned to the resonator frequency.
37 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A self-powered device, comprising:
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a radioisotope-powered current impulse generator including a spring assembly comprising a cantilever having at least one fixed end attached to a base and a reciprocal region, further including a radioactive particle emitter; a piezoelectric-surface acoustic wave (P-SAW) structure including an input port electrically connected in parallel to the current impulse generator and an output port; a radioactive particle receiver that is attached to one of the reciprocal region of the cantilever and the spring assembly at an opposing distance above or below the reciprocal region of the cantilever, characterized by an operable distance between the radioactive particle emitter and the radioactive particle receiver that is a maximum distance and the interdigitated electrodes of the input port have a maximum number of electrode fingers, wherein each of the input port and the output port include a plurality of interdigitated electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for generating an RF signal having a tuned signal frequency, comprising:
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generating energy through an energy pulse from an autonomous electrical discharge system having a charging cycle and a discharge cycle; inputting the energy to an input port of a piezoelectric-SAW (P-SAW) structure characterized by a resonant frequency, wherein, during the charging cycle, storing an electrical component of the energy and a mechanical component of the energy in the P-SAW structure; during the discharge cycle, exciting the resonant frequency of the P-SAW structure; and outputting an RF signal having a frequency tuned to the P-SAW resonant frequency from an output port of the P-SAW structure. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification