At this year’s Light+Building in Frankfurt, the ZF Friedrichshafen AG booth is all about the energy harvesting generator. As the centerpiece of ZF’s Energy Harvesting technology, the generator is distinguished by its very compact design and high energy efficiency.
ZF uses the inductive principle for this technology, which means that the required radio energy is generated by the mechanical operation of a switching mechanism. The radio data is then transmitted wirelessly via radio technology. Instead of generating auxiliary energy through an integrated power source or adding it via an external power source, kinetic energy acting on the system is converted. Therefore, the energy harvester is also referred to as an energy converter. The energy harvesting systems can be placed anywhere without the need for cables. Throughout the entire life cycle, the system performs its function completely maintenance-free and without the need to replace a battery, resulting in significantly reduced maintenance costs.
The core component – the generator – is available in monostable and bistable versions, with or without radio electronics. The radio electronics can be implemented with various radio standards, including EnOcean, KNX, Bluetooth, as well as with custom protocols.
ZF’s energy harvesting products are suitable for a wide range of applications, for example in industrial and building automation, the mobility sector, or medical technology.
ZF showcases some application examples for smart rooms and buildings, such as light switch modules with EnOcean or KNX protocol, intelligent window handles and locks, as well as door locks, at the world’s leading trade fair for lighting and building technology in Frankfurt (https://light-building.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html)
More information about ZF’s Energy Harvesting products is available at the following link: https://switches-sensors.zf.com/energy-harvesting/
