Tiny energy storage cell for IoT nodes lasts for years

Murata has created an energy storage component specifically for wireless sensor nodes powered by energy harvesting.

BY Steven Bush, Electronics Weekly, Sept. 14, 2016 – 

Rather than using supercapacitor technology, which the firm decided is too leaky, it went for a lithium ion electro-chemical system -like a phone battery but modified to extend cycle-life, broaden temperature range, reduce self-discharge, and raise power delivery.

To get these improvements, Murata sacrificed energy capacity, but claims energy/volume remains 40x higher than its own supercapacitors.

The first product based on the concept, a cylindrical device called UMAC (see photo), was released in October last year. Now an improved device has been announced: prismatic in shape and called UMAL.

 Back