This paper presents an innovative approach to the integration of thermoelectric microgenerators (μTEGs) based on thick-film thermopiles of planar constantan–silver (CuNi-Ag) and calcium cobaltite oxide–silver (Ca₃Co₄O₉-Ag) thick-film thermopiles with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The goal was to consider using the TEG for an active or semi-passive RFID tag. The proposed implementation would allow the communication distance to be increased or even operated without changing batteries. This article discusses the principles of planar thermoelectric microgenerators (μTEGs), focusing on their ability to convert the temperature difference into electrical energy. The concept of integration with active or semi-passive tags is presented, as well as the results of energy efficiency tests, considering various environmental conditions. On the basis of the measurements, the parameters of thermopiles consisting of more thermocouples were simulated to provide the required voltage and power for cooperation with RFID tags. The conclusions of the research indicate promising prospects for the integration of planar thermoelectric microgenerators with RFID technology, opening the way to more sustainable and efficient monitoring and identification systems. Our work provides the theoretical basis and practical experimental data for the further development and implementation of this innovative technology.

W artykule przedstawiono system pomiarowy, który umożliwia charakteryzowanie mikrogeneratorów termoelektrycznych przy gradiencie temperatury poczynając od -50 °C. Pozwala to na badanie mikrogeneratorów pod kątem zastosowań w ekstremalnych warunkach, gdzie dostęp do energii elektrycznej jest ograniczony.

This paper presents the integration of a planar thick-film thermoelectric microgenerator based on CuNi–Cu materials with an HF RFID tag STM M24LR64E-R. The developed microgenerator consisted of 20 thermocouples connected in series and was characterized by a total internal resistance of 7.11 Ω. To match the energy parameters of both systems, a low-power LTC3108 DC–DC converter was used, allowing the increase in the voltage generated by the microgenerator from 80 mV to 2.35 V. The output power obtained from the converter was 29.3 µW, which proved sufficient to power the RFID tag. In idle mode, the power consumption of the tag was approximately 17 µW, while during the communication process it increased to 42 µW for approximately 1 ms. Subsequently, for about 25 ms, the energy demand of the system remained below the power delivered by the converter. The energy balance analysis performed demonstrated the possibility of correctly powering the tag throughout the entire communication cycle. The results obtained indicate that the use of a thermoelectric microgenerator as a power source for an RFID tag may contribute to reducing the system response time by eliminating the need for wake-up procedures, as well as potentially increasing the effective communication range.