Energy harvesting face mask using a thermoelectric generator for powering wearable health monitoring sensors

A wearable energy harvester (EH) incorporating a face mask with a thermoelectric generator is demonstrated. The function of this device is to generate electrical power from the heat produced by the human body, particularly breath, with the specific aim of powering wearable sensor applications. A prototype was built using a commercially available N95 face mask, a thermoelectric generator, and a heatsink. The performance of this EH device was assessed using experimental and numerical methodologies. The experimentally tested power output of the prototype was found to be approximate to 100 mu W, with a corresponding power density of approximate to 30 mu W/cm3, for a temperature difference of 7 degrees C. A wearable energy harvester (EH) incorporating a face mask with a thermoelectric generator is demonstrated. This device's function is to use the heat generated by the human body to generate electrical power, which is then used to power wearable sensor applications. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) with a heatsink and an N95 face mask were used to build a prototype, and experimental and numerical methods were used to evaluate its performance. image