The Robotics Institute

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute

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Abstract

This report is a discussion, evaluation and comparison of potential sources of electrical power for small mobile systems. Power sources are an inevitable challenge in the design of portable and small mobile systems, especially robotic systems. Power systems cannot be an afterthought and, if left to final design stages, can result in severe and adverse effects on the system, such as excess weight, size, heat and operational limitations. Power system alternatives investigated include batteries, fuel cells and generators, thermoelectric generators, supercapacitors, flywheels and even non-storage options such as tethers. This report presents general principles and provides a means to compare and evaluate different technologies for their particular application. In particular, comparisons are provided in the context of Ragone diagrams to illustrate the capabilities of the different technologies.

Notes

Sponsor: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, MITI Real World Computing Partnership, NASA

Grant ID: #60NANB5H0032

Number of pages: 35

Text Reference

Kevin Dowling, "Power Sources for Small Robots," tech. report CMU-RI-TR-97-02, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, January, 1997

BibTeX Reference

@techreport{Dowling_1997_438,
   author = "Kevin Dowling",
   title = "Power Sources for Small Robots",
   booktitle = "",
   institution = "Robotics Institute",
   month = "January",
   year = "1997",
   number= "CMU-RI-TR-97-02",
   address= "Pittsburgh, PA",
}

The Robotics Institute

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