Wireless sensor networks with energy harvesting: Modeling and simulation based on a practical architecture using real radiation levels

This paper presents a new energy-harvesting model for a network simulator that implements super-capacitor energy storage with solar energy-harvesting recharge. The model is easily extensible, and other energyharvesting systems, or different energy storages, can be further developed. Moreover, code can be conveniently reused as the implementation is entirely uncoupled from the radio and node models. Real radiation data are obtained from available online databases in order to dynamically calculate super-capacitor charge and discharge. Such novelty enables the evaluation of energy evolution on a network of sensor nodes at various physical world locations and during different seasons. The model is validated against a real and fully working prototype, and good result correlation is shown. Furthermore, various experiments using the ns-3 simulator were conducted, demonstrating the utility of the model in assisting the research and development of the deployment of everlasting wireless sensor networks.This work was supported by the CICYT (research projects CTM2011-29691-C02-01 and TIN2011-28435-C03-01) and UPV research project SP20120889.Climent, S.; Sánchez Matías, AM.; Blanc Clavero, S.; Capella Hernández, JV.; Ors Carot, R. (2013). Wireless sensor networks with energy harvesting: Modeling and simulation based on a practical architecture using real radiation levels. Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpe.3151S119Akyildiz, I. F., & Vuran, M. C. (2010). Wireless Sensor Networks. doi:10.1002/9780470515181Seah, W. K. G., Tan, Y. K., & Chan, A. T. S. (2012). Research in Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks and the Challenges Ahead. 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Threshold voltage control to improve energy utilization efficiency of a power management circuit for energy harvesting applications

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from MDPI via the DOI in this record.Eurosensors 2018 Conference, 19-12 September 2018, Graz, AustriaThis work presents a design approach that improves power management circuit (PMC) for energy harvesting applications so that more of the harvested energy can be utilized by the wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) to perform useful tasks. The proposed method is widely applicable to different circuits by setting an appropriate threshold voltage at the energy flow control interface of the circuit. Experimental results show that with a threshold voltage difference of around 20 mV, the energy output from the PMC can differ by more than 5%. This difference is significant over a long period of time as more tasks can be performed by the WSN with the extra energy.This work has been partly supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, U.K., through the project En-ComE under Grant EP/K020331/1 and Innovate UK through the project Multi-source power management to enable autonomous micro energy harvesting systems

Energy Harvesting and Management for Wireless Autonomous Sensors

Wireless autonomous sensors that harvest ambient energy are attractive solutions, due to their convenience and economic benefits. A number of wireless autonomous sensor platforms which consume less than 100?W under duty-cycled operation are available. Energy harvesting technology (including photovoltaics, vibration harvesters, and thermoelectrics) can be used to power autonomous sensors. A developed system is presented that uses a photovoltaic module to efficiently charge a supercapacitor, which in turn provides energy to a microcontroller-based autonomous sensing platform. The embedded software on the node is structured around a framework in which equal precedent is given to each aspect of the sensor node through the inclusion of distinct software stacks for energy management and sensor processing. This promotes structured and modular design, allowing for efficient code reuse and encourages the standardisation of interchangeable protocols

Flexible Integration of Alternative Energy Sources for Autonomous Sensing

Recent developments in energy harvesting and autonomous sensing mean that it is now possible to power sensors solely from energy harvested from the environment. Clearly this is dependent on sufficient environmental energy being present. The range of feasible environments for operation can be extended by combining multiple energy sources on a sensor node. The effective monitoring of their energy resources is also important to deliver sustained and effective operation. This paper outlines the issues concerned with combining and managing multiple energy sources on sensor nodes. This problem is approached from both a hardware and embedded software viewpoint. A complete system is described in which energy is harvested from both light and vibration, stored in a common energy store, and interrogated and managed by the node

Low-Cost Energy-Autonomous Sensor Nodes Through RF Energy Harvesting and Printed Technology

The irruption of Internet of Things and 5G in our society comes along with several technological challenges to overcome. From an overall perspective, the low-cost and environmental friendliness of these technologies need to be ensured for their universal deployment in different areas, starting with the sensors and finishing with the power sources. To address these challenges, the production and maintenance of a great number of sensor nodes incur costs, which include manufacturing and integration in mass of elements and sub-blocks, changing or recharging of batteries, as well as management of natural resources and waste. In this article, we demonstrate how Radio Frequency Energy Harvesting (RFEH) and printed flexible technology (a growing technology for sensors) can solve these concerns through costeffective mass-production and utilization of energy harvesting for the development of energy-autonomous nodes, as part of a wireless sensor network. We present as illustration a sprayed flexible relative humidity sensor powered with RFEH under the store-and-use principle.This work was partially supported by the ECSEL Joint Undertaking through the Electronic Component Systems for European Leadership Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 737434. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and Slovakia, Netherlands, Spain, Italy. In addition, the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECD) and the European Union supported it through the pre-doctoral grant FPU16/01451 and the fellowship H2020-MSCA-IF-2017794885-SELFSENS

Wireless sensors and IoT platform for intelligent HVAC control

Energy consumption of buildings (residential and non-residential) represents approximately 40% of total world electricity consumption, with half of this energy consumed by HVAC systems. Model-Based Predictive Control (MBPC) is perhaps the technique most often proposed for HVAC control, since it offers an enormous potential for energy savings. Despite the large number of papers on this topic during the last few years, there are only a few reported applications of the use of MBPC for existing buildings, under normal occupancy conditions and, to the best of our knowledge, no commercial solution yet. A marketable solution has been recently presented by the authors, coined the IMBPC HVAC system. This paper describes the design, prototyping and validation of two components of this integrated system, the Self-Powered Wireless Sensors and the IOT platform developed. Results for the use of IMBPC in a real building under normal occupation demonstrate savings in the electricity bill while maintaining thermal comfort during the whole occupation schedule.QREN SIDT [38798]; Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology, through IDMEC, under LAETA [ID/EMS/50022/2013

A Survey of Multi-Source Energy Harvesting Systems

Energy harvesting allows low-power embedded devices to be powered from naturally-ocurring or unwanted environmental energy (e.g. light, vibration, or temperature difference). While a number of systems incorporating energy harvesters are now available commercially, they are specific to certain types of energy source. Energy availability can be a temporal as well as spatial effect. To address this issue, ‘hybrid’ energy harvesting systems combine multiple harvesters on the same platform, but the design of these systems is not straightforward. This paper surveys their design, including trade-offs affecting their efficiency, applicability, and ease of deployment. This survey, and the taxonomy of multi-source energy harvesting systems that it presents, will be of benefit to designers of future systems. Furthermore, we identify and comment upon the current and future research directions in this field