361 research outputs found

    Battery-Less Industrial Wireless Monitoring and Control System for Improved Operational Efficiency

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    An industrial wireless monitoring and control system, capable of supporting energyharvesting devices through smart sensing and network management, designed for improving electrorefinery performance by applying predictive maintenance, is presented. The system is self-powered from bus bars, and features wireless communication and easy-to-access information and alarms. With cell voltage and electrolyte temperature measurements, the system enables real-time cell performance discovery and early reaction to critical production or quality disturbances such as short-circuiting, flow blockages, or electrolyte temperature excursions. Field validation shows an increase in operational performance of 30% (reaching 97%) in the detection of short circuits, which, thanks to a neural network deployed, are detected, on average, 10.5 h earlier compared to the traditional methodology. The developed system is a sustainable IoT solution, being easy to maintain after its deployment, and providing benefits of improved control and operation, increased current efficiency, and decreased maintenance costs.The authors would like to thank the Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) and Atlantic Copper S.L.U. company for funding this research under projects 19/1008 and 22/1077

    Micro air vehicles energy transportation for a wireless power transfer system

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    The aim of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility use of an Micro air vehicles (MAV) in order to power wirelessly an electric system, for example, a sensor network, using low-cost and open-source elements. To achieve this objective, an inductive system has been modelled and validated to power wirelessly a sensor node using a Crazyflie 2.0 as MAV. The design of the inductive system must be small and light enough to fulfil the requirements of the Crazyflie. An inductive model based on two resonant coils is presented. Several coils are defined to be tested using the most suitable resonant configuration. Measurements are performed to validate the model and to select the most suitable coil. While attempting to minimize the weight at transmitter’s side, on the receiver side it is intended to efficiently acquire and manage the power obtained from the transmitter. In order to prove its feasibility, a temperature sensor node is used as demonstrator. The experiment results show successfully energy transportation by MAV, and wireless power transfer for the resonant configuration, being able to completely charge the node battery and to power the temperature sensor.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

    Bridges Structural Health Monitoring and Deterioration Detection Synthesis of Knowledge and Technology

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    INE/AUTC 10.0

    Technology development of electric vehicles: A review

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    To reduce the dependence on oil and environmental pollution, the development of electric vehicles has been accelerated in many countries. The implementation of EVs, especially battery electric vehicles, is considered a solution to the energy crisis and environmental issues. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the technical development of EVs and emerging technologies for their future application. Key technologies regarding batteries, charging technology, electric motors and control, and charging infrastructure of EVs are summarized. This paper also highlights the technical challenges and emerging technologies for the improvement of efficiency, reliability, and safety of EVs in the coming stages as another contribution

    A low-power/low-voltage CMOS wireless interface at 5.7 GHz with dry electrodes for cognitive networks

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    This paper describes a low-power/low-voltage CMOS wireless interface (CMOS-WiI) at 5.7 GHz with dry electrodes for congnitive networks. The electrodes are 4 x 4 microtip arrays and acquire electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in key- points for processing. The CMOS-WiI was fabricated in a UMC 0.18 µm RF CMOS process and its total power consumption is 23mW with a voltage-supply of only 1.5 V. The carrier frequency is digitally selectable and it can be one of 16 possible values in the range 5.42–5.83 GHz, with 27.12 MHz steps. These multiple carriers allow a better spectrum allocation as well as the acquisition, processing and transmission of high-quality EEG signals from 16 electrode arrays. The microtips array was fabricated through bulk micromachining of a -type silicon substrate in a potassium hydroxide solution and avoids long subject preparations for EEG data acquisition. The reactive sputtering of iridium dioxide (IrO) on the surface of the array guarantees its biocompatibility. The fabrication process was trimmed in a way that each microtip presents solid angles of 54.7 , a width in the range 150–200 µm, a height of 100–200 µm, and a microtip interspacing of 2 µm. The microtips array coated with IrO together with the CMOS-WiI permit the remote monitoring of EEG signals from freely-moving subjects

    Wireless sensor networks for landslide monitoring: application and optimization by visibility analysis on 3D point clouds

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    Occurring in many geographical, geological and climatic environments, landslides represent a major geological hazard. In landslide prone areas, monitoring devices associated with Early Warning Systems are a cost-effective means to reduce the risk with a low environmental and economic impact, and in some cases, they can be the only solution. In this framework, particular interest has been reserved for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), defined as networks of usually low-size and low-cost devices denoted as nodes, which are integrated with sensors that can gather information through wireless links. In this thesis, data from a new prototypical ground instability monitoring instrument called Wi-GIM (Wireless sensor network for Ground Instability Monitoring) have been analysed. The system consists in a WSN made by nodes able to measure their mutual inter-distances by calculating the time of flight of an Ultra-Wide Band impulse. Therefore, no sensors are implemented in the network, as the same signals used for transmission are also used for ranging. The system has been tested in a controlled outdoor environment and applied for the monitoring of the displacements of an actual landslide, the Roncovetro mudflow in Central Italy, where a parallel monitoring with a Robotic Total Station (RTS) allowed to validate the system. The outputs are displacement time series showing the distance of each couple of nodes belonging to the same cluster. Data retrieved from the tests revealed a precision of 2–5 cm and that measurements are influenced by the temperature. Since the correlation with this parameter has proved to be linear, a simple correction is sufficient to improve the precision and remove the effect of temperature. The campaign also revealed that measurements were not affected by rain or snow, and that the system can efficiently communicate up to 150 m with a 360° angle of view without affecting precision. Other key features of the implemented system are easy and quick installation, flexibility, low cost, real-time monitoring and acquisition frequency changeability. The comparison between Wi-GIM and RTS measurements pointed out the presence of an offset (in an order that vary from centimetric to decametric) constant for each single couple, due mainly to the presence of obstacles that can obstruct the Line Of Sight (LOS). The presence of vegetation is the main cause of the non-LOS condition between two nodes, which translates in a longer path of the signals and therefore to a less accurate distance measurements. To go further inside this issue, several tests have been carried out proving the strong influence of the vegetation over both data quantity and quality. To improve them, a MATLAB tool (R2018a, MAthWorks, Natick, MA, USA) called WiSIO (Wireless Sensor network Installation Optimizer) has been developed. The algorithm finds the best devices deployment following three criteria: (i) inter-visibility by means of a modified version of the Hidden Point Removal operator; (ii) equal distribution; (iii) positioning in preselected priority areas. With respect to the existing viewshed analysis, the main novelty is that it works directly with 3D point clouds, without rendering them or performing any surface. This lead to skip the process of generating surface models avoiding errors and approximations, that is essential when dealing with vegetation. A second installation of the Wi-GIM system has been therefore carried out considering the deployment suggested by WiSIO. The comparison of data acquired by the system positioned with and without the help of the proposed algorithm allowed to better comprehend the effectiveness of the tool. The presented results are very promising, showing how a simple elaboration can be essential to have more and more reliable data, improving the Wi-GIM system performances, making it even more usable in very complex environments and increasing its flexibility. The main left limitation of the Wi-GIM system is currently the precision. Such issue is connected to the aim of using only low-cost components, and it can be prospectively overcome if the system undergoes an industrialization process. Furthermore, since the system architecture is re-adaptable, it is prone to enhancements as soon as the technology advances and new low cost hardware enters the market

    Diamond and sp² carbon for green energy applications

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    Carbon is a ubiquitous element on earth, with 6 protons, electrons, and neutrons. It is tetravalent, with a range of hybridised bonding configurations, it can form materials with superlative and varied properties. These materials range from soft and conductive sp2 bonded allotropes like graphite and carbon nanotubes, to the insulating and hardest natural material on earth, sp3 bonded diamond. The first half of this thesis presents an investigation of the properties of a promising novel carbon nanomaterial, CNS, and its application to ultracapacitor electrodes for the first time. High surface area conductive carbon nanomaterials are capable of high power and long service life energy storage in ultracapacitors, a critical green technology. The development of this technology to increase energy density to compete with chemical batteries could accelerate a transition to sustainable energy infrastructure. CNS/polymer composite electrodes were assembled using a conductive diamond collector substrate, then characterised using electrochemical techniques to measure capacitative performance. The second half of this thesis concerns the development of amperometric dissolved oxygen sensors for extreme environments. Diamonds controllable electronic properties, corrosion resistance, wide electrochemical window, and resistance to fouling make it an ideal potential material for this application. Conductive boron doped diamond electrodes were functionalised with platinum nanoparticles. Aphotolithographyprocesswasusedtoproduceanarrayofmicrodiscelectrodesusingan SU-8 photoresist mask, for the first time in this application and material system. A custom electrochemical cell was designed and built to provide a new electrochemical capability to the lab at approximately 1/10th the cost of a commercial solution; the project will be made open source. The microdisc array was tested as an oxygen sensor using the cell; calibration standards were produced by controlling the flow of oxygen and nitrogen gasses through the cell. A control measurement was provided for by a calibrated oxygen gauge incorporated into the test cell

    In-situ instrumentation of cells and power line communication data acquisition towards smart cell development

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    The internal core temperature of cells is required to create accurate cell models and understand cell performance within a module. Pack cooling concepts often trade off temperature uniformity, vs cost/weight and complexity. Poor thermal management systems can lead to accelerated cell degradation, and unbalanced ageing. To provide core temperature an internal array of 7 thermistors was constructed; these in conjunction with cell current, via bus bar mounted sensors, and voltage sensor measurements, we have developed instrumented cells. These cells are also equipped with power line communication (PLC) circuitry, forming smart cells. We report upon data from these miniature sensors during cell cycling, demonstrating successful operation of the PLC system (zero errors compared to a reference wired connection) during typical cell cycling (C/2 discharge, C/3 charge) and the application of automotive drive cycle, providing a transient current test profile. Temperature variation within the cell of approximately 1.2 °C gradients, and variation of >2.8 °C during just 30 min of 2C discharging demonstrate the need for internal sensing and monitoring throughout the lifetime of a cell. Our cycling experimental data, along with thorough cell performance tracking, where typically <0.5% degradation was found following instrumentation process, demonstrate the success of our novel prototype smart cells

    Advanced technologies for productivity-driven lifecycle services and partnerships in a business network

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    Advanced technologies for productivity-driven lifecycle services and partnerships in a business network

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