Powering a Commercial Datalogger by Energy Harvesting from Generated Aeroacoustic Noise Powering a Commercial Datalogger by Energy Harvesting from Generated Aeroacoustic Noise

International audienceThis paper reports the experimental demonstration of a wireless sensor node only powered by an aeroacoustic energy harvesting device, meant to be installed on an aircraft outside skin. New results related to the physical characterization of the energy conversion process are presented. Optimized interface electronics has been designed, which allows demonstrating aeroacoustic power generation by supplying a commercial wireless datalogger in conditions representative of an actual flight

Self-Powered energy harvester strain sensing device for structural health monitoring

International audienceThis paper presents an envisaged autonomous strain sensor device, which is dedicated to structural health monitoring applications. The paper introduces the ASIC approach that replaces the discrete approach of some of the main modules

Under Voltage Lock-Out Design Rules for Proper Start-Up of Energy Autonomous Systems Powered by Supercapacitors

International audienceThis paper deals with the issue of the initial start-up of an autonomous and battery-free system powered by an energy harvester associated with a storage subsystem based on supercapacitors initially discharged. A review of different low power Under Voltage Lock-Out (UVLO) solutions used to delay the load start-up and to avoid a useless discharge of supercapacitors is presented and discussed

Autonomous power supply for aeronautical health monitoring sensors

International audienceNew applications of embedded systems are envisioned in the context of aeronautics. However, the increasing burden of on-board cabling requires wireless solutions. Moreover, concerns such as safety or system lifetime often preclude the use of electrochemical energy storage. Ambient energy capture, storage and management are therefore key topics. In this paper we illustrate these concepts by describing an actual implementation in the engine harsh environment of an Airbus A380. A thermogenerator was used to harvest ambient energy and the electronics associated with it allows the local system being energy autonomous. All items were devised and tested in order to meet the criteria of DO-160G aeronautical standard. The set of equipment was mounted on aircraft, and submitted to tens of test flights during roughly a year, in very various flight conditions

Self-Powered Adaptive Switched Architecture Storage

International audienceAmbient energy harvesting coupled to storage is a way to improve the autonomy of wireless sensors networks. Moreover, in some applications with harsh environment or when a long service lifetime is required, the use of batteries is prohibited. Ultra-capacitors provide in this case a good alternative for energy storage. Such storage must comply with the following requirements: a sufficient voltage during the initial charge must be rapidly reached, a significant amount of energy should be stored and the unemployed residual energy must be minimised at discharge. To answer these apparently contradictory criteria, we propose a self-adaptive switched architecture consisting of a matrix of switched ultra-capacitors. We present the results of a self-powered adaptive prototype that shows the improvement in terms of charge time constant, energy utilization rate and then energy autonomy