Powering Low-Power Wireless Sensor in Industrial Environment Using Thermoelectric Generator
摘要
Widespread use of wireless sensor networks is made for remote area monitoring. They primarily consist of wireless sensor nodes, which are anticipated to have long battery lives while often being powered by small capacity batteries. An energy harvesting method that combines supercapacitor storage with a thermoelectric generator is suggested as a way to get around these restrictions and achieve endless autonomy. The proposed method of low-power sensor network provides reliable and maintenance-free solution that is perfectly suited to an industrial setting with a continuous temperature gradient. The life time of thermoelectric generator is more. Since thermoelectric generator is a static device the maintenance cost is also less. So, cost saving is achieved. Different thermoelectric materials are used for different operating temperature. For temperature up to 330 ℃, bismuth telluride is used. It is environmentally friendly. Conventionally available TEGs are available with bismuth telluride material which is suitable for sensor node application. Powering multiple sensor nodes in an industrial setting is achieved considering multiple devices. After analyzing both the thermal potential as well as recovered electrical power, then main electronic stages have included supercapacitors for energy storage, boost converter for energy recovery, and low dropout regulator with boost converter for output voltage shaping.