Self-Powered Condition Monitoring System for Advanced Submarine Maintenance

Condition-based monitoring has the potential to significantly reduce operating costs for the U.S. Navy through enhanced maintenance scheduling and reduction in unnecessary inspections / overhauls. Embedded sensors provide monitoring capabilities for data acquisition, analysis and transmission when sufficient power is available through hardwired power, battery, or energy harvesting strategies. There has been a recent surge in research for sensor nodes powered by energy harvesters, however most applications are limited to low-frequency, low-bandwidth applications. There is significant interest in developing new sensing concepts that provide continuous monitoring of high-frequency transient events indicative of failures in hydraulic pumps, actuator/valve systems, and bearings for the U.S. Navy. Luna proposes a new paradigm in how embedded sensors are designed and deployed with energy harvesting / management as a central design component. The proposed approach focuses on four principal functionalities of the sensor node: 1) continuous signal monitoring, 2) self-powered triggering, 3) low-power acquisition / analysis, and 4) multi-tiered power management. The feasibility of this comprehensive design approach has been demonstrated through the Phase I program, and will evolve into a deployable, self-powered condition monitoring system through Phase II development efforts.