Broadband Vibration Power Harvesting for Encrypted Wireless Sensor Systems

KCF Technologies will develop compact Broadband Vibration Power Harvesting devices to enable Navy distributed wireless sensor systems. Building on KCF's ongoing work in low-cost vibration power harvesting for industrial wireless sensors, a primary technical advance is to develop a harvester with "broadband" performance over unknown or changing vibration sources. The power harvester will be developed as an enabling component in RLW Inc.'s S5NAPTM wireless sensor, expanding its applicability. The target application, in collaboration with York International / Johnson Controls, is Thermal Management of distributed HVAC heat exchanger components. Follow-on applications will expand the deployment of wireless sensors on Navy shipboard systems for health monitoring, advanced detection, manpower reduction and more. In Phase I, KCF will fabricate a prototype broadband vibration power harvester and demonstrate sufficient output to power a FIPS 140.2 compatible sensor node (future version of the S5NAPTM by RLW). In Phase II, KCF will partner with RLW, Penn State, and York Johnson Controls for a system demonstration of self-powered wireless shipboard sensors.BENEFITS: On Navy shipboard systems, cost restrictions are at odds with the desire to measure as many components as possible for manpower reduction, improved Thermal Management, health monitoring and other FNC goals. A broadband self-charging power supply (vibration power harvesting) is the way to deploy shipboard wireless sensors with minimum lifecycle cost and manpower requirements. The technology could greatly expand the use of wireless sensors, in turn enabling a revolution in health monitoring and detection capabilities for Navy ships. Applications for S5NAPT wireless sensor networks under development include monitoring machinery onboard ships, airplanes, land vehicles, and helicopters, and in factories, refineries, power plants, and water treatment facilities. Candidate machinery includes gearboxes, motors, pumps, rotating shafts, and rotors. All of this equipment produces, through normal operation, sinusoidal vibrations that can be utilized for energy harvesting. Current development is targeting naval shipboard machinery applications and industrial installations such as pumps and motors.