Power Harvesting for Shipboard Health Monitoring Sensors

"The objective of the research presented in this SBIR proposal is the development of the technology needed for power generation from harvesting vibrations from shipboard machinery. The generator should produce sufficient power to energize low-power sensorsand a transmitter that communicates on a network and can be easily integrated into a shipboard environment. Wilcoxon Research has extensive experience in the design, manufacturing, and customer support of vibration sensors and related equipment. Thisproposal would permit the company to explore a novel configuration for power sources that generate and/or scavenge power from the shipboard environment. New packaging requirements and materials, along with a study for improved energy storage systems, arepresented. Such a wireless system not only reduces the need for cabling, but also drastically lowers installation costs, permitting more comprehensive instrumentation. The effective deployment of wireless, self-powered, condition-based maintenancesensors requires that are low in cost, but also cost effective for installation. The wiring associated with sensor systems can easily exceed the cost of the sensor, transmitter, and receiver system. It is foreseen that wireless sensors will be used incollecting vibration and other machinery data for processes where either the installed machines or their downtime is costly, such as naval applications. In addition to department of Defense a