Wireless Vibration Energy Harvesting System

75606-The advent of a truly wireless world in the future has created an opportunity and the need to develop a sensor which not only communicates in a wireless fashion but also obtains its power in a wireless fashion. While a conventional battery fits this description of a power source, it severely limits the long term autonomy of the sensor due to the life span of the battery. To make the sensor truly wireless, a source of energy that exists in the sensor¿s operational environment and a method of harnessing that energy is needed. This project will develop a completely self-sustained, truly wireless sensor system, powered solely from harvested environmental vibration energy. A unique transducer, which utilizes a new piezoelectric material and an electrical storage circuit, will be designed to harvest the ubiquitous vibrational energy. The new piezoelectric material will be 7-10 times more powerful than existing materials and, in concert with the new transducer design, will result in a highly efficient energy conversion system. Phase I will investigate the combination of three technologies for the truly wireless sensor: super capacitors and rechargeable batteries for the power storage device; an electrical charging circuit; and the use of existing low power radio communication devices as the means of wireless transmission. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A truly wireless sensor system, which could harvest its own electrical energy from the readily available vibration energy that exists in most manufacturing and production facilities, should find predictive maintenance uses in almost every manufacturing market segment and lead to greatly improved efficiencies.