Marco Ulrich

Feasibility of Energy Harvesting in Industrial Automation Wireless Networks

Abstract The energy consumption of industrial wireless devices and the resulting requirement for battery changes is one of the limiting factors of this technology. In this paper, an overview over the special requirements of wireless systems with a focus on energy consumption is given. This is then matched against the possibilities provided by energy harvesting in an industrial environment in order to evaluate the feasibility of fully autonomous devices. Experimental results from the deployment of energy harvesting methods in a simulated process as well as results from an integrated autonomous temperature transmitter are given.

On the Energy Problem of Wireless Applications in Industrial Automation

Abstract With the standardization of communication done, reliable power sources are the main challenge faced by wireless system in industrial automation. While primary cells are suitable power sources, they still require maintenance after several years which increases the total cost of a wireless network. In this paper we analyze the state of the art with primary cells and the standard electronics and show possible approaches to increase the service life of wireless industrial devices.