Shad Roundy

A study of low level vibrations as a power source for wireless sensor nodes

Advances in low power VLSI design, along with the potentially low duty cycle of wireless sensor nodes open up the possibility of powering small wireless computing devices from scavenged ambient power. A broad review of potential power scavenging technologies and conventional energy sources is first presented. Low-level vibrations occurring in common household and office environments as a potential power source are studied in depth. The goal of this paper is not to suggest that the conversion of vibrations is the best or most versatile method to scavenge ambient power, but to study its potential as a viable power source for applications where vibrations are present. Different conversion mechanisms are investigated and evaluated leading to specific optimized designs for both capacitive MicroElectroMechancial Systems (MEMS) and piezoelectric converters. Simulations show that the potential power density from piezoelectric conversion is significantly higher. Experiments using an off-the-shelf PZT piezoelectric bimorph verify the accuracy of the models for piezoelectric converters. A power density of 70 @mW/cm^3 has been demonstrated with the PZT bimorph. Simulations show that an optimized design would be capable of 250 @mW/cm^3 from a vibration source with an acceleration amplitude of 2.5 m/s^2 at 120 Hz.

PicoRadio supports ad hoc ultra-low power wireless networking

Technology advances have made it conceivable to build and deploy dense wireless networks of heterogeneous nodes collecting and disseminating wide ranges of environmental data. Applications of such sensor and monitoring networks include smart homes equipped with security, identification, and personalization systems; intelligent assembly systems; warehouse inventory control; interactive learning toys; and disaster mitigation. The opportunities emerging from this technology give rise to new definitions of distributed computing and the user interface. Crucial to the success of these ubiquitous networks is the availability of small, lightweight, low-cost network elements, which the authors call PicoNodes. The authors present a configurable architecture that enables these opportunities to be efficiently realized in silicon. They believe that this energy-conscious system design and implementation methodology will lead to radio nodes that are two orders of magnitude more efficient than existing solutions.

Anisotropic material properties of fused deposition modeling ABS

Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies provide the ability to fabricate initial prototypes from various model materials. Stratasys Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a typical RP process that can fabricate prototypes out of ABS plastic. To predict the mechanical behavior of FDM parts, it is critical to understand the material properties of the raw FDM process material, and the effect that FDM build parameters have on anisotropic material properties. This paper characterizes the properties of ABS parts fabricated by the FDM 1650. Using a Design of Experiment (DOE) approach, the process parameters of FDM, such as raster orientation, air gap, bead width, color, and model temperature were examined. Tensile strengths and compressive strengths of directionally fabricated specimens were measured and compared with injection molded FDM ABS P400 material. For the FDM parts made with a 0.003 inch overlap between roads, the typical tensile strength ranged between 65 and 72 percent of the strength of injection molded ABS P400. The compressive strength ranged from 80 to 90 percent of the injection molded FDM ABS. Several build rules for designing FDM parts were formulated based on experimental results.

Comparison of Methods

There are three methods typically used to convert mechanical motion to an electrical signal. They are: electromagnetic (inductive), electrostatic (capacitive), and piezoelectric. These three methods are all commonly used for inertial sensors as well as for actuators. Conversion of energy intended as a power source rather than a sensor signal will use the same methods, however, the design criteria are significantly different, and therefore the suitability of each method should be re-evaluated in terms of its potential for energy conversion on the meso and micro scale. This chapter will provide an initial, primarily qualitative, comparison of these three methods. The comparison will be used as a basis to identify the areas that merit further detailed analysis.

Power Sources for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks are poised to become a very significant enabling technology in many sectors. Already a few very low power wireless sensor platforms have entered the marketplace. Almost all of these platforms are designed to run on batteries that have a very limited lifetime. In order for wireless sensor networks to become a ubiquitous part of our environment, alternative power sources must be employed. This paper reviews many potential power sources for wireless sensor nodes. Well established power sources, such as batteries, are reviewed along with emerging technologies and currently untapped sources. Power sources are classified as energy reservoirs, power distribution methods, or power scavenging methods, which enable wireless nodes to be completely self-sustaining. Several sources capable of providing power on the order of 100 μW/cm3 for very long lifetimes are feasible. It is the authors’ opinion that no single power source will suffice for all applications, and that the choice of a power source needs to be considered on an application-by-application basis.

Micro-electrostatic vibration-to-electricity converters

Advances in low power VLSI design, along with the potentially low duty cycle of wireless sensor nodes open up the possibility of powering small wireless computing devices from scavenged ambient power. Low level vibrations occurring in typical household, office, and manufacturing environments are considered as a possible power source for wireless sensor nodes. This work focuses on the design of electrostatic vibration-to-electricity converters using MEMS fabrications technology. Detailed models of three different design concepts are developed. The three design concepts are evaluated and compared based on simulations and practical considerations. A formal optimization of the preferred design concept is performed, and a final design is produced using the optimal design parameters. Simulations of the optimized design show that an output power density of 116 µW/cm

Toward self-tuning adaptive vibration-based microgenerators

The rapidly decreasing size, cost, and power consumption of wireless sensors has opened up the relatively new research field of energy harvesting. Recent years have seen an increasing amount of research on using ambient vibrations as a power source. An important feature of all of these generators is that they depend on the resonance frequency of the generator device being matched with the frequency of the input vibrations. The goal of this paper, therefore, is to explore solutions to the problem of self-tuning vibration based energy harvesters. A distinction is made between “active” tuning actuators that must continuously supply power to achieve the resonance frequency change, and “passive” tuning actuators that supply power initially to tune the frequency, and then are able to “turn off” while maintaining the new resonance frequency. This paper analyzes the feasibility of tuning the resonance frequency of vibration based generators with “active” tuning actuators. Actuators that can tune the effective stiffness, mass, and damping are analyzed theoretically. Numerical results based for each type of actuator are presented. It is shown that only actuators that tune the effective damping will result in a net increase in power output, and only under the circumstance that no actuation power is needed to add damping. The net increase in power occurs when the mismatch between driving vibrations the mismatch between driving vibrations the resonance frequency of the device is more than 5%. Finally, the theory and numerical results are validated by experiments done on a piezoelectric generator with a smart material “active” tuning actuator.

Alternative Geometries for Increasing Power Density in Vibration Energy Scavenging for Wireless Sensor Networks

Vibration energy scavenging with piezoelectric material can currently generate up to 300 microwatts per cubic centimeter, making it a viable method of powering low-power electronics. Given the growing interest in small-scale devices, particularly wireless sensor networks, concerns over how to indefinitely power them have become extremely relevant. Current limiting factors in the field of piezoelectric vibration energy scavenging include: coupling coefficients, strain distribution, and frequency matching. This paper addresses each of these three factors with a novel design and a corresponding analysis of its performance. For example, the power output of a cantilevered rectangular piezoelectric beam is limited by its uneven strain distribution under load. A prototype scavenger using a harmonically matched trapezoidal geometry solves this problem by evening the strain distribution throughout the beam, increasing by 30% the output power per unit volume. Another design is created which softens the frequency response of the generator, relaxing the constraint of frequency matching. The paper concludes that each of the three challenges to vibration energy scavenging can be met through creativity in mechanism design, making higher power densities possible and broader applications more feasible.

Marvelous MEMs: Advanced IC sensors and microstructures for high volume applications

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are a foundation for a broad range of mechanical, chemical, optical, and biotech products (sensors, microstructures and actuators) fabricated as integrated circuits on (primarily) silicon wafers in a batch mode. Commercial MEMS products include pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, gyros, ink-jet nozzles, read-write head positioners in hard drives, and digital light processors (DLPs) in projectors and television sets. The first four decades of MEMS development created a US

Micro energy harvesting

8 billion market. During the next decade, the MEMS market is estimated to increase by US