Energy Harvesting Techniques for Monitoring Devices in Smart Grid Application

Abstract

Energy harvesting is a process of capturing, storing and conditioning ambient and residual energies for future use. The amount of residual energy captured is very small and can be used for low power load such as wireless sensor nodes. Wireless sensor nodes are used to monitor physical parameters at diverse locations. They find extensive applications in military, health care industries, environmental monitoring and smart grids. One of the major constraints of Wireless sensor node is battery lifetime as battery gets depleted over a period of time. Energy harvesting techniques can be used to overcome this constraint and has the ability to make wireless sensor node self sustainable. This paper provides an overview of energy harvesting techniques used for wireless sensor nodes in smart grid application.

Energy Harvesting Methods for Transmission Lines: A Comprehensive Review

“…− WSNs must support hybrid EH configurations to extend communication frequency and range as well as onboard features. This area requires more research and development [124]. − Batteryless systems require a true self-starting operation; that is, to start their operation from any amount of ambient power without needing any special arrangement [124].…”

“…This area requires more research and development [124]. − Batteryless systems require a true self-starting operation; that is, to start their operation from any amount of ambient power without needing any special arrangement [124].…”

“…− Efficiency and integration are key points for a widespread application of WSNs, specifically batteryless, so the harvesters, interface circuits, and sensors could be integrated into the same package and even into the same semiconductor component. These advances could lead to dramatic reductions in the size and costs of WSNs [124]. − The use of improved materials with higher efficiency, such as better materials for solar cells, thermoelectric generators, piezoelectric cantilevers, magnetic components, or capacitors with loess leakage [124].…”

“…These advances could lead to dramatic reductions in the size and costs of WSNs [124]. − The use of improved materials with higher efficiency, such as better materials for solar cells, thermoelectric generators, piezoelectric cantilevers, magnetic components, or capacitors with loess leakage [124]. − The minimum voltage and power levels at which the system can harvest energy must be reduced to the minimum levels possible to extract all available energy [24].…”