We report on the vibration characteristics, and a piezoelectric generator for harvesting electrical energy to power wireless sensor nodes, inside railway tunnels. Extensive investigations have shown that the railway sleeper is favorable for placing a vibration harvester concerning vibration levels and mounting space.
A shock resistant double-side suspended piezoelectric harvester has been tested with true train vibrations. In average 260 μWs have been scavenged per train, which is sufficient energy for simple wireless communication. To avoid a deadlock of the sensor node, we have designed a new ultra low power interface circuit.
Source: Imperial College London
Author: M. Wischke | G. Biancuzzi | G. Fehrenbach | Y. Abbas | P. Woias
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