Energy Harvester Perpetually Powers Wireless Sensors

SUCCESSFUL FIELD TRIAL
Shell conducted a 12-month condition-monitoring field trial of this energy-harvesting system in the harsh environment of its Norwegian Nyhamna gas plant. Six motors were monitored, and the trial was a complete success—no failures occurred with the PMG17 or power-conditioning circuitry.

As stated in “Successful trial of wireless monitoring at Nyhamna gas plant” in the January 2008 special edition of Technology: Shell EPE Technology Learning Publication: “The system means that much greater numbers of monitoring points—many in hazardous areas—can be regularly monitored and so help the plant maintenance engineers identify potential system breakdowns in advance.”

In the same article, Sicco Dwars, Shell Global Solutions R&D Engineer, says, “A self-generating power supply is important because batteries have a limited life, particularly when they are required to work outdoors, with temperatures spanning from tropical to arctic conditions.”

To summarize, combining the PMG17 energy harvester and power-conditioning circuit with a CAP-XX supercapacitor has proven to be an ideal solution to power remote sensors where vibration energy from machinery rotating at ac line frequencies is available (Fig. 7).

For more about supercapacitors, see “Ultracapacitors Branch Out Into Wider Markets” by Components Editor Mat Dirjish at www.electronicdesign.com, ED Online 20034.