KR20120029901A - Power supply apparatus for smart sensor-node using energy harvesting - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A power supply device of a smart sensor node using energy harvesting is provided to maximize generation efficiency by minimizing air resistance to increase rotation efficiency of a rotator. CONSTITUTION: A sensor node(10) collects data and transmits collected data. A secondary battery(20) is embedded in the sensor node. An energy harvesting module(40) generates power from wind, water, and vibration energy. A charging module(30) receives power from the energy harvesting module and a photovoltaic power generation module. The charging module supplies the charged power to the secondary battery of the sensor node.

Description

Power supply apparatus for smart sensor-node using energy harvesting}

The present invention uses energy harvesting technology to accumulate energy from the power supply, and then supplies power semi-permanently to the sensor node which is an essential part of the Zigbee network system, thereby providing power supply problems in the existing Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN) environment. The present invention relates to a power supply device of a smart sensor node using energy harvesting that can supplement the sensor and supply power more efficiently, thereby extending the life cycle of the sensor node and increasing the reliability of the sensor data.

In general, in the USN system, the sensor node is operated with low power, and its power supply method is usually composed of a built-in battery type. Since the battery type is not permanent, the battery power becomes weak as the service life becomes longer. As a result, data transfer is affected, including sensing of sensor nodes.

In addition, since maintenance of the sensor node may be difficult to replace the battery periodically depending on the installation location of the sensor node, a method for supplying power to the sensor node using conventional solar light has been proposed.

However, although the sensor node can be charged with general solar light, the power supply method using the solar light is limited due to environmental conditions such as weather conditions, and thus the installation environment is limited.

Therefore, the present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, it is eco-friendly by incorporating environmentally friendly energy harvesting (Energy Harvesting) technology, the sensor node semi-permanently through continuous power supply without being restricted by the installation environment Its purpose is to provide a smart sensor node power supply using energy harvesting that can operate.

The power supply device of the smart sensor node using the energy harvesting according to the present invention for achieving the above object, a sensor node constituting a Zigbee network and a secondary battery; An energy harvesting module for producing power from wind, hydro and vibration energy; And a charging module configured to receive and store power generated from the energy harvesting module and the solar power generation module, and to supply power to the secondary battery of the sensor node.

As an example, the energy harvesting module may include a wind power generation unit for generating power using wind power, a hydro power generation unit for generating power using hydropower, and a piezoelectric power generation unit for generating power by vibration of a piezoelectric element; It is characterized in that it comprises an energy collection unit for collecting the power generated from the wind power generation unit, hydroelectric generation unit and piezoelectric power generation unit and delivers it to the charging module.

As an example, the wind turbine is a fixed portion and a cylindrical shape fixed to the ground coupled to the upper portion of the fixed portion and the rotating unit is configured to be rotated by the wind and the power generating means for receiving the rotation force from the rotating unit Including, the rotating part, the main body is rotated from the fixing portion and a predetermined space therein and the upper portion is opened, coupled to the outer surface of the main body in a vertical direction and fixed to rotate the main body according to the wind direction A fixed blade and a rotating shaft installed to rotate in the center of the space of the main body, radially coupled to form a right angle with the rotating axis along the outer surface of the rotating shaft, one end extending to the outside of the main body, and each rotating from the outer surface of the rotating shaft. A plurality of connecting frames and rotating blades coupled to one end of each connecting frame Rotating means is configured, and the first stick coupled to the respective connection frame in a vertical or horizontal direction at the inside of the main body and orthogonal to the first stick and coupled to each connection frame to have a predetermined separation distance Rotation stick consisting of a second stick, and the first rail and the second stick is formed to the inner accompaniment of the inner surface of the main body in order to rotate the first stick to maintain the rotary blade vertically In order to maintain the rotary blade to the horizontal to start from one side of the first rail to the other side formed of a direction change rail consisting of a second rail disposed inside the first rail, and the outer side of the main body A connecting press which is formed to protrude along the upper outer surface of the main body so that the roller and the roller are in contact with one portion of each connecting frame is rotated It is characterized by including a guide rail for maintaining an arbitrary level.

By the above configuration, the power supply device of the smart sensor node using the energy harvesting of the present invention is eco-friendly by incorporating environmentally friendly energy harvesting technology and provides continuous power supply without being restricted by the installation environment. Through the use of semi-permanent sensor nodes, it has the advantage of extending the life cycle of sensor nodes and increasing the reliability of sensor data.

In addition, the wind power generation unit of the present invention is capable of adjusting the direction of the rotating unit according to the wind direction, so that the wind is effectively operated, the rotary blades rotated by the wind is automatically switched vertically at the point where the wind blows, horizontally at the opposite point. Accordingly, there is an advantage that the air resistance can be minimized to improve the rotational efficiency of the rotating body and, as a result, to maximize the power generation efficiency.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power supply device for a smart sensor node using the energy harvesting of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the energy harvesting module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of a sensor node.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a wind power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a plan view of FIG. 4.
Figure 6a is a view for explaining the operating state of the wind turbine generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6b is a cross-sectional view showing a turning rail of the wind power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an installation example of a piezoelectric power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Like parts are designated with like reference numerals throughout the specification.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power supply device for a smart sensor node using the energy harvesting of the present invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an energy harvesting module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of a sensor node. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a wind power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a plan view of FIG.

And, Figure 6a is a view for explaining the operating state of the wind power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6b is a cross-sectional view showing a turning rail of the wind power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7a and 7B is a diagram illustrating an installation example of a piezoelectric power generation unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the installation environment by supplying power acquired using energy harvesting technology to the sensor node 10 for configuring the Zigbee network of the USN system, and the sensor node 10 can be operated semi-permanently. The present invention relates to a power supply device of a smart sensor node using energy harvesting.

The smart sensor node power supply using energy harvesting according to the present invention, the sensor node 10, the secondary battery 20 is built, as shown in Figure 1, and the energy for acquiring power from the surrounding environment Harvesting module 40 and charging module 30.

The sensor node 10 is for collecting information and transmitting collected data, and may be referred to as an essential component for building in a USN system. The sensor node 10 has a built-in battery so that power is supplied, but according to the present invention, the secondary battery 20 is embedded to enable a semi-permanent power supply. At this time, the type of the secondary battery 20 is not limited.

The energy harvesting module 40 uses energy harvesting technology. Unlike the existing energy supplying system, the energy harvesting module 40 is a micro-energy source that can be used in the surrounding environment or the waste heat and the human body of the energy supplying system. Produce energy by using kinetic energy. That is, the energy harvesting module 40 can maximize energy efficiency by acquiring energy from the surrounding environment, and the sensor node receives power generated through the energy harvesting module 40 through the charging module 30. By supplying the secondary battery 20 of FIG. 10, the sensor node 10 can be operated semi-permanently.

Here, the energy harvesting module 40 may obtain a power source from various energy sources in the surrounding environment. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy harvesting module 40 produces power from wind power, hydropower, and vibration energy.

Specifically, the energy harvesting module 40 includes a wind power generation unit 41 for generating power using wind power, a hydro power generation unit 42 for generating power using hydraulic power, and as shown in FIG. A piezoelectric power generation unit 43 for generating power by vibration of a piezoelectric element and the power generated from the wind power generation unit 41, the hydro power generation unit 42 and the piezoelectric power generation unit 43 are collected and the charging module ( And an energy harvester 44 for delivering to 30.

The wind power generation unit 41 is coupled to the upper portion of the fixed portion (41-1), the fixed portion (41-1) and the rotating portion (41-2) configured to be rotated by the wind power and the rotating portion (41-2) It is configured to include a power generation means (41-3) to receive the rotational force from the power to produce a power, preferably the direction of rotation of the rotating body according to the wind direction and the rotary blade 433 is automatically switched to vertical or horizontal By minimizing the air resistance is to improve the rotational efficiency of the rotor and consequently configured to maximize the power generation efficiency.

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6B, the wind power generation unit 41 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. The fixing unit 41-1 is fixed to the ground and is rotatably coupled to an upper portion thereof. The rotating part 41-2 is supported. In addition, the fixing unit 41-1 may include a power generation unit 41-3 that is generated by using the rotational force transmitted from the rotating unit 41-2.

Wherein the power generation means (41-3) is generated by receiving the rotational force from the rotating portion (41-2) coupled to the upper portion of the fixing portion (41-1), the power generation structure and power generation method, etc. according to the known technology As can be variously implemented, a detailed description of the power generation means (41-3) will be omitted in the present invention.

The rotating part 41-2 is a main body 410 constituting the outer surface and the fixed blade 420 coupled to the outer surface of the main body 410 and the rotating means 430 is installed to be rotatable from the upper portion of the main body 410. ) And a roller 460 and a guide rail 470 for stably rotating the rotating means 430 on the upper portion of the main body 410.

First, the main body 410 is coupled to the upper portion of the fixing portion (41-1), it is installed to be rotatable from the fixing portion (41-1). For example, the lower shaft of the main body 410 may be coupled to the upper shaft of the fixing part 41-1 in a bearing structure, and the outer side of the main body 410 may have a longitudinal direction of the main body 410. As the fixed blade 420 is coupled in a vertical direction from the main body 410 is rotated to correspond to the wind direction to fix the position. That is, the fixed blade 420 moves the main body 410 in the opposite direction of the wind blowing in the direction of the wind blowing, and maintains the position of the main body 410 in the opposite direction of the wind blowing the main body ( 410 is fixed. At this time, the position of the main body 410 is determined by the fixed blade 420 may be changed according to the wind direction is natural.

In addition, the main body 410 is configured to have an outer diameter relatively larger than the outer diameter of the fixing portion 41-1 in a cylindrical shape as shown in Figure 4 so as to surround the upper portion of the fixing portion 41-1 Is configured to protect the upper space 411 of the fixing portion (41-1) from rain water. In addition, a predetermined space 411 is provided inside the main body 410, and the rotation means 430 is installed in the space 411, and an upper surface thereof is configured to be open, so that the interior space 411 is exposed. have.

The rotation means 430 is coupled to the rotary shaft 431 installed in the center of the main body 410 and a plurality of connection frames 432 and radially coupled to the rotary shaft 431 and one end of each connection frame 432 It consists of a rotary blade 433.

Specifically, the rotating shaft 431 is installed in the center of the space 411 of the main body 410, a part of which is exposed to the upper side of the main body 410, and configured to be rotated separately from the main body 410 It is. The rotary shaft 431 is rotated by the connecting frame 432 and the rotary blade 433 to be described later to substantially provide a rotational force to the power generating means (41-3) is the power generation is made, preferably the rotary shaft The power generation means 41-3 is coupled to the lower side of the 431 to act as the rotation shaft 431 to generate power.

The connecting frame 432 is composed of a plurality of radially coupled along the outer surface of the rotating shaft 431, is to form a right angle with the rotating shaft 431 and one end is extended to the outside of the main body 410. . At this time, the other end of each of the connection frame 432 is configured to be rotatable by being coupled to the outer surface of the rotary shaft 431 in a bearing structure.

The rotary blade 433 is coupled to one end of the connecting frame 432 extending to the outside of the main body 410.

Here, the rotary blade 433 is configured in a flat plate shape as shown in Figure 4 to 6a to act on the wind power. In addition, the rotary blade 433 may be manufactured in a light weight so as to improve the rotational efficiency, for example, may be composed of a thin metal plate or synthetic resin material.

In particular, the rotary blade 433 coupled to the connection frame 432 is to rotate the rotary shaft 431 by the wind, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotary shaft regardless of the wind blowing direction A bent portion 434 is formed in which both ends of one side and the other side of the flat plate are bent inward to rotate the 431 efficiently. In addition, since the connecting frame 432 can be rotated separately from the rotating shaft 431, the plate of the rotary blade 433 is configured to be able to switch the angle from the rotating shaft 431 in the vertical or horizontal direction.

As described above, the rotary blade 433 may be switched in the vertical or horizontal direction from the rotary shaft 431. The rotary blade according to the wind direction by the direction change stick 440 and the direction change rail 450 to be described below. The angle of 433 can be reversed and maintained at that angle.

In detail, as illustrated in the plan view of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6A, the direction change sticks 440 may be coupled to the connection frame 432 in a vertical or horizontal direction at one portion inside the main body 410. The first stick 441 and the second stick 442 is orthogonal to the first stick 441 and coupled to each connection frame 432 to have a predetermined separation distance.

In addition, the turning rail 450 rotates the first stick 441 to rotate the rotary blade 433 in the vertical direction, and the accompaniment of the inner surface of the main body 410 is maintained so that the rotated angle is maintained. Rotating the first rail 451 and the second stick 442 is formed so as to contact the first stick 441 when the connecting frame 432 coupled to the rotating shaft 431 is rotated to the Rotating the rotary blade 433 in the horizontal direction and the other end of the first rail 451 from one side where the first rail 451 starts in the space 411 of the main body 410 to maintain the rotated angle The second rail 452 is formed to the side and is disposed inward from the first rail 451 to be in contact with the second stick 442.

In this case, both ends of the first rail 451 and the second rail 452 are formed to be inclined downward by a predetermined angle as shown in FIG. 5B, so that the first stick 441 and the second stick 442 may be inclined. It is reasonable to ensure a stable turn.

Looking at the operating state of the wind power generator 41 according to the present invention with reference to Figure 5a, first, the main body 410 is the upper portion of the fixing portion (41-1) in accordance with the wind blowing direction by the fixed blade (420) In the stop position according to the wind direction, that is, rotated to the opposite direction from which the wind blows to maintain its position.

At the same time, as the wind power acts on the rotary blade 433, the rotary shaft 433 and the rotating shaft 431 to which the connection frame 432 is coupled are rotated. As the first stick 441 of the connection frame 432 comes into contact with the first rail 451 formed on the inner surface of the main body 410, the switch is made in the vertical direction and the vertical direction is reached until the end of the first rail 451. Will be maintained.

In addition, the rotating shaft 431 is rotated to the opposite side of the wind by the rotary blade 433 and the connecting frame 432, at this point the second stick 442 of the connection frame 432 is the first While contacting the second rail 452 located inside the first rail 451, the corresponding rotary blade 433 is made to switch to the horizontal direction to maintain the horizontal direction to the end point of the second rail 452 do.

Each of the rotary blades 433 is continuously maintained in the vertical direction at the point where the wind is blown by the above operating state, and by maintaining the horizontal direction at the opposite point to minimize the air resistance to improve the rotational efficiency will be.

Here, the number of the connecting frame 432 radially coupled to the rotary shaft 431 and the number of rotary wings 433 coupled to one end is shown as four in Figures 4 to 6a, the present invention is the connecting frame ( 432 and the number of the rotary blades 433 is not limited, but may be selectively increased in consideration of the power production according to the size of the wind turbine 41, the increased connection frame 432 and the rotary blades ( Of course, the operating state of 433) can be made the same as described above.

On the other hand, the wind power generator 41 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in order to rotate the rotating shaft 431 on the main body 410 while maintaining the horizontal of the connecting frame 432 is rotated, the main body ( A guide rail 470 is formed on the upper portion 410, and each of the connection frames 432 has a roller 460 in contact with the guide rail 470. Specifically, the roller 460 is coupled to a portion of each connection frame 432 on the outside of the main body 410, as shown in Figure 4, the guide rail 470 is the roller 460 It protrudes along the upper outer surface of the main body 410 to contact.

As described above, the wind power generator 41 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is capable of adjusting the direction of the rotary part 41-2 according to the wind direction so that the wind power is effectively operated, and the rotary blade 433 rotated by the wind power. ) Is automatically switched vertically at the point where the wind blows, and horizontally at the opposite point, thereby minimizing air resistance, thereby improving rotational efficiency of the rotating body and consequently maximizing power generation efficiency.

On the other hand, the piezoelectric power generation unit 43 is composed of at least one piezoelectric element to produce power through energy generated by vibration.

The piezoelectric element is a means for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, that is, causing a piezoelectric phenomenon, and various piezoelectric materials including inorganic and organic materials, for example, piezoelectric ceramics such as Pb (Zr, Ti) O _3. It includes a piezoelectric thin film manufactured by, and outputs the voltage generated by the vibration.

The piezoelectric power generation unit 43 may be installed in an environment in which vibration may be generated. For example, the piezoelectric power generation unit 43 may be installed in a road lane, an outer periphery of a lane, or a road periphery to generate vibrations according to the driving of the vehicle and thus use it as an energy source. Can be. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any vibration generated in the surrounding environment, or vibration generated by human motion such as typing, breathing, and walking may be utilized.

For example, the piezoelectric power generation unit 43 is installed on the ground as shown in FIG. 7A and configured to produce power from vibration energy from the ground, shock and wind energy from the wind, or as shown in 7B. As installed in the water can be configured to produce power by vibration energy caused by tidal current.

That is, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the piezoelectric power generation unit 43 may be mounted on the support 431 and the support 431 mounted in the vertical direction so as to generate vibration from the ground or the tidal current. The piezoelectric plate 432 is comprised.

The piezoelectric plate 432 has a plate shape to produce power from vibration energy generated by embedding the piezoelectric element described above. When the sensor node 10 is installed on the ground, the piezoelectric plate 432 is installed such that the plate surface of the piezoelectric plate 432 is horizontal to the ground and flows up and down, and the sensor node 10 is underwater. When installed in the plate surface of the piezoelectric plate 432 is preferably installed perpendicular to the water surface so that vibration may occur in the piezoelectric plate 432 by the tidal current.

As described above, the piezoelectric generator 43 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to produce power due to a complex element of the surrounding environment.

The energy collector 44 receives the voltages output from the wind power generator 41, the hydro power generator 42, and the piezoelectric power generator 43 as described above, collects them, and collects the charged modules 30. To pass.

Accordingly, the energy collector 44 may include a rectifier for rectifying the voltage collected from the wind power generator 41, the hydro power generator 42, and the piezoelectric generator 43, and a power storage unit for storing the rectified voltage. It is configured to include.

The rectifier may be provided with a rectifier as a means for converting an alternating current (AC) voltage into a direct current (DC) voltage according to the voltage produced. For example, it may be composed of a bridge type rectifier consisting of four diodes. In addition, it may include a stability circuit composed of electronic elements, such as resistors, inductors, and diodes for the purpose of stability, each of the elements it is desirable to have the highest efficiency so as to minimize the loss of the amount of charge charged in the power storage unit Do.

The power storage unit includes a rechargeable battery or a capacitor such that the voltage delivered from the rectifying unit can be charged. In the case of a capacitor, the capacity may be determined by the amount of charge collected by the energy collector 44.

On the other hand, the charging module 30 is electrically connected to the sensor node 10 to substantially transfer the power generated from the energy harvesting module 40 to the secondary battery 20 of the sensor node 10. Will be supplied.

That is, the charging module 30 receives the power generated from the energy harvesting module 40 and accumulates it, and supplies power to the secondary battery 20 of the sensor node 10. By allowing the battery 20 to be always charged, the sensor node 10 can be operated semi-permanently. In this case, it is obvious that the charging module 30 may include a DC-DC converter or a DC-AC inverter as necessary so that the sensor node 10 may supply power corresponding thereto according to the input power required by the sensor node 10.

3, the secondary battery 20 of the sensor node 10 by the power supply device according to the present invention even in an environment where the sensor node is installed in the water (A) is difficult to replace the battery. Since it can be charged in the operation of the sensor node 10 can be used without maintenance.

As such, the power supply device of the smart sensor node using energy harvesting according to the present invention is not restricted by the environment, and allows the sensor node to be operated semi-permanently, thereby extending the life cycle of the sensor node and increasing the reliability of the sensor data. Will be.

As described above, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed through the detailed description and the drawings. The terms are used only for the purpose of describing the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention as defined in the meaning or claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible from this. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

10: sensor node 20: secondary battery
30: charging module 40: energy harvesting module
41: wind power generation unit 42: hydro power generation unit
43: piezoelectric power generation unit 44: energy collection unit

Claims (3)

A sensor node constituting a Zigbee network and including a secondary battery;
An energy harvesting module for producing power from wind, hydro and vibration energy; And
Smart power using energy harvesting comprising a; charging module for receiving the power generated from the energy harvesting module and the solar power module and accumulate it, and supplying power to the secondary battery of the sensor node; Sensor node power supply.
The method of claim 1,
The energy harvesting module,
Wind power generation unit that uses the wind to produce power
Hydroelectric power generation unit that produces power by using hydropower
Piezoelectric power generation unit for producing power by vibration of the piezoelectric element and
The power supply of the smart sensor node using energy harvesting, characterized in that it comprises an energy collection unit for collecting the power generated from the wind turbine, hydroelectric generator and piezoelectric generator and transfers it to the charging module.
The method of claim 2,
The wind power generation unit,
It includes a rotating part fixed to the ground and the cylindrical portion is coupled to the upper portion of the fixing portion and is configured to rotate by the wind and the power generation means for receiving the rotational force from the rotating portion,
The rotating part is rotated from the fixing part, a predetermined space therein is provided with a main body that is open at the top, and a fixed wing coupled to the outer surface of the main body in a vertical direction and fixed by rotating the main body in accordance with the wind direction And a rotating shaft installed to be rotated in the center of the space of the main body, radially coupled to form a right angle with the rotating shaft along the outer surface of the rotating shaft, and having one end extending to the outside of the main body and being rotated from the outer surface of the rotating shaft, respectively. Rotating means consisting of a plurality of connecting frames and rotary blades coupled to one end of each connecting frame, the first stick and the first stick coupled to the respective connection frame in a vertical or horizontal direction at the inside of the main body; And a second stick orthogonal to and coupled to the respective connecting frames to have a predetermined separation distance. In order to maintain the rotary blade vertically by rotating the direction stick and the first stick, the accompaniment of the inner surface of the main body and the first rail and the second stick is formed so as to rotate the rotary blade horizontally Starting direction from one side of the first rail to the other side is formed to maintain a second direction rail consisting of a second rail disposed on the inner side than the first rail, and one of the connecting frame from the outside of the main body Smart sensor node using an energy harvesting, characterized in that it comprises a roller coupled to the portion and the guide rail for protruding formed along the upper outer surface of the main body so as to contact the roller to maintain the horizontal of the connecting frame is rotated Power supply.

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