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. 2018 Jul 27;18(8):2446.
doi: 10.3390/s18082446.

Energy Harvesting Sources, Storage Devices and System Topologies for Environmental Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review

Michal Prauzek  1 , Jaromir Konecny  2 , Monika Borova  3 , Karolina Janosova  4 , Jakub Hlavica  5 , Petr Musilek  6
Affiliations

Energy Harvesting Sources, Storage Devices and System Topologies for Environmental Wireless Sensor Networks: A Review

Michal Prauzek et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

The operational efficiency of remote environmental wireless sensor networks (EWSNs) has improved tremendously with the advent of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies over the past few years. EWSNs require elaborate device composition and advanced control to attain long-term operation with minimal maintenance. This article is focused on power supplies that provide energy to run the wireless sensor nodes in environmental applications. In this context, EWSNs have two distinct features that set them apart from monitoring systems in other application domains. They are often deployed in remote areas, preventing the use of mains power and precluding regular visits to exchange batteries. At the same time, their surroundings usually provide opportunities to harvest ambient energy and use it to (partially) power the sensor nodes. This review provides a comprehensive account of energy harvesting sources, energy storage devices, and corresponding topologies of energy harvesting systems, focusing on studies published within the last 10 years. Current trends and future directions in these areas are also covered.

Keywords: IoT; batteries; energy harvesting; energy storage; environmental monitoring; maintenance-free nodes; network topology; sensor network; solar power; supercapacitor; thermal power; wind power.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A monitored terrestrial ecosystem with its main processes and characteristics.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Illustration of the position of the solar disk for maximum efficiency, adapted from [15].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Current-Voltage (I-V) and Power-Voltage (P-V) characteristic curve of solar cells: (a) constant irradiance; (b) variable irradiance, adapted from [19].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Topologies of harvesting systems: (a) autonomous harvesting system; (b) autonomous hybrid harvesting system; (c) battery-supplemented harvesting system.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Flowchart of environmental wireless sensor network (EWSN) design process.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Research challenges: node level, communication and gateway level, and cloud level.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Node block diagram with highlighted research challenges: harvesting source and energy storage optimization, algorithms for processing and control unit.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Data handling in an uplink data channel.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Possibilities to control an EWSN node through a downlink data channel.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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