Dr. Kai König, Dr. Marco Ulrich, ABB AG, Corporate Research Center Germany,
Hannover Messe 2011, Forum Innovations for Industry, 07.04.2011
Vibration Energy Harvesting
for Process Industry Applications
Energy harvesting
Industrial and ambient sources
Solar radiation
Vibration
Flow
Heat
www.micropelt.de
© ABB Group
April 13, 2011 | Slide 2
www.hsg-imit.de
Energy Harvesting Powered Sensors
Autonomous (thermoelectric) Temperature Transmitter
°C
© ABB Group
April 13, 2011 | Slide 6
Energy source
l/s
Buffer(s)
Power
Pa
Management
°C
© ABB Group
April 13, 2011 | Slide 7
Devices & Sensors
Vision: Modular Energy Harvesting System
Pick and combine wireless devices & harvesters
Research Strategy
Process Vibrations
Vibration Harvester
Vibrations Study
Market Study
VEH Requirements
Harvester Test (Lab)
Use Cases
System Test (Lab)
Harvester Tests in Sample Process Environment
Low Power
Devices
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 8
System Tests in the Real World
Power
Management
Research Strategy
Process Vibrations
Vibration Harvester
Vibrations Study
Market Study
VEH Requirements
Harvester Test (Lab)
Use Cases
System Test (Lab)
Harvester Tests in Sample Process Environment
Low Power
Devices
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 9
System Tests in the Real World
Power
Management
Vibration Studies
Our Sample Process Environment
2 tanks, one with precision
balance
3 pumps, frequency-controlled
drives:
37 kW, 1500 .. 3000 RPM
11 kW, 1500 .. 3000 RPM
4 kW, 1200 .. 2800 RPM
Temperature control (5 .. 80° C)
Measurement track or bypass
Pressure, flow and temperature
sensors
Flows of [0.1 .. 30 l/s]
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 10
Challenges
Harvester Location
Integrated in / near the sensor ?
at the vibration source?
Small or high-quality motors
weak vibration
Frequency-controlled drives
low speed
weak vibration
high speed
strong vibration
spectrum shift
Dependence of vibration spectrum on:
Flow configurations and valve positions
Exact mechanical structure
Medium, pressure, temperature
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 11
Vibration Studies in Sample Process Environment
On a Sensor in the Process
© ABB Group
Feb 16th, 2011
| Slide 13
Research Strategy
Process Vibrations
Vibration Harvester
Vibrations Study
Market Study
VEH Requirements
Harvester Test (Lab)
Use Cases
System Test (Lab)
Harvester Tests in Sample Process Environment
Low Power
Devices
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 16
System Tests in the Real World
Power
Management
Harvester Tests in the Lab
Energy Harvester & Power Management
50 Hz vibration
harvester on shaker
at 50 Hz
charging a 0.4 mAh
thin film battery
(4.1V nominal voltage)
via battery management
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 17
Research Strategy
Process Vibrations
Vibration Harvester
Vibrations Study
Market Study
VEH Requirements
Harvester Test (Lab)
Use Cases
System Test (Lab)
Harvester Tests in Sample Process Environment
Low Power
Devices
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 18
System Tests in the Real World
Power
Management
Harvester Tests in a Process Environment
Harvester Mounting Locations
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 19
Research Strategy
Process Vibrations
Vibration Harvester
Vibrations Study
Market Study
VEH Requirements
Harvester Test (Lab)
Use Cases
System Test (Lab)
Harvester Tests in Sample Process Environment
Low Power
Devices
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 21
System Tests in the Real World
Power
Management
Conclusions
Example Application Scenario 1
RPM [x 100]
[mWs]
Wstored,
1mW [mWs]
P [mW]
Wstored,
4mW [mWs]
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 22
t [s]
Conclusions
Vibration Harvesting on Frequency Controlled Motors
Vibration Energy Harvesting delivers sufficient energy to
power autonomous devices (up to 25 mW) in resonance
Suitable for fixed-freq
No output off resonance frequency
Limited use if frequency is variable
Difficult with frequency-controlled motors
Power management required
Energy buffering
Sufficient time at high energy required
Low power sensors
Strongly dependent on the use case
© ABB Group
Apr 07 2011 | Slide 24
Energy source
l/s
Buffer(s)
Power
Pa
Management
°C
© ABB Group
April 13, 2011 | Slide 25
Devices & Sensors
Vision: Modular Energy Harvesting System
Pick and combine wireless devices & harvesters