A compact energy harvesting system for outdoor wireless sensor nodes based on a low-cost in situ photovoltaic panel characterization-modelling unit

Antolín, Diego ; Medrano, Nicolás (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Calvo, Belén (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martínez, Pedro A. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: This paper presents a low-cost high-efficiency solar energy harvesting system to power outdoor wireless sensor nodes. It is based on a Voltage Open Circuit (VOC) algorithm that estimates the open-circuit voltage by means of a multilayer perceptron neural network model trained using local experimental characterization data, which are acquired through a novel low cost characterization system incorporated into the deployed node. Both units—characterization and modelling—are controlled by the same low-cost microcontroller, providing a complete solution which can be understood as a virtual pilot cell, with identical characteristics to those of the specific small solar cell installed on the sensor node, that besides allows an easy adaptation to changes in the actual environmental conditions, panel aging, etc. Experimental comparison to a classical pilot panel based VOC algorithm show better efficiency under the same tested conditions.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/s17081794

Año: 2017

Publicado en: Sensors 17, 8 (2017), [18 pp]
ISSN: 1424-8220

Factor impacto JCR: 2.475 (2017)

Categ. JCR: CHEMISTRY, ANALYTICAL rank: 30 / 78 = 0.385 (2017) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: INSTRUMENTS & INSTRUMENTATION rank: 16 / 61 = 0.262 (2017) - Q2 - T1
Categ. JCR: ELECTROCHEMISTRY rank: 15 / 28 = 0.536 (2017) - Q3 - T2

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.584 - Analytical Chemistry (Q2) - Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics (Q2) - Medicine (miscellaneous) (Q2) - Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Q2) - Instrumentation (Q2) - Biochemistry (Q3)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO-FEDER/TEC2015-65750-R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/UZ/JIUZ-2016-TEC-06

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Electrónica (Dpto. Ingeniería Electrón.Com.)