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Self-powered sensors for industry 4.0

Author: Markus Kreitmair, Innovation Manager R&D, EnOcean GmbH
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Energy efficiency is enormously important to manufacturing companies. To optimize the energy consumption of production equipment, manufacturers have to record and analyze all relevant consumption data.

As part of the ESIMA research project, EnOcean joined forces with project partners from science and industry to develop solutions for optimizing resource efficiency in production through “Self-powered sensors in interaction with mobile users” (ESIMA). The sensors developed during the project are an important building block for energy management in Industry 4.0 factories.

Optimized resource efficiency in production

A key component of the project was to develop self-powered sensors that can be easily mounted on the machines without changing the plant structure and which record all relevant consumption data during the production process. This data includes, for example, the electrical energy consumption (current, voltage, power) as well as the consumption of compressed air (pressure, flow rate). The wireless sensor systems can also record relevant environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity and CO2 content. The measured values are subsequently preprocessed and transmitted wirelessly to a base station. Once obtained, this data is visualized with a web application developed in the project and can also be viewed on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

As part of the research project, EnOcean developed a new generation of 2.4 GHz wireless modules for self-powered applications. The wireless modules can be used universally for sensors and switching applications in industrial and building automation systems. Due to their very low power consumption, the wireless modules can be operated under their own power from a solar cell or electromechanical generators. Eliminating the batteries and cables makes the system highly flexible for a wide range of applications in the area of Industry 4.0 sensors.

EnOcean Self-powered sensors for industry 4.0

EnOcean ESIMA 2.4 GHz transceiver modules for gateways and self-powered sensors

Project partners from science and industry

The development results obtained by the following project partners were incorporated into the ESIMA demonstrator:

  • VARTA Microbattery
  • Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft
  • EnOcean GmbH
  • Helmut-Schmidt-University (EMT)
  • C4C Engineering GmbH
  • TU Braunschweig (Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology)
  • Daimler AG (truck engines)

The joint project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and research (BMBF) as part of the IKT 2020 research program in the field of “Self-powered mobility – reliable self-powered systems for mobile people.”

www.esima-projekt.de 

About Perpetuum

Perpetuum is EnOcean's customer magazine focusing on solutions and products for energy harvesting technology. The technology delivers the data for the Internet of Things in a resource-saving, self-powered and maintenance-free way. In doing so, it enables the smart use of buildings, cities and industrial plants. In the categories Internet of Things, Smart Building, Smart Lighting and Smart Home the EnOcean's partners in particular have their say highlighting their expertise.

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