Energy harvester and wireless sensor device having energy harvester

• US 10,046,779 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Railroad Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Korea Railroad Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Jaehoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Paige, Tyler D
• Application Number:
  US15/430,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 701 314
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/00 Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0018 Communication with or on the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/04 Indicating or recording train identities
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/70 Details of trackside communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/00 Component parts of measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable G01D13/00, G01D15/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/02 using mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/08 Railway vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1892 Generators with parts oscillating or vibrating about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A wireless sensor device includes: an energy harvester configured to convert vibration generated from a broadband vibration source into electricity, an elastic member arranged to receive the vibration and a communication unit fixed by the elastic member, supplied with the converted electricity from the energy harvester, and configured to transmit sensing information obtained by sensing a measurement target. The elastic member operates as a mechanical filter configured to limit a frequency range and an acceleration magnitude of the vibration to be transferred to the communication unit for stabilizing the performance of the communication unit, and the communication unit is arranged to receive vibration passing through the elastic member.

Claims

1. A wireless sensor device comprising:

an energy harvester configured to convert vibration generated from a broadband vibration source into electricity;

an elastic member arranged to receive the vibration and connected to the energy harvester; and

a communication unit fixed by the elastic member, supplied with the converted electricity from the energy harvester, and configured to transmit sensing information obtained by sensing a measurement target,

wherein the elastic member operates as a mechanical filter configured to limit a frequency range and an acceleration magnitude of the vibration to be transferred to the communication unit for stabilizing the performance of the communication unit, and the communication unit is arranged to receive vibration passing through the elastic member.

2. The wireless sensor device of claim 1,

wherein the elastic member includes:

a spring having a natural frequency previously set depending on the specifications of the communication unit, and configured to limit the frequency range; and

an elastic mass arranged on the spring and configured to limit the acceleration magnitude,

wherein the natural frequency is previously set on the basis of a mass of the communication unit,

a mass of the elastic mass, and an intrinsic constant of the spring, and the frequency range is limited to make an average acceleration for each frequency of the vibration equal to or lower than a preset reference value.

3. The wireless sensor device of claim 2,

wherein the elastic member further includes a damper configured to limit displacement of the spring and the elastic mass.

4. The wireless sensor device of claim 2,

wherein the energy harvester converts the vibration into electricity by using a frequency at which an average acceleration for each frequency of the vibration is maximized.

5. An energy harvester configured to convert vibration into electricity, comprising:

a first elastic part configured to vibrate in response to vibration having a first vibration frequency as a center frequency;

a first mass part combined with the first elastic part;

a first magnetic body combined with the first mass part;

a second elastic part configured to vibrate in response to vibration having a second vibration frequency as a center frequency;

a second mass part combined with the second elastic part;

a second magnetic body combined with the second mass part;

a central shaft combined with the first elastic part, the second elastic part, the first mass part, the second mass part, the first magnetic body, and the second magnetic body; and

a coil part which is arranged along the central shaft and into which the first magnetic body or the second magnetic body is inserted in response to vibration of the first elastic part or the second elastic part, respectively.

6. The energy harvester of claim 5,

wherein the first elastic part, the second elastic part, the first mass part, the second mass part, the first magnetic body, and the second magnetic body are formed into a cylindrical shape including an opening through which the central shaft passes.

7. The energy harvester of claim 5,

wherein the first vibration frequency corresponds to a preset first speed or more, the second vibration frequency corresponds to a preset second speed or less, and the first speed has a higher speed value than the second speed.

8. The energy harvester of claim 5,

wherein the coil part includes:

a first groove formed along an inner peripheral surface of the first mass part;

a second groove formed along an inner peripheral surface of the second mass part; and

coils respectively wound on the first grove and the second groove.

9. The energy harvester of claim 5, further comprising:

a lower supporting plate installed and fixed to a vibration source, connected to the central shaft as being fixed thereto, and also formed to be separated from the second elastic part;

a lateral supporting plate connected to the lower supporting plate and formed to be separated from peripheral surfaces of the first mass part and the second mass part; and

an upper supporting plate connected to the central shaft as being fixed thereto, connected to the lateral supporting plate, and also formed to be separated from the first elastic part.

10. The energy harvester of claim 5, further comprising:

a third elastic part combined between the first mass part and the second mass part.

11. The energy harvester of claim 5,

wherein the first mass part is combined with an upper surface of the third elastic part and a lower part of the first elastic part, and the first magnetic body is combined with a partial surface of the first mass part facing an upper part of the coil part and inserted into the upper part of the coil part, and

the second mass part is combined with a lower surface of the third elastic part and an upper part of the second elastic part, and the second magnetic body is combined with a partial surface of the second mass part facing a lower part of the coil part and inserted into the lower part of the coil part.