Autonomous Wind-Powered Sensor with Supercapacitor Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous home automation sensors for detecting meteorological phenomena are costly due to high energy storage requirements and complex threshold adjustment mechanisms, which increase the overall cost and complexity of installations.
Innovation Solution
A reduced-cost autonomous sensor that uses a wind-powered anemometer coupled with a microcontroller and supercapacitor to efficiently convert wind energy into electrical energy for signal transmission, allowing for threshold adjustment and communication without additional wiring, with a low-duty-cycle transmission protocol to minimize energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous sensors use high-capacity energy storage means to enable periodic communication of measurement results, then the reliability of communication is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy storage capacity parameter from high to low, using a small capacitor instead of high-capacity storage means. This is compensated by optimizing the transmission protocol to use extremely low power consumption, thereby maintaining communication reliability while significantly reducing manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic transmission only when measurement values exceed thresholds, rather than continuous or frequent periodic communication. This reduces the total energy consumption and allows the use of low-capacity energy storage while maintaining sufficient communication reliability for home automation control purposes.
2Ease of operation
If threshold adjustment means is located on the autonomous sensor to enable local adjustment, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical adjustment mechanisms (potentiometers, switches) with wireless electronic parameter transmission. The microcontroller stores threshold values and transmits them wirelessly to the control device, eliminating complex mechanical adjustment components while maintaining ease of operation through wireless reconfiguration.
3Speed
If the sensor transmits signals frequently to ensure real-time control, then the control responsiveness is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses event-driven periodic transmission where signals are sent only when measurement values exceed predefined thresholds, rather than continuous transmission. This maintains control responsiveness by ensuring timely notification of significant events while dramatically reducing overall energy consumption to levels compatible with low-capacity energy storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a low-duty-cycle transmission protocol that skips most transmission opportunities and only transmits when necessary. The microcontroller efficiently manages transmission timing to rush through critical data quickly when needed, then remains in low-power state, optimizing the balance between responsiveness and energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces manufacturing costs while enabling efficient communication and control of home automation devices by using a low-capacity energy storage system and a simple, low-power transmission protocol, facilitating remote threshold adjustments and reducing installation complexity.
Implementation Method 1
uses a wind-powered anemometer coupled with a microcontroller and supercapacitor to efficiently convert wind energy into electrical energy for signal transmission
Implementation Method 2
uses a wind-powered anemometer coupled with a microcontroller and supercapacitor to efficiently convert wind energy into electrical energy for signal transmission
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The sensor has a unit (20) to convert the speed of wind into an electrical voltage and a storage unit e.g. capacitor (8), for storing the electrical energy. A signal transmitter (9) transmits a signal when a microcontroller (21) measures an energy level greater than a given threshold. The microcontroller controls the emission of the signal at a pulse repetition frequency by the signal transmitter based on the intensity of the wind speed, towards a control device.