Alternative Methods of Wireless Sensor Power via Novel Piezoelectric Fiber Composites Navy SBIR FY2005.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2005.2 Topic No.: N05-130 Topic Title: Alternative Methods of Wireless Sensor Power via Novel Piezoelectric Fiber Composites Proposal No.: N052-130-0627 Firm: Advanced Cerametrics, Inc. P.O. Box 128 245 North Main Street Lambertville, New Jersey 08530-0128 Contact: Farhad Mohammadi Phone: (609) 397-2900 Web Site: Advancedcerametrics.com Abstract: Currently, wireless sensors have been used in variety of applications such as real-time data sharing, surveillance, in-vivo medical devices, condition-based monitoring, etc. that can revolutionize industrial efficiency, health monitoring, and data processing. Maximizing the use of wireless sensors onboard Navy ships will reduce the cost of maintenance and manpower. A state-of-the-art destroyer such as the DD(X), with its cutting edge sensors requires the use of heavy and limited lifespan batteries. To power such sensors, an alternative energy source to produce 10-100 mW continuous power is required. This proposal addresses that need via a novel approach to generate power from ACI's piezoelectric composites. Batteries are heavy with a limited life span, limited temperature range, and often replacing batteries in hard-to-reach locations, makes the use and inspection of wireless sensors much more difficult and perhaps impractical. Installation of power cabling can be expensive and time consuming and the wires add weight to the system. Piezoelectric materials, if devised properly, can convert up to 70 % of the otherwise wasted mechanical energy into electrical energy. Moreover, such a technology provides a low operating cost with little or no maintenance, high reliability, lower weight, and an efficient and permanent source of energy. Benefits: The potential benefits are enormous. While energy harvesting will not solve the world's energy requirements, the explosive demand for sensors for everything from refrigerators to spacecraft has mushroomed with the increase in data processing capacity and speed. Condition monitoring sensors, detectors, accelerometers and other types of sensors are finding use in almost every facet of life. The fact that they will be self-powered and wireless makes them practical. Homeland Security applications, alone, are numerous. ACI has conceived of an idea where our flexible piezofiber composite transducers can be made with a green polymer and be made to look like grass. Small carpets of this `grass' could be dropped anywhere and use wind, rain and/or animal or human passage to generate the power to run a sensor/wireless transmitter for intrusion alert with no concern for battery replacement or power cabling. The wireless transponders in EZPass type toll road units have lithium batteries, which need to be replaced about every 3 years, causing a serious environmental problem of battery disposal. Self-powered wireless units powered by automobile vibrations could replace the batteries, with virtually no negative environmental impact. In summary, these two diverse applications demonstrate the breadth of possible uses for this innovation. Given the current state of ACI's technology and what is available either through corporate arrangements (e.g. Boeing) or commercially, ACI expects that the products will enter commercialization by the conclusion of Phase II. Return