IIT-Mandi team gets patent for groundbreaking work on WSN

Mandi, March 7

In a breakthrough for the Internet of Things (IoT), researchers at IIT-Mandi have introduced a groundbreaking power management unit designed explicitly for directly cloud-enabled indoor wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes. These nodes, offering distinct advantages over low-power wireless communication technologies, often face challenges related to the consumption of higher peak current during data transmission, leading to battery capacity degradation and reduced lifespan.

The outcome of this work has been patented in the Indian Patent No. 499034, co-authored by Dr Satvasheel Ramesh Powar, associate professor, School of Engineering and Dr Tushar Jain, associate professor, School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, along with Mr Vikrant Duhan, research scholar at IIT-Mandi.

The proposed power management unit is a novel design specifically tailored for applications that necessitate frequent data transmission. A key feature of this innovative architecture is the implementation of battery-supercapacitor hybrid storage to increase battery life.

The power conditioning unit (PCU) ensures efficient energy routing, allowing the system to operate optimally under varying external conditions.

Speaking about it, Dr Powar said: “Our power management system is designed for wireless sensor nodes that are solar powered. It uses solar panels, batteries, and supercapacitors for power and has an MPPT controller. It optimises node energy distribution for performance and longevity. This power management system maximises solar panel efficiency and battery longevity and lowers network costs. It has multiple use in wireless sensor nodes used for environmental monitoring, agriculture, smart cities, disaster management, and industrial IoT”.

The hybrid storage system integrates a supercapacitor to alleviate the battery from frequently occurring peak current, a common factor in degradation. This pioneering approach ensures that battery charge and discharge are free from intermittent peaks, preventing the acceleration of capacity degradation and ultimately extending the cycle life.

Speaking about the patent, Dr Jain said, “In this patent, we have developed a hybrid technology to power the sensor node such that the battery life can be increased, where frequent data transmission is required. This product utilises a supercapacitor-battery hybrid storage scheme, which provides the required peak current during the data transmission, sufficient enough to fulfil the heavy load requirement. We introduced a novel drip charge controller that works in sync with the sleep period and the active period of the sensor node. The performance of the developed power management unit is successfully tested and validated experimentally for indoor and outdoor applications.”

He also said the controller, coupled with the supercapacitor, provides the necessary peak current during data transmission when power from photovoltaic (PV) sources is not available. Simulation and experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed design, showcasing its ability to prevent intermittent peaks and mitigate capacity degradation acceleration. This achievement is a significant stride towards optimising the efficiency and lifespan of direct cloud-enabled sensor nodes, making them more resilient and sustainable in real-world applications.

“At IIT Mandi, we plan to use this patented technology in various ongoing projects, namely agriculture automation, robotics and drones, etc. This technology shall be further developed,” he added.