• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2007

The energy efficiency of a self-powered wireless sensing system for pressure monitoring in injection molding is analyzed using Bond graph models. The sensing system, located within the mold cavity, consists of an energy converter, an energy modulator, and a ultrasonic signal transmitter. Pressure variation in the mold cavity is extracted by the energy converter and transmitted through the mold steel to a signal receiver located outside of the mold, in the form of ultrasound pulse trains. Through Bond graph models, the energy efficiency of the sensing system is characterized as a function of the configuration of a piezoceramic stack within the energy converter, the pulsing cycle of the energy modulator, and the thicknesses of the various layers that make up the ultrasonic signal transmitter. The obtained energy models are subsequently utilized to identify the minimum level of signal intensity required to ensure successful detection of the ultrasound pulse trains by the signal receiver. The Bond graph models established have shown to be useful in optimizing the design of the various constituent components within the sensing system to achieve high energy conversion efficiency under a compact size, which are critical to successful embedment within the mold structure.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.22-30
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• 2023

Innovative and advanced technologies, including robots, augmented reality, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and wearable medical equipment, have largely emerged as a result of the rapid evolution of modern society. For these applications, pressure monitoring is essential and pressure sensors have attracted considerable interest. To improve the sensor performance, several new designs of pressure sensors have been researched based on resistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, optical, and triboelectric types. In particular, optical pressure sensors have been actively studied owing to their advantages, such as robustness to noise and remote sensing capability. Herein, a review of recent research on optical pressure sensors with self-powered sensing, remote sensing, high spatial resolution, and multimodal sensing capabilities is presented from the viewpoints of design, fabrication, and signal processing.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.293-300
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• 2022

Flexible, wearable, and implantable electronic sensors have started to gain popularity in improving the quality of life of sick and healthy people, shifting the future paradigm with high sensitivity. However, conventional technologies with a limited lifespan occasionally limit their continued usage, resulting in a high cost. In addition, traditional battery technologies with a short lifespan frequently limit operation, resulting in a substantial challenge to their growth. Subsequently, utilizing human biomechanical energy is extensively preferred motion for biologically integrated, self-powered, functioning devices. Ideally suited for this purpose are piezoelectric energy harvesters. To convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, devices must be mechanically flexible and stretchable to implant or attach to the highly deformable tissues of the body. A systematic analysis of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) for personalized healthcare is provided in this article. This article briefly overviews PENGs as self-powered sensor devices for energy harvesting, sensing, physiological motion, and healthcare.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1625-1642
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• 2015

We propose an electrically self-reliant structural health monitoring (SHM) system that is able to wirelessly transmit sensing data using electrical power generated by vibration without the need for additional external power sources. The provision of reliable electricity to wireless SHM systems is a highly important issue that has often been ignored, and to expand the applicability of various wireless SHM innovations, it will be necessary to develop comprehensive wireless SHM devices including stable electricity sources. In light of this need, we propose a new, highly efficient vibration-powered generator based on a tuned-mass-damper (TMD) mechanism that is quite suitable for vibration-based SHM. The charging time of the TMD generator is shorter than that of conventional generators based on the impedance matching method, and the proposed TMD generator can harvest 16 times the amount of energy that a conventional generator can. The charging time of an SHM wireless transmitter is quantitatively formulated. We conduct wireless monitoring experiments to validate a wireless SHM system composed of a self-reliant SHM and a vibration-powered TMD generator.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.301-306
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• 2022

With the recent widespread implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) technology driven by Industry 4.0, self-powered sensors for wearable and implantable systems are increasingly gaining attention. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), which convert biomechanical energy into electrical energy, can be considered as efficient self-powered sensor platforms. These are energy harvesters that are used as low-power energy sources. However, they can also be used as sensors when an output signal is used to sense any mechanical stimuli. For sensors, collecting high-quality data is important. However, the accuracy of sensing for practical applications is equally important. This paper provides a brief review of the performance advanced by the materials and structures of the latest PENG/TENG-based wearable sensors and intelligent applications applied using artificial intelligence (AI)

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.378-393
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• 2022

As an emerging power generation technology, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received increasing attention due to their boundless promise in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications. The recent rise of soft robotics has sparked widespread enthusiasm for developing flexible and soft sensors and actuators. TENGs have been regarded as promising power sources for driving actuators and self-powered sensors, providing a unique approach for the development of soft robots with soft sensors and actuators. In this review, TENG-based soft robots with different morphologies and different functions are introduced. Among them, the design of biomimetic soft robots that imitate the structure, surface morphology, material properties, and sensing/generating mechanisms of nature has greatly benefited in improving the performance of TENGs. In addition, various bionic soft robots have been well improved compared to previous driving methods due to the simple structure, self-powering characteristics, and tunable output of TENGs. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive review of various studies within specific areas of TENG-enabled soft robotics applications. We first explore various recently developed TENG-based soft robots and a comparative analysis of various device structures, surface morphologies, and nature-inspired materials, and the resulting improvements in TENG performance. Various ubiquitous sensing principles and generation mechanisms used in nature and their analogous artificial TENG designs are demonstrated. Finally, biomimetic applications of TENG enabled in tactile displays as well as in wearable devices, artificial electronic skin and other devices are discussed. System designs, challenges and prospects of TENGs-based sensing and actuation devices in the practical application of soft robotics are analyzed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.1533-1540
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• 2023

Self-Powered Neutron Detectors(SPNDs) are used to calculate core power distributions, an essential factor in the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Some detectors may fail during normal operation, and signals from failed detectors are isolated from intact signals. The calculated detailed power distribution accuracy depends on the number of available detector signals. Failed detectors decrease the operating margin by enlarging the power distribution measurement error. Therefore, a thorough reconstruction of the failed detector signals is critical. This note suggests a compressive sensing based methodology that rationally reconstructs the readings of failed detectors. The methodology significantly improves reconstruction accuracy by sorting signals and removing high-frequency components from conventional compressive sensing methodology.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2024

Energy harvesting technology that converts the wasted energy resources into electrical energy is emerging as a semipermanent power source for self-powered electronics and wireless low-power sensor systems. Among the various energy conversion techniques, flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters (f-PEHs), using materials with piezoelectric effects, have attracted significant interest because they can harvest a small mechanical energy into electrical signals without constraints of time and space in various environments. In this study, we used a flexible piezoelectric composite film fabricated by dispersing BaHf_xTi_(1-x)O₃ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1) piezoelectric powders inside a polymeric matrix to facilitate f-PEHs. The fabricated f-PEH with optimal Hf contents (x = 0.05) generated a maximum output voltage of 0.95 V and current signal of 130 nA with stable electrical/mechanical disabilities under periodically bending deformations. In addition, we demonstrated a cantilever-type f-PEH and investigated its potential as a sensor by characterizing the output performance under mechanical vibrations at various frequencies. This study provides the breakthrough for realizing self-powered energy harvesting and sensing systems by adopting the lead-free piezoelectric composites under vibrational environments.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.153-162
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• 2018

The importance of energy harvesting technique is increasing due to the elevated level of demand for sustainable power sources for wearable device applications. In this study, we developed an Energy Harvesting wearable Platform(EH-P) architecture which is used in the design of a multi-energy source based on TENG. The proposed switching circuit produces power with higher current at lower voltage from energy harvesting sources with lower current at higher voltage. This can powers microcontrollers for a short period of time by using PV and TENG complementarily placed under hard conditions for the sources such as indoors. As a result, the whole interface circuit is completely self-powered with this makes it possible to run of sensing on a Wearable device platform. It was possible to increase the wearable device life time by supplying more than 29% of the power consumption to wearable devices. The results presented in this paper show the potential of multi-energy harvesting platform for use in wearable harvesting applications, provide a means of choosing the energy harvesting source.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SD
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• v.44 no.10
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

Wireless Self-Powered Temperature Sensor for UHF Sensor Tags which are basic device for construction of ubiquitous sensor network is proposed. The key parameters of the target specification are resolution of $0.1\;^{\circ}C$ per output bit, below 1.5 V of operating voltage and below 5 uW of power consumption during sensing operation. Temperature sensor circuit consists of PTAT current generator, band gap reference circuit generating both reference voltage and current, Sigma-Delta Converter, and Digital Counter. Simulated maximum resolution was $0.23\;^{\circ}C/bit$ in 11-bit output. The proposed temperature sensor was fabricated by using a 0.25 m CMOS process. The chip area is $0.32\;{\times}\;0.22\;mm$ and the operating frequency is 2 MHz. Measured resolution from fabricated temperature sensor was $4\;^{\circ}C/bit$ in 8-bit output for the temperature range from $10^{\circ}C$ to $80^{\circ}C$.