(223i) Possibility of Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensors Using Magnetic Phase Transition

The principles of ‘Industry 4.0,’ which originated in Germany, are now widely known. Following this trend, most industries are connected by cyber-physical systems (CPS), and data and energy in manufacturing technologies are exchanged and shared. Recently, many countries have interested in CPS into societies for sustainable development. CPS equips a data acquisition function, a data storage function, and a network to transfer data. To deploy CPS, it necessary to develop overall security systems, to increase their energy efficiency and to find new energy sources. In meeting the requirements for electricity for CPS, the term ’energy harvesting’ is commonly used. However, the energy efficiencies of currently available energy harvesting technologies are still low. Furthermore, they often have energy mismatch with demands.

In this research, authors proposed innovative energy harvesting data acquisition sensors and investigated the possibility of these energy harvesting sensors in which data acquisition sensors were integrated with energy harvesting systems to improve energy efficiency and to prevent the energy mismatch. The targeted energy harvesting systems, which the authors have developed, equip a magnetic material and a solenoid. The magnetic phase transition of the magnetic material was taken places at the Currie temperature and electromotive forces was observed by the solenoid following the electromagnetic induction due to the magnetic flux changes in temperature, results in that this system works as wireless temperature or velocity sensors without any additional energy input. Our proposed energy harvesting sensors have the potential to contribute significantly to the development of CPS in the near future.