Internet of Things enabled environmental condition monitoring driven by laser ablated reduced graphene oxide based Al-air fuel cell

Abstract

Wireless environmental sensing and telemetry networks have become integral to enable a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications requiring relatively less but continuous power. Due to the need for stable and continuous operation of sensing nodes, powering these networks has been the subject of substantial research efforts, particularly in remote places. In this novel work, an origami laser ablated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) based Al-air Fuel Cell (A-aFCs) is demonstrated to power such a wireless network. In order to power such Internet of Things (IoT) enabled sensor, a custom-designed stacking configuration (series/parallel) are implemented to enhance the power output. The open circuit potential (OCP) of two series connected A-aFCs are measured to be 2.61 ± 0.21 V, and maximum power density of 1.84 ± 0.39 mW/cm 2 is witnessed. This stacking approach employs an attempt to directly charge the supercapacitor through a customised power management unit with integrated Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and programmable voltage regulation. The harvested power from the A-aFCs is stored in a supercapacitor and utilised to power the IoT module, which contains an integrated environmental parameter sensor that measures ambient temperature, pressure and humidity, and sends the corresponding readings to a smartphone. • Laser ablated rGO based Al-air Fuel Cell (A-aFCs) have been fabricated. • Catalyst free cathode was characterised and optimized using different electrolytes. • The power from A-aFCs was boosted and stored using supercapacitor. • A customized IoT sensor node was designed and powered by A-aFCs. • Ambient temperature, pressure, and humidity were recorded using a smartphone.