Self-powered wireless sensor node enabled by ultra-high-output swinging hybrid generator toward real-time and in-situ marine meteorological observations

Abstract

With the intensification of global ocean exploration, there is an increasing need for extensive and dispersed wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to meet the requirements of real-time, in-situ, and high-spatial-temporal-density marine meteorological observations. Nevertheless, providing a reliable power source and ensuring the ongoing maintenance of these WSNs pose significant challenges. Here, an innovative self-powered wireless sensor node is developed to address these challenges, featuring an ultra-high-output triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator (T-EHG) with a swinging mechanism. The T-EHG, which combines triboelectric (TENG) and electromagnetic (EMG) generation, assisted by a universal power management system (UPMS), efficiently converts wave energy into a consistent voltage output between 1.5 V to 3.3 V. Additionally, the self-powered WSNs integrated with T-EHG, UPMS circuits, meteorological sensors, and microcontroller units (MCUs) with LoRa wireless transmission functionality are capable of executing data collection and transmission operations every 10 s under simulated wave conditions. These systems can achieve a maximum wireless transmission range of 1.5 km. Notably, a marine meteorological monitoring system utilizes these autonomous sensor nodes, along with base stations, cloud servers, and terminal devices to effectively implement real-time, on-site measurements of temperature, humidity, and air pressure within the monitored zone. This research underscores the substantial practical utility and extensive application prospects of these advanced self-powered WSNs for marine meteorological surveillance.