Supercapacitor-enabled energy-autonomous wireless sensor node for sustainable and remote sensing applications

This paper presents an energy-autonomous and battery-free wireless sensor node that is self-powered through photovoltaic energy harvesting. The system uses a small value capacitor to perform sensing activity and wireless communication continuously when energy source is present and a supercapacitor to store energy for use when energy source is not present. The system embeds a single off-the-shelf integrated circuit embedding a microcontroller that performs power management and wire- less connectivity functions. The microcontroller implements a finite-state machine that cyclically manages energy harvesting, sensing, wireless communication, and energy storage. The system also implements Bluetooth low-energy connectivity. The proposed wireless node addresses the issue of battery replacement in wireless sensor nodes, which is a significant challenge in many applications. The system’s energy autonomy and battery-free operation make it ideal for use in remote and hard-to-reach locations where battery replacement is difficult or impossible. The experimental results demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in energy harvesting, power management, and wireless commu- nication. The proposed device offers a promising solution for energy-efficient and sustainable wireless sensor networks.