Microgenerator uses vibration to produce energy.
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Press Release Summary:
Operational in industrial environments with vibration levels down to 25 mg, PMG7 converts kinetic energy from vibration of equipment running at mains frequency (50 or 60 Hz) into electrical energy. It is designed to power wireless and battery-free sensors, microprocessors, and transmitters for accurately monitoring condition of plant equipment and machinery. It generates up to 5 mW of energy, enough to power wireless transmitter sending up to 6 KB of data every few minutes.
Original Press Release:
World First for Perpetual Source of Power
Perpetuum's vibration energy harvesting microgenerator is an enabling technology that makes wireless, battery-free sensors a reality
Perpetuum has launched the world's first truly effective vibration energy harvester to power wireless and battery-free devices capable of sending large amounts of data from many types of industrial equipment. The PMG7 high-performance microgenerator enables users to power sensors, microprocessors and transmitters for accurately monitoring the condition of plant equipment and machinery without the need for batteries, expensive cabling or maintenance. The easy-to-install solution is now available to OEMs, sensor manufacturers and end-users in all industries, allowing them to make significant cost savings.
The microgenerator converts kinetic energy from the vibration of the equipment running at mains frequency (50 or 60Hz) into electrical energy. It can generate up to 5mW which is enough to power a wireless transmitter sending up to 6Kbytes of critical data every few minutes, or smaller amounts of data - such as a temperature reading - several times a second. It is a practical device which can operate in most industrial environments and at minimal vibration levels (25mg).
The PMG7 allows operators to continually monitor plant equipment, providing valuable data - such as temperature and vibration spectra - about the condition of equipment like pumps, motors, and blowers. As a result, the data can be used to optimise the efficiency and availability of a plant, increase the cost-efficiency of maintenance work, prevent accidents and obtain significant savings in energy costs. According to the ARC advisory group, this is a market which can expect significant growth in the next three years - reaching almost £700 million by the end of 2007.
RLW Inc of State College, Pa., selected the Perpetuum microgenerator to power its S5NAPä wireless sensor nodes. These devices have been used to demonstrate that the PMG7 can readily provide the necessary energy for even the most demanding sensor applications such as accelerometers.
"This is a major breakthrough in the technology," says Roy Freeland, CEO, Perpetuum. "We are delighted to be in a position to now offer this product to the market, having successfully completed field trials at the US Navy, an international oil company and Yorkshire Water (UK). This is a practical device, not a laboratory experiment. No competitive offering has come close to this level of performance in terms of the amount of data that can be sent, or the conditions under which it will operate reliably."
The microgenerator is easy to install - it is simply screwed into place, or can be held in place by magnets. It is then left in place with no need for maintenance, a truly perpetual source of power.
Following the recent $4 million new funding round developments are underway to extend the range of applications and the performance of these remarkable devices.
For more information please contact:
info@perpetuum.com
Perpetuum Ltd, Epsilon House, Southampton Science Park, Southampton, Hants. SO16 7NS
Tel: + 44 23 8076 5888
http://www.perpetuum.com/
About Perpetuum
Perpetuum, a spin-out company from the University of Southampton, was founded in 2004. The company provides unique solutions for self-powered sensor systems eliminating the need for external wires or batteries.
Perpetuum's vibration energy-harvesting microgenerators meet the demands for a wireless energy source created by the recent development of low power sensors, microprocessors and transceivers.
It developed the world's first truly effective device capable of sending large amounts of data (up to 6kbytes every few minutes) from many types of industrial equipment even those operating at minimal vibration levels (25mg).
Field trials at Yorkshire Water, the US Navy and a major international oil company have proven this is a practical method of continuous monitoring of plant and machinery.
About RLW Ltd
RLW, Inc. develops high-quality innovative hardware and software for Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) applications. Its devices perform machine health monitoring and provide health status messages to destinations remotely. RLW's SxNAP(TM) family of devices is small, smart, wireless and cost-effective - the answer to the "missing inch" in CBM solutions.
For more information please visit http://www.rlwinc.com/.
