(May 19, 2011)
LONDON – Nextreme Thermal Solutions Inc., a maker of thermal management products, has teamed up with Arkansas Power Electronics International Inc. to develop a thermal energy harvesting system for a wireless sensor network. In particular the WSN is designed to monitor the health of bearings in turbine engines.
The energy harvester is based on Nextreme's Thermobility product integrated with APEI's high-temperature wireless sensor electronics package. It will power the WSN to allow it to perform detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of problems occurring within an engine bearing assembly powered by heat.
Real-time monitoring of temperature, vibration, strain and pressure can provide critical information on the health of bearings for both aircraft turbines as well as power generation systems.
This can also allow maintenance to be performed on an as needed basis rather than on an arbitrary schedule, thereby saving time and money. Data collected during use can be used for design improvements in safety, reliability, and efficiency of future systems.
"The addition of Nextreme’s thermoelectric energy harvester will reduce the total cost of ownership by eliminating the cost of battery replacement for the sensor system, as well as aiding in the integration and retrofitting of existing turbine engines," said Ty McNutt, director of business development at APEI. Plans call for the development of system to be concluded by the end of 2011.
Nextreme energy harvest set to be integrated in bearing housing
Nextreme's eTEG HV56 is at the heart of the bearing monitor system. It generates power using the Seebeck Effect. The HV56 has demonstrated output power levels of 1.5-mW at a temperature differential of 10 degrees K and 36.5-mW at temperature differential of 50 degrees K. The module measures just 3.1mm x 3.3mm, and 0.6-mm high.
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