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Power Sources for Wireless Sensor Networks

  • Conference paper
Wireless Sensor Networks (EWSN 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2920))

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Abstract

Wireless sensor networks are poised to become a very significant enabling technology in many sectors. Already a few very low power wireless sensor platforms have entered the marketplace. Almost all of these platforms are designed to run on batteries that have a very limited lifetime. In order for wireless sensor networks to become a ubiquitous part of our environment, alternative power sources must be employed. This paper reviews many potential power sources for wireless sensor nodes. Well established power sources, such as batteries, are reviewed along with emerging technologies and currently untapped sources. Power sources are classified as energy reservoirs, power distribution methods, or power scavenging methods, which enable wireless nodes to be completely self-sustaining. Several sources capable of providing power on the order of 100 μW/cm3 for very long lifetimes are feasible. It is the authors’ opinion that no single power source will suffice for all applications, and that the choice of a power source needs to be considered on an application-by-application basis.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

    Shad Roundy

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    Dan Steingart, Paul Wright & Jan Rabaey

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University, Mail Code 4703, 228 S.W. Mudd Bldg, 500 West 120th Street, New York, NY, 10027-6699, USA

    Luc Frechette

Authors
  1. Shad Roundy
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  2. Dan Steingart
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  3. Luc Frechette
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  4. Paul Wright
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  5. Jan Rabaey
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

    Holger Karl

  2. Telecommunication Networks Group, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

    Adam Wolisz  & Andreas Willig  & 

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Roundy, S., Steingart, D., Frechette, L., Wright, P., Rabaey, J. (2004). Power Sources for Wireless Sensor Networks. In: Karl, H., Wolisz, A., Willig, A. (eds) Wireless Sensor Networks. EWSN 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2920. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-24606-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-24606-0_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-20825-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-24606-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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