Energy extraction for a self-energized pressure sensor

With the prolific use of sensors for manufacturing process monitoring, proper power supply and installation scheme has assumed an increasingly central role. Cable-based sensor powering, while commonly used on the factory floor, faces various real-world constraints. It is desirable that the power required by the sensors be "extracted" from the process being monitored itself to enable "self-energized" sensing. Such a novel design for a wireless pressure sensor for injection molding process monitoring is presented in this paper. The focus is on the energy extraction mechanism from the pressure transients exerted by the polymer melt during the injection molding process to power a piezoelectric signal transmitter, which digitally reconstructs the polymer melt pressure profile. An analytical model examining the energy conversion mechanism due to interactions between the mechanical strain and the electric field developed within the energy extraction device is first established. Using a coupled-field analysis, a numerical model is then developed to evaluate the electromechanical properties dependent upon the geometric effects of the energy extraction device. The two models are then compared with experimental results obtained from a functional prototype to evaluate the relevance of the assumptions made and the modeling accuracy. Preliminary experimental results describing the integration of the energy extraction device with the ultrasonic transmitter and the subsequent transmission of pressure information acoustically through a block of steel are also presented. The presented design introduces a new generation of self-energized sensors that can be employed for the condition monitoring of a wide range of high-energy manufacturing processes.