Battery-Less Microwave Wireless Sensors for Automotive Applications

This work initially presents an overview of the state-of-the-art and of the primary constraints of wireless sensors that are located on the charging stations (both hydrogen refueling and electric recharging stations), and on board of battery and fuel cell electric vehicles. Also, related legislative issues have been examined. Finally, a fully customized system designed for predictive maintenance and remote monitoring of working sections of automotive machineries is presented. A variety of wireless sensor nodes have been designed to be low-power, compact, energy-autonomous and located in close contact with key parts of a car engine compartment. The system is also composed of power sources able to transfer energy wirelessly directly to the sensor nodes in the form of electromagnetic waves, so they do not need the presence of batteries and their relative maintenance, also taking into account that they could be located in correspondence of awkward and metal-rich parts of the car engine compartment.