i4energy: Self-powered Wireless MEMS Sensor Modules for Smart Grid Applications

Lecture by Igor Paprotny (EECS, UC Berkeley).

Abstract:
In this talk, I will present our ongoing work towards developing self-powered MEMS sensor modules that can be installed in both residential and commercial settings, as well as in power distribution and transmission systems. These modules will measure electrical quantities such as voltage, current and instantaneous power using a suite of MEMS sensors, and will scavenge the energy needed for their operation from the current flowing in the energized conductor onto which they are attached. Their small (3.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 1 cm) size, combined with MEMS fabrication and packaging technologies, as well as wafer-level integration, allows us to dramatically reduce the fabrication and installation cost of these modules, and hopefully enable their massive (grid-wise) deployment.

Part of the Fall 2010 i4Energy Seminar Series. Live broadcast at mms://media.citris.berkeley.edu/webcast; Questions can be sent via Yahoo IM to username: citrisevents. The schedule for the fall i4energy series is at http://www.citris-uc.org/events/i4ene...