Traffic Technology International | March 2022
Smart city loT sensors
An exhaustive testing program has helped to determine the spec of a new lot battery, which boasts a low failure rate and long life cycle, to support smart city applications.
For an industry heavy on buzz phrases like smart cities and the Internet of Things
proof points on what actually works and for how long. It makes sense-most of these next generation solutions are new ideas, new technologies, built on theory and only just beginning to play out in real world environments. But now, a new case study on sensor battery life for loT applications may pave the way on long term dependability for the devices that make it all happen.
Smart cities depend on sensors to collect real-time, secure, anonymous data at key locations for traffic detection, air and noise pollution, waste management and even road temperatures. Unfortunately, dedicated power may not be readily available to power these sensors and it is impractical to frequently replace batteries or mount bulky power systems.
10 The number of years Sensys Networks has been undertaking exhaustive battery testing
1. Smart cities rely on data, often from battery powered IoT sensors
2. Sensys Networks second-generation LI-SOCI2 battery lasts more than twice as long as the first generation.
With failure comes experience
The study, Optimization of Battery Life and its Predictability in IoT Applications by Taylor Kelly, PhD, director of failure analysis at Intertek AIM, examines the premature failures of some first-generation sensors that prompted a harder, more sustained look at battery longevity.
Starting in 2012, Sensys Networks began an exhaustive testing program involving various battery configurations and chemistries from six different manufacturers in extreme conditions from temperatures of -40°C to 80°C and at varied pulsed current draws. This was necessary to meet the rigorous demands of sensors that would be installed in pavement around the world, from the desert heat of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to the winter temperatures of the Yukon territories in Canada.
The result was a completely new type of battery configuration and chemistry for Sensys Networks’ second-generation sensors, and the ongoing testing has revealed a 4x reduction in the five-year failure rate and a greater than 2x improvement in overall battery life.
Battery life + connectivity= dependable data
But optimal battery configuration and chemistry for long term performance is only one piece of the puzzle that makes these small wireless devices work together as a part of a larger smart city network. Connectivity with other loT devices hinges on an ultra-low power communications protocol. This unique protocol, patented by Sensys Networks, makes efficient use of packet communication via radios, and repeaters when needed for additional range, to transmit data with millisecond accuracy so detection of events can be precisely determined and analyzed. The whole network of devices can be monitored and managed remotely from a web browser for a proactive loT experience.
These sensors address two of the three hallmarks of successful smart cities and communities recently identified in a June 2021 report by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT): networks of sensors that gather data, and connectivity that enables active monitoring and managing of infrastructure. Now it’s just a matter of keeping that data and connectivity going.
” A NEW CASE STUDY ON SENSOR BATTERY LIFE FOR IOT APPLICATIONS MAY PAVE THE WAY ON LONG TERM DEPENDABILITY “
