Fuel Cell applications in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of powering Wireless Sensor Networks. We start with an overview of the current technologies employed for providing electricity at this small scale. We establish that batteries are not the solution of choice since they currently present a limiting factor on Sensor Nodes. We then look at several solutions suggested in the literature before proposing our own design. We target a fully autonomous power supply that matches power and energy densities of a battery but that is based on a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell. We then describe the operation of our system before ending with a quick discussion concerning the cost of the unit.