Mobile Radio Frequency Charger for Wireless Sensor Networks in the Smart Grid

Smart grid is the future vision for supplying energy. It integrates the advances in power engineering as well as information technology and telecommunication in one cohesive network. However, this vision poses several challenges; one of the key challenges is the continuous monitoring of the state of every component (e.g. voltage, current, temperature, energy consumption, energy prices, etc.) in the system. Wireless sensor network is a promising candidate for fulfilling this task. This work suggests a new realistic approach for providing energy for the deployed sensor nodes using mobile charger. The aim is to sustain the operation of the sensor network in terms of data transmission and coverage. The proposed approach integrates the cluster formation process using LEACH-C with the recharging process by defining the required emitted energy as well as the locations to be visited by the mobile charger. The main objectives are to maximize the nodes battery utilization, distribute power effectively from the energy harvester, and optimize the distance between mobile charger and sensor nodes. We tested our approach using NS2 simulator. The simulation results have shown the achievement of the above objectives.