Pneumatic Energy Harvesting and Monitoring

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring a pneumatic system. A number of parameters are monitored using a monitoring device connected to the pneumatic system, an energy harvesting unit configured to generate electrical energy from a gas in the pneumatic system, and a controller. The monitoring device comprises a number of sensors configured to detect the number of parameters. The controller is in communication with the number of sensors and the energy harvesting unit and is configured to process measurements for the number of parameters detected by the number of sensors and control operation of the energy harvesting unit. The number of sensors and the controller are powered by the energy harvesting unit. The monitoring device is powered using the electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a number of sensors configured to detect a number of parameters;   an energy harvesting unit configured to generate electrical energy from a compressed gas in a pneumatic system; and   a controller connected to the number of sensors and the energy harvesting unit, wherein the controller is configured to process measurements for the number of parameters detected by the number of sensors and wherein the number of sensors and the controller are powered by the energy harvesting unit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a battery system configured to store the electrical energy. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a housing having an input and an output, wherein the input is configured to receive the compressed gas in a first section of a gas line and the output is configured to send the compressed gas into a second section in the gas line; 
 a first channel in communication with the input; 
 a second channel in communication with the output; 
 a third channel in communication with the energy harvesting unit; and 
 a valve connected to the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel, wherein the valve is configured to direct a flow of the compressed gas in the first channel to at least one of the second channel and the third channel. 
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the energy harvesting unit comprises:
 a turbine unit configured to generate an electrical current from the flow of the compressed gas through the turbine unit.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a computer system, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the computer system. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a computer system using at least one of a wireless communications link and a wired communications link. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control charging of the battery system using a policy. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the policy is configured to cause the controller to start charging the battery system if a charge level in the battery system falls below a lower limit and stops charging the battery system when the charge level in the battery system exceeds an upper limit. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the policy is configured to cause the controller to charge and discharge the battery system using a number of charge and discharge curves for the battery system in the policy. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to process the measurements by sending the measurements to a computer system. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to process the measurements by analyzing the measurements. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the number of parameters is for at least one of the pneumatic system and an environment in which the pneumatic system is located. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of an application specific integrated circuit, a central processing unit, and a processor unit. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the number of sensors comprises at least one of a moisture sensor, a flow sensor, and a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the pneumatic system. 
 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a number of sensors configured to detect a number of parameters in a fluid system;   an energy harvesting unit configured to generate electrical energy from a fluid in the fluid system; and   a controller in communication with the number of sensors and the energy harvesting unit, wherein the controller is configured to process measurements for the number of parameters detected by the number of sensors and control operation of the energy harvesting unit and wherein the number of sensors and the controller are powered by the electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting unit.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid system is selected from one of a hydraulic system and a pneumatic system. 
     
     
         18 . A method for monitoring a pneumatic system, the method comprising:
 monitoring for a number of parameters using a monitoring device connected to the pneumatic system, wherein the monitoring device comprises a number of sensors configured to detect the number of parameters; an energy harvesting unit configured to generate electrical energy from a gas in the pneumatic system; and a controller in communication with the number of sensors and the energy harvesting unit, wherein the controller is configured to process measurements for the number of parameters detected by the number of sensors and control operation of the energy harvesting unit; and   powering the monitoring device using the electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting unit.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 sending the measurements to a remote location. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the measurements are received from the number of sensors as analog signals and the controller converts the analog signals into digital signals. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the measurements are sent to the remote location over a wireless communications link. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 installing the monitoring device in the pneumatic system. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 charging a battery system in the monitoring device using the energy harvesting unit. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the number of sensors and the controller are powered by the energy harvesting unit.