Development of a Hybrid Power Module for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks: Towards a Livestock Tracking and Identification System

Abstract

Smart technology and Internet of Things (IoT) applications have gained popularity in the development of agricultural systems with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) increasingly becoming the building blocks for IoT applications. However, WSNs have a limited power supply. As a result, these systems have a short lifespan, limited memory and low computing power. This paper describes the development of a hybrid power module for WSN to be utilized in a livestock tracking and identification system. Mathematical and MATLAB-Simulink models are developed and used to simulate the characteristics of a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery; to power the mobile sensor node (eartag), a nickel metal hydrate (NimH) battery used to power the static sensor nodes, a solar cell and the hybrid power module. Simulation results show that individually, the power sources provide limited power but the hybrid system coupled with a switching block generates enough power for the system, this implies that the system is viable but a prolonged operation of the system will depend on the battery limitations and climatic conditions. Future work will focus on the development of a prototype that can be tested and validated in real environment.