In modern aeronautics and aerospace industry there is a great demand for wireless sensors in order to improve efficiency, reliability and to reduce the costs. They are the key enablers for improved system concepts like e.g. condition based maintenance. In some cases, sensors need to be placed in closed conductive envelopes like hydraulic accumulators, oxygen bottles, etc., where battery usage may be not allowed or not possible due to maintenance requirements and where classical wireless radio frequency communication is not applicable due to strong shielding effects. For this field of applications, a solution has been developed that uses ultrasonic acoustic waves for a wireless transmission of energy and data through the envelope walls. The main benefit of this technology is that the envelope remains unaffected and therefore the hermeticity and structural integrity are retained. Moreover the sensor can be chosen almost independently from the communication and power transmission system.
Subject classification: 73.40.Qv; 73.50.Dn; S5.11; S6 In modern cars, sensors, actuators and electronic components play an increasing role. Driving forces are the demand for improved safety, higher comfort as well as increased economy and ecology. The paper presents an overview on semiconductor sensors that had been designed to reach such objectives. Examples for micromachined silicon sensors as well as highly innovative devices based on wide-bandgap semiconductor materials are presented. Spin-offs to aerospace applications are also discussed.
In the modern aeronautics and aerospace industry, there is a manifold amount of applications emerging for wireless sensors. While many new systems are making use of radio transmitters, EADS Innovation Works has developed a concept for transmitting energy and data to the inside of hermetically sealed envelopes used for hydraulic accumulators, fuel tanks, oxygen bottles, etc. For such kind of metal enclosures, the use of radio frequency is impossible as the electromagnetic waves are blocked by the surrounding material. Classical approaches like using wire-based feed-throughs threaten the reliability of the overall system and hence, they are less attractive especially when safety relevant components are targeted. The system described in this paper makes use of ultrasonic transmission techniques in order to power and communicate with a wireless sensor inside a metal enclosure. An innovative platform and communication concept allows to efficiently read data from basically any type of low power commercial sensors of the shelf. Major design drivers for the overall system are a high level of integration and high reliability.
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