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Battery Maintenance Free System Revolutionizes Air Quality MonitoringFluctuating Photovoltaic Cell Output Caused Headaches
Solutions
Maintenance-Free Battery Harnesses Minuscule Currents to Power Air Quality Monitors
Solution Offered by EnerCera battery
EnerCera battery’s low resistance characteristics enables it to be charged efficiently on the minuscule and fluctuating currents supplied by photovoltaic cells, while also powering an AQM.
EnerCera battery’s high thermal resilience and ability to operate in extreme cold makes it suitable to be used in harsh climates.
Having lower rates of self-discharge than capacitors, EnerCera batteries are able to store energy for long periods of time.
The battery’s long useful life reduces the need for maintenance works.
Being reflow solderable*, EnerCera can be incorporated in mass-produced AQMs at low cost.
*Reflow solder: a technique in which a device known as a reflow oven is used to solder multiple electronic components arranged on a printed circuit board in a single step.
EnerCera battery: Low Resistance, Long Service Life, Can be Charged with Minuscule Currents
After partnering on the development of a smart agricultural sensor system for punishing climates, Renesas and NGK has been exchanging information to discuss technical issues. One day a Renesas engineer had a “brainwave” and suggested that EnerCera battery could be a suitable power supply for the AQM. EnerCera batteries’ low resistance enables them to be recharged on the minuscule currents yielded by energy harvesters, while at the same time reliably operating AQMs, irrespective of variations in the weather. Also, the fact that EnerCera batteries have much lower rates of internal discharge than capacitors enables them to store energy for long periods of time. The long service life of the EnerCera battery also means less maintenance required for the devices.
Collaboration between Renesas and NGK Creates New Business
Renesas received samples of EnerCera battery and is now testing its AQM fitted with the EnerCera Coin (see figure below). As Renesas and NGK continue to collaborate on further initiatives that meld their respective technologies, the two companies will continue to develop more reference designs that combine the EnerCera battery series and the RE MCU that will be key to the uptake of maintenance-free IoT devices.
System block diagram
Digital Gas Sensor Platform（ZMOD）
