Smart “Stick-on” Sensors for the Smart Grid

Rapid increase in electric power demand, introduction of RPS mandates, and a push towards electrification in the transportation sector is expected to increase power system stresses and disturbances. To tackle these power system issues and maintain high system reliability, it is essential to have information about the condition of assets present on the grid. Presently, due to the absence of low cost flexible grid wide monitoring solutions, complete information of the system is not achievable. This paper deals with the development of a new class of sensors called the smart “stick-on” sensors. These are low cost, self-powered, universal sensors that provide a flexible monitoring solution for grid assets. These sensors can be mass deployed due to low cost, need low maintenance as they are self-powered, and can be used for monitoring a variety of grid assets. This paper also presents the details on the network architecture, interoperability and integration, and different design aspects of the stick-on sensor, such as novel energy harvesting techniques, power management, wide operating range, and reliability. It is envisioned that the smart stick-on sensors shall be an enabling technology for monitoring a variety of grid assets and prove to be an essential element of the Smart Grid.