An energy management led approach to configuration and deployment of energy harvesting data loggers to monitor trackside assets

The monitoring of remote assets or earthworks on Network Rail property can be prohibitive for a multitude of reasons not only limited to power, access and deployment complexities. This problem has led to the development of an Energy Harvesting Data Logger or EHDL, this product has been designed to be a low powered, generic data logger, powered from harvested energy and configurable to multiple applications. Currently proposed applications include embankment slippage monitoring, water levels and orientation of temporary speed restriction boards. This information can then be fed back into server based land-side system, this system aims to allow for rapid deployment and remote configuration of loggers. This paper covers an energy management approach to remote data logging based around the EHDL; the hardware has been designed for the purpose of extracting maximum data logging potential from limited harvested energy. Companioned to the EHDL is a graphical utility used for configuration and programming of the device, this tool enables the user to develop application specific configuration files. By selection of various parameters such as energy source, required number of inputs and geographical location, the utility allows the user to make informed decisions on how regularly the hardware can perform channel scans, server updates and other functions. Further to this, the internal software of the EHDL is subsequently configured by the utility to reserve power when necessary, when in operation the hardware monitors its own power usage when performing various functions, its remaining battery level and an estimated battery life. By feeding this information back into the utility, a more accurate power model can be produced, allowing for more precise estimations.