Energy loss through standby and leakage in energy harvesting wireless sensors

Abstract

We present a performance model for an energy harvesting wireless sensor node in which data gathering and harvesting are slow random processes as compared to fast wireless communications. We assume that the system will use stored energy when collecting data in standby, and that energy will leak from capacitors and batteries. In the presence of these imperfections we derive the system's packet transmission capacity when its packet storage buffer and its energy storage unit have a finite capacity that may lead to both data packet overflows, and the loss of incoming energy in addition to standby losses. We also consider an infinite capacity model which operates in the presence of transmission errors due to channel noise and interference.