Monitoring the Behaviour of a Battery-free Water Powered Sensor

Abstract

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says, “Water is the new fire”. In terms of cost of damage to homeowners and insurers, water damage is a rapidly growing threat to property and can have insidious, long-term effects if not detected early. In a study from 2018, water leaks from multiple sources are shown to be devastating to buildings. Water leaks cause a few major issues such as structural damage, mold growth, water waste. Each of these issues is minimized when water leaks are detected promptly. Water leak detectors are important devices used to detect and alert individuals or property owners about the presence of water leaks. They play a crucial role in mitigating potential water damage, reducing water waste, and minimizing associated financial losses. The work herein considers a battery-free, materials-based water leak sensor. This specific sensor is unique because to date, it is the only battery-free, Bluetooth-enabled IoT sensor ready for market. A working prototype was developed in our lab, however for this sensor to work practically, the materials must be characterized and the effect of material change on electrical output must be determined. Since the plurality of water leak sensors available for purchase are based on closing an open electrical circuit with a conductive liquid such as water, they have wide ranges of operating temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions. However, in the self-powered materials-based sensor, the materials themselves may react differently in different temperatures and humidity conditions. Additionally, this sensor depends heavily on a pressed-powder palette, a conductive, porous material that absorbs water. This palette is essential to the function of the sensor however, its participation in the power generation reaction is not well known.