Highly Commended 2024

VolDrive Kinetic Energy Harvester

Highly Commended for Circular Design and Sustainability / On Vol Pty. Ltd. / Clinton Hopkins

Revolutionising wireless IoT sensors with battery-free energy harvesting. Providing longer life, sustainability, and productivity of renewable energy and industrial assets.

VolDrive brings hassle-free operation to internet-of-things (IoT) sensors in industrial applications. This innovative device converts motion into electricity, endlessly powering sensors without needing external power or battery replacement. This enables wireless sensors to be provided in applications never before considered possible like inside rotating Wind Turbine blades. This design solution is pivotal in providing sensors to continuously monitor and protect the growing global fleet of wind turbines blades improving the performance of renewable energy and the health of the planet. VolDrive replaces the need for batteries in IoT sensors giving them a reliable and sustainable source of electrical power.

Design Brief:

Industrial assets in motion benefit significantly from smart real-time sensor monitoring. However, powering these modern smart sensors presents these challenges:

Traditional hard wiring is time consuming, resulting in installation downtime and high labour costs. Often installing wires to moving assets is impractical.

Battery-powered sensors rely on toxic materials, often leak, or fail to function in extreme cold or hot environments. Batteries also require frequent replacements or recharging resulting in asset downtime.

These sensors are often placed in hazardous locations, making servicing them, especially inside offshore wind turbine blades very expensive and hazardous to both equipment and servicing personnel.

The design began with a customer asking for a battery solution lasting 10-years inside a turbine blade. The team ideated a solution that resolved the battery problem. If the equipment that needs sensing moves, why not capture the energy right at the sensor and convert it to electricity to power the sensor?


This project was developed by:

Design Process

VolDrive is a groundbreaking kinetic energy harvesting solution standing as a testament to design excellence. Our comprehensive approach focused on multiple facets of design, ensuring a holistic, high-quality user experience to create social impact.

Functionality and Accessibility:

We meticulously considered all parts of the product use journey to understand functionality in every aspect of operation, ensuring that our solution seamlessly integrates into existing processes and systems. Compatibility, ease of use and reliability were key priorities.

Extensive research and testing with customers like NextEra Energy, allowed us to understand operators’ needs and challenges. This assured a user-friendly, intuitive design that enhances usefulness and ease of use.

An earlier superseded design in VolPower, was subjected to extensive real-world testing and customer feedback dictated vast improvements in the design of VolDrive. Reliability and functionality were enhanced by reducing 21 moving parts to just 1 and active power electronics that are state-of-the-art being having efficiency measured to nanowatts.

Aesthetics and Safety:

Our solution embraces sleek, modern aesthetics. Attention to detail in material selection and finishes elevates the visual appeal of industrial assets.

Safety measures were paramount. We adhered to ISO9001 design and development standards, prioritising the well-being of operators and users with RoHS and CE compliance.

Quality and Sustainability:

Quality permeated every aspect of our design. From execution to implementation, we ensured a sense of purity, integration, and efficiency. Through FEA the shape is optimised providing the lowest possible volume and weight design.

By harnessing clean, renewable kinetic energy, we eliminated reliance on traditional battery-powered sensors. This reduction in waste contributes to a more sustainable society.

User-Centered Design:

Stakeholder feedback guided our process. Operators, end-users, and other stakeholders provided insights that shaped our design.

Ease of installation, intuitive interfaces, and seamless integration were non-negotiable. We prioritised a positive and meaningful experience for all involved.

Design Excellence

VolDrive’s solution simplifies power supply, improves asset monitoring and eliminates the need for frequent maintenance, offering a trusted power source. This technology has the potential to revolutionise various industries, including mining, energy, and logistics.

The nominated project introduces a range of innovative aspects that underscore its efficacy and adaptability. A key feature is the in-situ generation of renewable electricity, eliminating the necessity for hard wiring or frequent battery replacements in challenging and remote locations. It provides an all-in-one long-life (+10-years) solution for energy generation and storage. This novel approach facilitates the deployment of IoT devices in harsh environments, without endangering human life or risking equipment outages. The integration of IoT in the harvester allows for improved speed of installation, commissioning, energy status and maintenance.

A standout innovation lies in the kinetic energy harvester, possessing a remarkable 100 times more power and twice the lifespan of commonly used piezo-electric kinetic energy harvesters in the market. While the average piezo-electric yields sub-3mW, VolDrive takes the lead by producing up to 350mW of power. This substantial increase in power production opens avenues for more sophisticated IoT devices, including those capable of machine learning, edge-based computing, direct to satellite communication and security protection on the IoT devices.

Other Key Features are

Simple installation: It can be installed with magnetic feet and serviceable within seconds at the install site, improving social impact by reducing renewable asset downtime and risk to personnel by design.

Uptime for renewable energy: The robust design needs no servicing, lasting a minimum 10-years, delivers substantial cost savings to asset operators and uptime for renewable energy.

Scalability: The design can be made in smaller and larger scale to suit end use cases. The design can be manufactured at scale with modern manufacturing process allowing it to be made close to end market.

Design Innovation

VolDrive innovation stands out for several reasons:

VolDrive has registered design rights (202313303 & 202313286) and patents pending (2024205071 & 2023902356) for this innovative design.

Unlike traditional renewable energy sources that are limited to specific conditions, VolDrive can capture energy from a multitude of motion sources, enabling its deployment in various industries and sectors.

The harvesting electronics utilises our proprietary ultra-low power active rectifier system improving conversion efficiency by 40%.

By capturing energy that would otherwise go untapped, VolDrive contributes to a more sustainable future. Its ability to convert ambient motion into usable power reduces dependence on fossil fuels and minimises greenhouse gas emissions.

Onvol’s technology seamlessly integrates with existing systems, providing a constant output voltage that doesn’t reduce over time, which is a problem with batteries, making it a better and more reliable solution for many systems.

Globally, turbine maintenance represents the most complex and costly aspect of wind energy production, with $15 billion spent annually on onshore turbine repairs alone. Last year, more than half of this amount, $8.5 billion, was allocated to unplanned repairs resulting from increased equipment failures and damage, resulting from occurrences like lightning strikes on blades and defects that go undetected because sensors are difficult to power until the invention of this design.

Wind energy operators are rapidly adopting smart condition monitoring systems to combat these problems, however, powering them poses a significant challenge. VolDrive is pivotal for our customers Siemens Gamesa, GE Vernova, NextEra, Renanti to deploy and power their sensors.

VolDrive surpasses prior designs by producing approximately a hundred times more power output then similar harvesters. Billions of IoT devices will be deployed in the coming years with most powered by batteries. The design of VolDrive will result in a paradigm shift to powering IoT equipment in an environmentally sustainable and socially impactful way.

Design Impact

VolDrive kinetic energy harvesters offer a remarkable sustainable impact by eliminating the need for traditional batteries in powering IoT sensors.

Over the 10-year lifespan, each VolDrive negates the use of approximately 4800 batteries and 500kg of GHG emissions.

By converting movement into electricity, the harvesters not only utilise a renewable energy source, but they enable high performance operational monitoring on critical infrastructure like wind turbines. This allows more compute power, resulting in increased renewable output with less equipment damage.

VolDrive is 10X cheaper to deploy in turbine blades than batteries, saving operators $10,000 on each sensor deployment.

Our design adheres to the principles of a Circular Economy, embodying sustainability at its core. By designing out waste and minimising materials, we have created an efficient and resource-conscious solution. The solution revolutionises the industrial sector, bringing about positive impacts from multiple perspectives.

Socially, it enhances the safety and reliability of critical infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted operations and minimising downtime.

Environmentally, the solution harnesses clean and renewable kinetic energy, reducing carbon footprints and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Commercially, it reduces costs associated with battery replacements & maintenance, improving operational efficiency and profitability.

Furthermore, the energy harvesters are designed for durability, longevity, and ease of recyclability, promoting responsible end-of-life practices and minimising environmental impact.

The project not only builds on but also contributes to the reputation and status of Australia’s design and creative culture. By pushing the boundaries of innovation, we showcase the talent and expertise present in Australia. Our solution serves as a testament to design-driven solutions that address real-world challenges and drive positive change.

VolDrive showcases how Australian Companies like Onvol can innovate state-of-the-art designs used by global industry leaders like GE and Simens. VolDrive emphasises the transformative power of design, promoting its importance as a driver of positive change.

Circular and Sustainability Criteria

Through meticulous design choices, we optimised resource efficiency at every stage. We minimised material usage without compromising performance, ensuring that our solution utilised only what was necessary.

Our solution harnesses kinetic energy to power sensors for wind turbines and critical assets. By leveraging this abundant energy source, we reduce reliance on non-renewable energy and minimise environmental impact. The energy conversion process was carefully designed for optimal efficiency, maximising the amount of usable energy harvested and therefore minimising the amount of material needed to produce the design. Every part is designed to provide seamless integration and precision operation for up to 50 million cycles. Our solution strives to design out waste, minimise materials and create a positive impact throughout its life cycle. The team carefully considered the entire product life cycle, from material selection and manufacturing processes to end-of-life considerations.

The design prioritises durability and longevity, ensuring a prolonged product lifespan. By creating robust and reliable energy harvesters, the team reduce the need for frequent replacements and minimise waste generation. Furthermore, the solution can be easily integrated into existing assets, extending their operational life, and avoiding premature disposal. We incorporated responsible end-of-life considerations into our design process. Our energy harvesting modules are designed for disassembly and recycling, facilitating the recovery of valuable materials and reducing environmental harm.

The impact extends far beyond its technical achievements, with significant implications for business, economic, and societal outcomes. Each unit deployed has a remarkable environmental impact, replacing 480 AA batteries each year, totally 4800 batteries worth of power over a 10-year lifespan. This not only underscores our commitment to sustainability but also contributes to a substantial reduction in electronic waste.

The project’s societal impact is remarkable. Without VolDrive, the effective deployment of sensors in turbine blades would be unfeasible due to the absence of power.

Product Design 2024 Finalists

Cliterate

RMIT Industrial Design / Thrive Re-Hab / X-Product

OTHER MATTER™

OTHER MATTER™ / Boom Studios / Aēsop are the first retail partner

Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF

Blackmagic Design

vabsRider by ataraxyBSC

ataraxyBSC / Whistle Design Group Pty Ltd / Philippe Guichard 

Tan Track Clocks

City of Melbourne / Commissioned by the Bennelong Foundation / Letterbox - Typography/ Character Animation / Studiozeil - Motion Design / Draffin Street Furniture - Steel Work / Victorian Bluestone Quarries - Stone Masonry

Neonav® ECG Tip Location System

Navi Medical Technologies / D+I Part of Capgemini

OneDock by microFleet

Designed by Outer Space Design / Commissioned by microFleet

b.box 2-in-1 Suction Plate

Bradley Sobol / Sylvain Amatoury / Meyanne Habjan / Lisa Edlund Tjernberg

Upzeez

Woodcraft Mobiliar Pty Ltd / Sean and Horn Pty Ltd / Shine Alterations

That Sound Game

Natalie Delaney-John / Camille Jasson / Todd Beeby

ENFORCR+ Ghost® - The Next-Gen Duty Glove

Australian Defence Apparel / Private Brands

SaferSaw

Declan Scott

Little Stackers

Little Stackers PTY LTD / Studio Periscope

Cabot’s EasyDeck

Cobalt Design / Cabot’s Premium Woodcare

M&M’s Display Ready Packaging

Birdstone Collective / Mars Wrigley

Bintracker Mobi

Cobalt Design / Gurru Solutions

Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K

Blackmagic Design

Ezetrolley

Ezetrolley / Centre for Design Innovation / Swinburne University

PTC Tempo Thermal Cycler

Bio-Rad Laboratories / Cobalt Design

bouncee Reusable Insulated Crates

ICEE Technology Group / Hamish Hingston / Derek Jefferson / Sergio de Almeida / Manivannan Balasubramaniam

Kattsafe Rigid Stealth Rail System

Tricycle Developments / Kattsafe

Man Overboard Marina Alarm Systems

Paul Williams - Man Overboard Marina Alarm Systems Pty Ltd / Drini Malla - MOMAS Technologies / Eddie Yim - MOMAS Technologies

Pegasus E Flying Car (VTOL)

Pegasus Aerospace Corporation / D+I Part of Capgemini

Wall Drinking aquaBUBBLER

aquaBUBBLER / Andrew Berry, Berry Design

Sleeptite Sirius Assistive Technology Bed

Sleeptite / Cameron van den Dungen

Joolca - GottaGo Modular Separating Toilet

Tricycle Developments / Joolca

The NON Stopper

Aaron Trotman / Todd Vanneste / Neuti Seo