QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF HARVESTABLE AMBIENT ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY: A CASE STUDY OF ABEOKUTA, SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA
Abstract
Devices like wireless LAN, routers, TV and radio sets, and mobile phones used for the exchange of information are all sources of electromagnetic energy. This paper provides an insight into the level of power that is harvestable from the environment where these devices are located. Within the study area, measurement of available daily electromagnetic energy was randomly performed in selected locations at about 0-30 cm distance from the devices for a period of six months, covering both wet and dry seasons. Since mobile phone usage, requirements, and strength of electromagnetic field vary with location, the resultant ambient energy arising from electromagnetic sources is expected to be time and location dependent. To achieve a fair comparison, measurements were taken between 9 am and 5 pm at different points in the selected areas. The ambient electromagnetic energy was measured using a Wave control SMP2 Field meter with a WPF8 isotropic electromagnetic field probe in the 100 kHz–8 GHz range. The results of the field measurements revealed that all the selected devices are potential sources of electromagnetic energy, with the telecoms base station antenna being the most viable source of free electromagnetic energy that could be harnessed for various applications.
Keywords:
Ambient environment, electromagnetic energy, antenna, wireless devices, harvestingDownloads
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Copyright (c) 2024 Amusa K.A, Erinosho T.C, Adebisi O.I, Alabi A.A, Wale-Orojo O.A, Sotunde O.A
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