Marco Valerio Perrozzi

The focus of my research is an innovative monitoring system for freight railway vehicles, powered by energy harvesting devices. This system aims to overcome two major limitations of rail freight transport: the difficulty in effectively tracking the vehicle fleet and the lack of onboard systems capable of monitoring the health status of the vehicles. It is based on a network of Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs) installed in critical areas of the wagon.
The main objective is the development of prototype WSNs for measuring key parameters such as GPS position, axle-box temperature, brake system pressure and tri-axial acceleration. My research activities focus on the design of the WSN power supply, as well as the selection and integration of electronic components required to perform the measurements, process the data and transmit them wirelessly.
With regard to the power supply, the objective is to design an axial-flux electromagnetic generator. This involves electromagnetic simulations to identify the optimal electrical parameters, as well as the CAD design of the generator geometry and assembly within the axle-box.
For the electronic subsystem, the main objective is to identify and experimentally validate the most suitable wireless communication technology to ensure reliable and efficient data transmission in a harsh operating environment, such as freight railway vehicles. Moreover, the electronic architecture of the node will be carefully studied to efficiently manage the harvested energy and achieve low power consumption.

The primary activities can be summarized as follows: