A piezoelectric flow sensor for use as a wake-up switch for a wireless sensor network node

sPower management is a fundamental issue in wireless sensor networks. In this paper, a piezoelectric flow sensor is proposed for use as a wake-up switch in a wireless sensor node to reduce power consumption. A cantilever with a Pb (Zr, Ti) O3 (PZT) thin film detects airflow changes surrounding the wireless sensor node. A prototype of the flow sensor is used to determine the relationship between the change in flow velocity and piezoelectric voltage of the cantilever. The fabricated sensor generates a piezoelectric voltage of several millivolts when the flow velocity changes at a rate of approximately 1 m/s.