Battery characterization for wireless sensor network applications to investigate the effect of load on surface temperatures

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are commonly used in remote environments for monitoring and sensing. These devices are typically powered by batteries, the performance of which varies depending on environmental (such as temperature and humidity) as well as operational conditions (discharge rate and state-of-charge, SOC). As a result, assessing their technical viability for WSN applications requires performance evaluation based on the aforementioned stimuli. This paper proposes an efficient method for examining battery performance parameters such as capacity, open-circuit voltage (OCV) and SOC. Four battery types (lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, nickel-metal hydride and alkaline) were subjected to IEEE 802.15.4 protocol-based discharge rates to record the discharge characteristics. Furthermore, the combined effect of discharge rates on battery surface temperature and OCV variations was investigated. Shorter relaxation times (4-8 h) were observed in lithium-based batteries, resulting in faster energy recovery while maintaining rated capacity. It was observed that nearly 80% of the voltage region was flat, with minor voltage variations during the discharge cycle. Furthermore, lithium-based batteries experienced negligible changes in surface temperatures (approx. 0.03°C) with respect to discharge rates, making them the best battery choice for low-power applications such as WSNs.