COMPANY PROFILE

Arveni is a high tech start up located near Grenoble (France) in the booming industry of wireless sensor networks. The company designs, produces and sells microgenerators for industrials dedicated to piezoelectric energy harvesting. Arveni has developed its proprietary technology, protected by 7 patents so far. Arveni’s team is made up of 3 highly skilled engineers, and is focused on the most demanding applications.

INNOVATION BASED ON PIEZOELECTRICITY

Today, the need for local, long lasting power source is strong for wireless applications. Arveni’s microgenerator transforms mechanical energy of the environment, e.g. vibration, the pressure of a finger… into electricity. The physical principle is the piezoelectricity, which is a solid state technology. Arveni’s microgenerator is the power source of the sensor node. The microgenerator includes, except for vibration harvesting, an interface with the external force, e.g. in the case of a bell, the interface is a button. The microgenerator delivers, at desired voltage, electricity to the sensor, and to the microchip. When communication is needed, the microchip wakes up the radio circuit to transmit. 

Thanks to the internal and patented design, the yield of transformation from mechanical energy to electricity is high…superior than any alternative microgenerator. The design of Arveni’s microgenerator is a technological breakthrough, which allows powering current sensors, offers an unparalleled freedom in design for the customer’s applications.

SPECIFITIES

Arveni’s microgenerators are characterized by: 

• stable performance over time
• no maintenance, no refill
• capability to work from -40 °C up to 150°C
• high reliability
• small size
• low cost in high volumes
• high yield of conversion
• green technology

APPLICATIONS

Arveni’s microgenerators can be used in most of wireless applications, especially:

• petrochemical, agro , mines, paper industries plant monitoring
• mechanical industry of discrete parts, also cable industry
• preventive maintenance, especially for rotary machine, gearings
• automated metering reading, for water, gas and bulk
• Structure health monitoring for aircraft, bridges…
• containers, wagon, vehicle asset tracking
• home automation: switches, door opening detection…
• automotive: TPMS, RKE

Arveni’s microgenerator enables a sensors node to:

• be fully autonomous for years
• communicate in both ways: transmission & reception
• enable full sealing of the packaging
• work under extreme harsh environment
• work in remote locations
• be repositioned at will, allowing a total flexibility of the network
• Become environment friendly

STRATEGY

Created in 2007, the company was incubated at Crealys (Villeurbanne–F) and it was also supported by the ‘Region Rhone Alpes’, and the INSA School of engineering.  In 2006, Arveni’s project was awarded by the Minister of Technology with the prize ‘Emerging Technology’.

SOURCES

ARVENI