Wireless M-Bus Sensor Networks for Smart Water Grids: Analysis and Results

Wireless sensor network technologies are experiencing an impressive development, as they represent one of the building blocks upon which new paradigms, such as Internet of Things and Smart Cities, may be implemented. Among the different applications enabled by such technologies, automatic monitoring of the water grid, and smart metering of water consumptions, may have a great impact on the preservation of one of the most valued, and increasingly scarce, natural resources. Sensor nodes located along water pipes cannot rely on the availability of power grid facilities to get the necessary energy imposed by their working conditions. In this sense, an energy-efficient design of the network architecture, and the evaluation of Energy Harvesting techniques to sustain its nodes, becomes of paramount importance. This paper investigates the suitability of a Wireless Metering Bus-based solution for the implementation of smart water grids, by evaluating network and node related performance, through simulations, prototype design, and experimental tests, which confirm the feasibility and efficiency of the proposal.