Abstract
Electric vehicles are pushing the boundaries of engineering, particularly when it comes to monitoring key components, such as motor bearings, which operate under high stress and in extremely confined environments. Traditional sensors struggle here — wires break, batteries fail, and line of sight is often impossible. In this project, we developed a compact, wireless, battery-free sensor system capable of monitoring the temperature of bearings from within the electric powertrain. The innovation lies in the use of capacitive coupling between two C-shaped antennas operating in the UHF band. This enables data transmission even in rotating and metallic environments where typical wireless methods fail. Crucially, the design process was driven by advanced electromagnetic simulations in CST Studio Suite, which allowed us to optimize the geometry and performance of the antennas under realistic constraints. Thanks to this digital twin approach, we validated performance virtually before moving to prototyping. Our CST-driven simulation campaign provided insight into power margins, field distribution, and angular tolerance, ultimately leading to a design that is tolerant to misalignments and works reliably with minimal power, suitable with commercial RFID chips featuring embedded temperature sensors. This architecture is inherently resilient to the electromagnetic noise generated within the motor itself, offering a compact, scalable, and non-intrusive solution for continuous bearing health monitoring. A working prototype was tested in an EV motor mock-up, and the results confirm both communication stability and temperature sensing accuracy. The system is a promising step toward predictive maintenance in next-gen e-mobility platforms, where smart, invisible sensors will be key to reliability and safety.
Slides
Speaker
Carolina Miozzi holds a Master’s Degree in Medical Engineering (2017) and a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering (2020) from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Her academic and professional journey has been deeply rooted in the field of electromagnetics and innovative wireless technologies for biomedical and industrial applications.
Her doctoral research, conducted in collaboration with INAIL and the Italian Institute of Technology, focused on developing implantable EMG sensors and wireless systems for controlling upper-limb robotic prostheses. This experience laid the foundation for her continued work at the intersection of advanced sensing and applied electromagnetics.
Since 2019, Carolina has worked at Radio6ense Srl, a spin-off of the University of Rome Tor Vergata specializing in Industrial IoT and Digital Health. She currently serves as Senior Project Manager and became Co-owner of the company in 2023. She leads R&D activities aimed at designing cutting-edge passive and wireless sensing platforms based on RAIN RFID technology. These solutions allow for battery-free, real-time monitoring across a wide range of industrial and healthcare environments by embedding smart sensors into everyday objects and complex industrial environments. Carolina has authored numerous scientific publications and is a co-inventor on three patents in the field of wireless sensor systems. Her work bridges academic research and market-driven innovation, with a focus on transforming complex electromagnetic principles into practical technologies that meet real-world needs.
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