Small wind turbines and their potential for internet of things applications

Wind energy is crucial for meeting climate and energy sustainability targets. Small wind turbines (SWTs) have gained significant attention due to their size and adaptability. These turbines have potential for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, particularly in powering large areas and low-power devices. This review examines SWTs for IoT applications, providing an extensive overview of their development, including wind energy rectifiers, power generation mechanisms, and IoT applications. The paper summarizes and compares different types of wind energy rectifiers, explores recent advancements and representative work, and discusses applicable generator systems such as electromagnetic, piezoelectric, and triboelectric nanogenerators. In addition, it thoroughly reviews the latest research on IoT application scenarios, including transportation, urban environments, intelligent agriculture, and self-powered wind sensing. Lastly, the paper identifies future research directions and emphasizes the potential of interdisciplinary technologies in driving SWT development.