Wireless solar power delivery

• US 10,128,660 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Apte, Raj B., Adolf, Brian John, Cooper, Kathleen Evelyn
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US14/940,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 307 44, 307 52
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/472 For selectively connecting the AC sources in a particular order, e.g. sequential, alternating or subsets of sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33553 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4818 with means for adaptation of resonance frequency, e.g. by modification of capacitance or inductance of resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/00 Monitoring or testing of PV systems, e.g. load balancing or fault identification
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 50/10 Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

Example implementations relate to a solar panel system including solar cells and an inverter configured to receive electrical energy generated by solar cells and to convert the electrical energy to an electrical signal having an oscillation frequency. The system also include a transmit resonator coupled to the inverter and configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency. Moreover, the transmit resonator may be coupled via a wireless resonant coupling link to a receive resonator that is also configured to resonate at the oscillation frequency. Further, the system may also include a controller configured to determine for the system a mode of operation from among the following modes: (i) a common mode, (ii) a differential mode, and (iii) an inductive mode. And the controller is then configured to instruct the transmit resonator to provide via the wireless resonant coupling link electrical power according to the determined mode of operation.

Claims

1. A solar panel system comprising:

one or more solar cells configured to convert solar energy to electrical energy;

at least one inverter coupled to the one or more solar cells and configured to (i) receive the electrical energy and (ii) convert the electrical energy to an electrical signal having an oscillation frequency;

at least one transmit resonator coupled to the at least one inverter, wherein the at least one transmit resonator is configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency, and wherein the at least one transmit resonator is operable to be coupled via at least one wireless resonant coupling link to at least one receive resonator that is also configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency; and

a controller configured to;

determine for the solar panel system at least one mode of operation from among one or more of the following modes;

(i) a common mode and (ii) a differential mode;

instruct the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link electrical power according to the determined at least one mode of operation;

determine that a second solar panel system provides a first power level to at least one load via at least one different wireless resonant coupling link; and

determine that the first power level is below a threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively (i) receive data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) instruct the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link a second power level to the at least one load in accordance with the indicated power transmission characteristics.

2. The solar panel system of claim 1,

wherein the at least one transmit resonator comprises one or more of the following components:

(i) at least one transmitter common mode capacitor and (ii) at least one transmitter differential mode capacitor,

wherein the common mode provides the at least one wireless resonant coupling link via the at least one transmit common mode capacitor, and

wherein the differential mode provides the at least one wireless resonant coupling link via the at least one transmit differential mode capacitor.

3. The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein the at least one receive resonator is coupled to the at least one load and is configured to provide, to the at least one load, electrical power that the at least one receive resonator receives from the at least one transmit resonator via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link.

4. The solar panel system of claim 3, wherein the indicated power transmission characteristics are first power transmission characteristics, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that a third power level is provided to the at least one load via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link; and

determine that the third power level is below the threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively send to the second solar panel system both;

(i) data indicating second power transmission characteristics for the at least one wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) an instruction for the second solar panel system to provide a fourth power level to the at least one load via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link in accordance with the second power transmission characteristics.

5. The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein the second power level meets the threshold power demand of the at least one load.

6. The solar panel system of claim 1, wherein a combination of the first and second power levels at least partially meets the threshold power demand of the at least one load.

7. The solar panel system of claim 1,

wherein receiving data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link comprises receiving data indicating at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, and

wherein the at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link is from among one or more of the following modes:

(i) the common mode and (ii) the differential mode.

8. The solar panel system of claim 7,

wherein determining for the solar panel system the at least one mode of operation is based at least in part on the indicated power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, and

wherein instructing the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link electrical power according to the determined at least one mode of operation comprises instructing the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link the second power level to the at least one load in accordance with the indicated at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link.

9. The solar panel system of claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to instruct the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link electrical power that is distributed over time according to a time division multiple access (TDMA) approach,

wherein the second solar panel system is configured to provide via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link electrical power that is distributed over time according to the TDMA approach, and

wherein receiving data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link comprises receiving data indicating timing with which the second solar panel system provides the at least one load via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link with electrical power according to the TDMA approach.

10. The solar panel system of claim 9, wherein instructing the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link a second power level to the at least one load in accordance with the indicated power transmission characteristics comprises:

instructing the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link the second power level to the at least one load in accordance with the indicated timing.

11. A wireless power transmission system comprising:

at least one transmit resonator operable to receive at least one electrical signal having an oscillation frequency, wherein the at least one electrical signal is generated from electrical energy that the wireless power transmission system receives from one or more solar panel systems, wherein the one or more solar panel system are configured to convert solar energy to electrical energy, wherein the at least one transmit resonator is configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency, wherein the at least one transmit resonator is operable to be coupled via at least one wireless resonant coupling link to at least one receive resonator that is also configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency, and wherein the at least one receive resonator is coupled to at least one load and is configured to provide, to the at least one load, electrical power that the at least one receive resonator receives from the at least one transmit resonator via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link; and

a controller configured to;

determine for the wireless power transmission system at least one mode of operation from among one or more of the following modes;

(i) a common mode and (ii) a differential mode;

instruct the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link electrical power according to the determined at least one mode of operation;

determine that a first power level is provided to the at least one load via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link; and

determine that the first power level is below a threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively send to a second wireless power transmission system both;

(i) data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) an instruction for the second wireless power transmission system to provide a second power level to the at least one load via at least one different wireless resonant coupling link established in accordance with the indicated power transmission characteristics.

12. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11,

wherein the at least one transmit resonator comprises one or more of the following components:

(i) at least one transmitter common mode capacitor and (ii) at least one transmitter differential mode capacitor,

wherein the common mode provides the at least one wireless resonant coupling link via the at least one transmit common mode capacitor, and

wherein the differential mode provides the at least one wireless resonant coupling link via the at least one transmit differential mode capacitor.

13. The wireless power transmission system of claim 11, wherein the indicated power transmission characteristics are first power transmission characteristics, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the second wireless power transmission system provides a third power level to the at least one load via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, wherein the second wireless power transmission system comprises at least one different transmit resonator operable to receive, from one or more different solar panel systems configured to convert solar energy to electrical energy, at least one electrical signal having the oscillation frequency; and

determine that the third power level is below the threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively (i) receive data indicating second power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) instruct the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link a fourth power level to the at least one load in accordance with the second power transmission characteristics.

14. The wireless power transmission system of claim 13, wherein receiving data indicating second power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link comprises:

receiving data indicating at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, wherein the at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link is from among one or more of the following modes;

(i) the common mode and (ii) the differential mode; and

receiving data indicating timing with which the second wireless power transmission system provides the at least one load via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link with electrical power according to a time division multiple access (TDMA) approach.

15. A method comprising:

determining, by a controller, for a wireless power transmission system at least one mode of operation from among one or more of the following modes;

(i) a common mode and (ii) a differential mode, wherein the wireless power transmission system comprises at least one transmit resonator operable to receive at least one electrical signal having an oscillation frequency, wherein the at least one electrical signal is generated from electrical energy that the wireless power transmission system receives from one or more solar panel systems, wherein the one or more solar panel system are configured to convert solar energy to electrical energy, wherein the at least one transmit resonator is configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency, and wherein the at least one transmit resonator is operable to be coupled via at least one wireless resonant coupling link to at least one receive resonator that is also configured to resonate at at least the oscillation frequency;

instructing, by the controller, the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link electrical power according to the determined at least one mode of operation;

determining, by the controller, that a first power level is provided to at least one load via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link;

determining, by the controller, that the first power level is below a threshold power demand of the at least one load; and

in response to determining that the first power level is below a threshold power demand of the at least one load, the controller operating the wireless power transmission system to (i) receive a second power level from a different source of power and (ii) provide the second power level to the at least one load via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the controller, that a second wireless power transmission system provides a third power level to the at least one load via at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, wherein the second wireless power transmission system comprises at least one different transmit resonator operable to receive, from one or more different solar panel systems configured to convert solar energy to electrical energy, at least one electrical signal having the oscillation frequency; and

determining, by the controller, that the third power level is below the threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively (i) receiving data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) instructing the at least one transmit resonator to provide via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link a fourth power level to the at least one load in accordance with the indicated power transmission characteristics.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link comprises:

receiving data indicating at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link, wherein the at least one mode of operation for the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link is from among one or more of the following modes;

(i) the common mode and (ii) the differential mode; and

receiving data indicating timing with which the second wireless power transmission system provides the at least one load via the at least one different wireless resonant coupling link with electrical power according to a time division multiple access (TDMA) approach.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the different source of power is a first different source of power, the method further comprising:

determining, by the controller, that a third power level is provided to the at least one load via the at least one wireless resonant coupling link; and

determining, by the controller, that the third power level is below the threshold power demand of the at least one load and responsively sending to a second wireless power transmission system both;

(i) data indicating power transmission characteristics for the at least one wireless resonant coupling link and (ii) an instruction for the second wireless power transmission system to (a) receive a fourth power level from a second different source of power and (b) provide the fourth power level to the at least one load via at least one different wireless resonant coupling link established in accordance with the indicated power transmission characteristics.