Power control system and method

• US 20060181083A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amphenol Thermometrics, Inc. (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steigerwald, Robert Louis, Anderson, Todd Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,132,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.A
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods

Abstract

A power system includes an energy harvesting device, a battery coupled to the energy harvesting device, and a circuit coupled to the energy harvesting device and the battery. The circuit is adapted to deliver power to a load by providing power generated by the energy harvesting device to the load without delivering excess power to the battery and to supplement the power generated by the energy harvesting device with power from the battery if the power generated by the energy harvesting device is insufficient to fully power the load. A method of operating the power system is also provided.

Claims

1. A power system, comprising:

an energy harvesting device;

a battery coupled to the energy harvesting device; and

a circuit coupled to the energy harvesting device and the battery, the circuit adapted to control delivery of power to a load by providing power generated by the energy harvesting device to the load without delivering excess power to the battery and to supplement the power generated by the energy harvesting device with power from the battery if the power generated by the energy harvesting device is insufficient to fully power the load.

2. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a generation device that converts mechanical disturbances into electrical power.

3. The power system as recited in claim 2, wherein the generation device comprises a tuning mass configured to mechanically tune the generation device to a desirable vibration frequency, and configured to maximize the power generated by the energy harvesting device via resonance.

4. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises an acoustic transducer.

5. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a thermal transducer operable to provide electrical power from thermal gradients.

6. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a transducer operable to provide electrical energy from light energy.

7. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a diode that prevents charging of the battery by the energy harvesting device.

8. The power system as recited in claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a comparator coupled to a MOSFET active diode configured to prevent charging of the battery by the energy harvesting device.

9. The power system as recited in claim 8, wherein the MOSFET active diode is configured to reduce power losses in the circuit if the battery is supplying power.

10. The power system as recited in claim 8, wherein the circuit comprises an integrated circuit power controller coupled to the MOSFET active diode to prevent charging of the battery by the energy harvesting device.

11. A method, comprising:

operating an energy harvesting device to provide energy harvesting power;

providing the energy harvesting power to a load without delivering excess energy harvesting power to a battery; and

supplementing the energy harvesting power with power from the battery if the energy harvesting power is insufficient to fully power the load.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein operating the energy harvesting device comprises converting mechanical disturbances into electrical power.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein operating the energy harvesting device comprises converting acoustic energy into electrical power.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein operating the energy harvesting device comprises providing electrical power from thermal gradients.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein operating the energy harvesting device comprises converting light energy into electrical power.

16. A power system, comprising:

a sensor;

an energy harvesting device operable to deliver power to the sensor;

a battery coupled to the energy harvesting device and the sensor; and

a circuit coupled to the energy harvesting device and the battery, the circuit adapted to control delivery of power to the sensor by providing power generated by the energy harvesting device to the sensor without delivering excess power to the battery and to supplement the power generated by the energy harvesting device with power from the battery if the power generated by the energy harvesting device is insufficient to fully power the sensor.

17. The power system as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor comprises a wireless sensor.

18. The power system as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor is coupled to a motor and is adapted to provide status data of the motor to a remote monitoring system.

19. The power system as recited in claim 18, wherein the energy harvesting device comprises a piezoelectric source disposed on the motor that converts vibrations of the motor into electrical power.

20. The power system as recited in claim 18, wherein the status data comprises data representative of a lifetime of the motor.