SYSTEM FOR CHARGING BATTERY

• US 20160172889A1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: KIM, Sung-Eun, KANG, Tae-Wook
• Application Number:
  US14/864,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160172889A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A battery charging system is provided. The battery charging system comprises an energy harvester configured to generate power; an input capacitor configured to store the power; a first DC-DC converter configured to perform maximum power point tracking by receiving the power to extract the maximum power; a storage capacitor configured to store the maximum power; a second DC-DC converter configured to convert the maximum power to a predetermined rechargeable voltage; and a battery configured to store the power converted to the rechargeable voltage, wherein the second DC-DC converter controls to prevent a low voltage from being inputted to the capacitor and to prevent energy from being consumed uselessly in the storage capacitor while converting the voltage.

Claims

1. A battery charging system comprising:

an energy harvester configured to generate power;

an input capacitor configured to store the power;

a first DC-DC converter configured to receive the power and perform maximum power point tracking by receiving the power to extract the maximum power;

a storage capacitor configured to store the maximum power;

a second DC-DC converter configured to convert the maximum power to a predetermined rechargeable voltage; and

a battery configured to store the power converted to the rechargeable voltage,

wherein the second DC-DC converter controls to prevent a low voltage from being inputted to the capacitor and to prevent energy from being consumed uselessly in the storage capacitor while converting the voltage.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the second DC-DC converter comprises:

a power regulation unit configured to raise a voltage to the rechargeable voltage which is higher than the voltage of the battery by receiving the power stored in the storage capacitor and output the raised power;

an input switch configured to perform an on-off operation to control power input to the power regulation unit by being connected to an input terminal of the power regulation unit;

an output switch configured to perform an on-off operation to control power output from the power regulation unit by being connected between an output terminal of the power regulation unit and the battery; and

an input/output control unit configured to output a control signal to the input switch and the output switch based on an input voltage and an output voltage of the power regulation unit to control an on-off operation of the input switch and the output switch.

3. The battery charging system of claim 2, wherein the input/output control unit, when the input voltage is increased to higher than a predetermined level, turns the input switch on to input the power stored in the storage capacitor to the power regulation unit and when the output voltage is increased to the rechargeable voltage, turns the output switch on to output the raised power to the battery.

4. The battery charging system of claim 3, wherein the input/output control unit, when all of the power stored in the storage capacitor is supplied to the battery, turns the input switch and the output switch off to block input and output of the power regulation unit.

5. The battery charging system of claim 2, wherein the power regulation unit comprises:

a regulation module comprising an inductor, a first switch and a second switch and configured to raise power through an on-off operation of the first switch and the second switch to generate output power;

an output voltage monitoring module configured to generate a signal to control an output voltage of the output power to be a reference voltage;

a clock oscillator configured to generate a clock signal at a constant period; and

a regulation control module configured to control the regulation module to a pulse width modulation (PMW) mode based on the clock signal by using the signal generated from the output voltage monitoring module.

6. The battery charging system of claim 5, wherein the regulation control module outputs a control signal to the first switch and the second switch at every clock signal to control an on-off operation of the first switch and the second switch.

7. The battery charging system of claim 6, wherein the regulation control module controls an on-off operation of the first switch and the second switch based on an on-off time ratio of the first switch and the second switch which is determined according to the signal generated from the output voltage monitoring module.

8. A DC-DC converter which is to charge a battery in a battery charging system, the DC-DC converter comprising:

a storage capacitor configured to store input power;

a power regulation unit configured to raise a voltage to the rechargeable voltage which is higher than the voltage of the battery by receiving the power stored in the storage capacitor and output the raised power;

an input switch configured to perform an on-off operation to control power input to the power regulation unit by being connected to an input terminal of the power regulation unit;

an output switch configured to perform an on-off operation to control power output from the power regulation unit by being connected between an output terminal of the power regulation unit and the battery; and

an input/output control unit configured to output a control signal to the input switch and the output switch based on an input voltage and an output voltage of the power regulation unit to control an on-off operation of the input switch and the output switch.

9. A battery charging system comprising:

more than one energy harvester configured to generate power;

more than one input capacitor configured to store the power by being corresponded to each energy harvester;

more than one first DC-DC converter configured to perform maximum power point tracking by receiving the power to extract the maximum power by being corresponded to each energy harvester;

more than one storage capacitor configured to store the maximum power by being corresponded to each energy harvester;

an energy accumulator configured to add the power stored in the more than one storage capacitor to one accumulate power;

a storage capacitor configured to store the accumulate power;

a second DC-DC converter configured to convert the accumulate power to a predetermined rechargeable voltage; and

a battery configured to store the power converted to the rechargeable voltage,

wherein the second DC-DC converter controls to prevent a low voltage from being inputted to the capacitor and to prevent energy from being consumed uselessly in the storage capacitor while converting the voltage.