System for energy harvesting and/or generation, storage, and delivery

• US 7,692,411 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TPL Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TPL Incorporated
• Inventors: Lakeman, Charles D. E., Fleig, Patrick Franz, Trainor, John T., DeGreeff, Jenniffer Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fantu; Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US11/620,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 320/166, 320/167, 363/49, 363/50
• US Class Current: 320/166
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A device and method for harvesting, generating, storing, and delivering energy to a load, particularly for remote or inaccessible applications. The device preferably comprises one or more energy sources, at least one supercapacitor, at least one rechargeable battery, and a controller. The charging of the energy storage devices and the delivery of power to the load is preferably dynamically varied to maximize efficiency. A low power consumption charge pump circuit is preferably employed to collect power from low power energy sources while also enabling the delivery of higher voltage power to the load. The charging voltage is preferably programmable, enabling one device to be used for a wide range of specific applications.

Claims

1. A method for delivering power to a load, the method comprising the steps of collecting charge from an energy source;

boosting a voltage of the collected charge with a charge pump;

controllably charging a supercapacitor to a threshold voltage;

controllably charging a battery from the supercapacitor; and

delivering power from the supercapacitor to a load;

wherein the step of controllably charging a supercapacitor comprises adjusting a rate of the switching step based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a charging rate of the supercapacitor and a power level of the energy source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the voltage of the collected charge is less than half of the threshold voltage.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the voltage of the collected charge is approximately one fourth of the threshold voltage.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold voltage is programmable.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of switching a second supercapacitor from being in parallel with the supercapacitor to being in series with the supercapacitor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the switching step comprises delivering power at a delivery voltage higher than the threshold voltage to the load or to charge the battery.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the delivery voltage is approximately twice the threshold voltage.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of switching at least two capacitors in the charge pump from being in parallel to being in series.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of controllably charging a supercapacitor comprises adjusting a rate of the switching step based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a charging rate of the supercapacitor and a power level of the energy source.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of conditioning charge pump gate voltages.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the conditioning step comprises saturating one or more FETs in the charge pump.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recharging the supercapacitor from the charge pump when power from the energy source is available.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recharging the supercapacitor from the battery when power from the energy source is unavailable.

14. An apparatus for delivering power to a load, the apparatus comprising:

at least one energy source;

a charge pump for boosting a voltage of charge collected from said energy source;

a control module;

a battery; and

one or more supercapacitors for charging said battery and delivering power to a load;

wherein said control module controls charging of said supercapacitors to a threshold voltage by said charge pump; and

the control module adjusts the rate of switching capacitors in the charge pump based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of the charging rate of the supercapacitors and the power level of the energy source.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the voltage of the collected charge is less than half of the threshold voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the voltage of the collected charge is approximately one fourth of the threshold voltage.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the control module is programmable.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said supercapacitors are switched to being arranged in series for delivering power at a delivery voltage higher than the threshold voltage to said load or to charge said battery.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the delivery voltage is approximately twice the threshold voltage.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said control module adjusts a rate of switching capacitors in said charge pump based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a charging rate of said supercapacitors and a power level of said energy source.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a FET gate conditioner circuit for saturating one or more FETs in said charge pump.

22. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said supercapacitors are recharged from said charge pump when power from said energy source is available.

23. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said supercapacitors are recharged from said battery when power from said energy source is unavailable.