Power harvesting circuit and method for serially coupled DC power sources
First Claim
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1. An apparatus including current balancing circuitry, comprising:
- first, second and third electrodes for coupling to first and second serially coupled DC power sources to receivevia said first and third electrodes, a sum of first and second DC voltages produced by said first and second DC power sources, respectively, and a common DC current produced by said first and second DC power sources, andvia said second electrode, a difference DC current substantially equal to a difference between first and second DC currents produced by said first and second DC power sources, respectively;
capacitive circuitry coupled to said first, second and third electrodes;
switching circuitry coupled between said first and third electrodes;
inductive circuitry coupled between said second electrode and said switching circuitry; and
control circuitry coupled to said first, second and third electrodes and said switching circuitry, whereinsaid control circuitry is responsive to measured values of said first and second DC voltages and measured values of said first and second DC currents by providing a plurality of control signals, andsaid switching circuitry is responsive to said plurality of control signals by providing a first DC current path between said inductive circuitry and said first electrode during a first time interval, and a second DC current path between said inductive circuitry and said third electrode during a second time interval.
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Abstract
Circuitry and method for maximizing power from multiple DC power sources mutually coupled in series and providing unequal DC currents. Current related to the difference between the unequal DC currents is diverted from the serially coupled sources, captured as magnetic field energy and then added to the DC current provided by the serially coupled sources.
41 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An apparatus including current balancing circuitry, comprising:
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first, second and third electrodes for coupling to first and second serially coupled DC power sources to receive via said first and third electrodes, a sum of first and second DC voltages produced by said first and second DC power sources, respectively, and a common DC current produced by said first and second DC power sources, and via said second electrode, a difference DC current substantially equal to a difference between first and second DC currents produced by said first and second DC power sources, respectively; capacitive circuitry coupled to said first, second and third electrodes; switching circuitry coupled between said first and third electrodes; inductive circuitry coupled between said second electrode and said switching circuitry; and control circuitry coupled to said first, second and third electrodes and said switching circuitry, wherein said control circuitry is responsive to measured values of said first and second DC voltages and measured values of said first and second DC currents by providing a plurality of control signals, and said switching circuitry is responsive to said plurality of control signals by providing a first DC current path between said inductive circuitry and said first electrode during a first time interval, and a second DC current path between said inductive circuitry and said third electrode during a second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for maximizing power from multiple DC power sources, comprising:
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receiving, via first and third electrodes, a sum of first and second DC voltages produced by first and second DC power sources, respectively, and a common DC current produced by said first and second DC power sources; receiving, via a second electrode, a difference DC current substantially equal to a difference between first and second DC currents produced by said first and second DC power sources, respectively; capacitively coupling said first, second and third electrodes; and measuring said first and second DC voltages and said first and second DC currents and in accordance with measured values thereof providing, for said difference DC current, a first inductive DC current path between said second and first electrodes during a first time interval, and providing, for said difference DC current, a second inductive DC current path between said second and third electrodes during a second time interval. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification