Adaptive solar powered system

• US 8,779,625 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carmanah Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Carmanah Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Work, Jason N., Wyper, Neil D., Lightbody, Simon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US13/161,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 307/46, 307/80
• US Class Current: 307/46
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1588 comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for powering a load from solar energy comprises logic is coupled to the converter to control its conversion rate. A detector is coupled to the converter and detects its power output. The logic is operable to adjust the conversion rate until the solar panel operates at the smaller of a maximum power point of the solar panel and a power point of the solar panel that results in a maximum desired power and second logic adjusts the energy consumption over a period of time as a function of the energy available from the solar panel over a previous same period of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus for powering a load from solar energy comprising:

a DC/DC converter;

battery terminals coupled to said DC/DC converter and coupleable to a battery;

solar panel terminals coupled to said DC/DC converter and coupleable to a solar panel;

first logic for controlling a conversion rate of said converter to operate said DC/DC converter near the maximum power point of said solar panel;

a detector for detecting an energy output of said converter;

second logic coupled with said detector and operable to adjust the energy consumption of said load over a period of time as a function of the energy available from said solar panel over a previous instance of said period of time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second logic is operable to adjust the energy consumption of said load to be at most 90% of the energy available from said solar panel over said previous instance of said period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said load comprises at least one light emitting diode; and

said logic is further adapted to control the brightness of said light emitting diode to adjust the energy consumption of said load.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said load comprises at least one light emitting diode; and

said logic is further adapted to control a pulse rate of said light emitting diode to adjust the energy consumption of said load.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a buck converter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a boost converter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a buck/boost converter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises an H-bridge.