Harvesting power from multiple energy sources

• US 9,197,143 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hottinger Bruel & Kjaer Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Townsend, Christopher P., Arms, Steven W., Hamel, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/038,339
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 307/84, 307/151
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/108 using diodes blocking reverse current flow H02J1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/00 Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/071 Mounting of piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts together with semiconductor elements, or other circuit elements, on a common substrate

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of energy harvesting circuits, an energy storage device, a first diode and a second diode. The plurality of energy harvesting circuits includes a first energy harvesting circuit and a second energy harvesting circuit. The first energy harvesting circuit includes a first transducer and the second energy harvesting circuit includes a second transducer. The first transducer is structured for converting a different kind of energy into electricity than is the second transducer. The first diode is electrically connected between the first energy harvesting circuit and the energy storage device and the second diode is electrically connected between the second energy harvesting circuit and the energy storage device. The first diode is oriented to prevent energy from the second energy harvesting circuit from being dissipated in the first energy harvesting circuit and the second diode is oriented to prevent energy from the first energy harvesting circuit from being dissipated in the second energy harvesting circuit.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a plurality of energy harvesting circuits all connected for powering a load, the load being the same load, a voltage dependent switch positioned between said plurality of energy harvesting circuits and said load, said plurality of energy harvesting circuits including;

a first energy harvesting circuit,

a second energy harvesting circuit, and

a third energy harvesting circuit,

wherein said first energy harvesting circuit includes a first transducer,

wherein said second energy harvesting circuit includes a second transducer, and

wherein said third energy harvesting circuit includes a third transducer,

wherein said first transducer and said second transducer both provide AC current and wherein said third transducer provides DC current,

wherein said first transducer has a substantially higher impedance than said second transducer, and

a plurality of diodes, wherein a diode is located between each of said plurality of energy harvesting circuits and said voltage dependent switch.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transducer is for converting into electricity one from the group consisting of mechanical energy, thermal energy, light energy, and energy from an electromagnetic field.

3. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein said mechanical energy includes at least one from the group consisting of strain energy, vibration energy, and rotational energy.

4. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein said mechanical energy includes energy from a transient mechanical event.

5. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein said first energy harvesting circuit harvests thermal energy from a difference in temperature.

6. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein said first energy harvesting circuit harvests energy from a difference in temperature using at least one from the group consisting of a Peltier thermoelectric generator and a thermopile.

7. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transducer provides alternating current and wherein said second transducer provides direct current.

8. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first transducer provides a pulse of electricity.

9. A device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device, said energy storage device includes at least one from the group consisting of a super capacitor, a rechargeable battery, and a thin film battery.

10. A device as recited in claim 9, wherein said load is connected for receiving electrical energy derived from said energy storage device, wherein said load includes at least one from the group consisting of a sensor, a processor, a memory, a timekeeper, a wireless communications device, a light, and an actuator.

11. A device as recited in claim 10, wherein said load includes a power conditioning circuit, said processor, a data logging circuit, and said wireless communications circuit, wherein said signal conditioning circuit, said processor, said data logging circuit, and said wireless communications circuit receive all their electrical energy derived from at least one of said plurality of energy harvesting devices.

12. A device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third energy harvesting circuit and a third diode, wherein said third energy harvesting circuit includes a third transducer that is structured to convert a different kind of energy into electricity than said first transducer and than said second transducer, wherein said third diode is connected between said third energy harvesting circuit and said energy storage device, and wherein said third diode is oriented to prevent energy from at least one from the group consisting of said first energy harvesting circuit and said second energy harvesting circuit from being dissipated in said third energy harvesting circuit.

13. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said voltage dependent switch has a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, wherein said first voltage threshold is higher than said second voltage threshold, wherein said voltage dependent switch closes when a voltage applied across the voltage dependent switch is equal to or greater than the first voltage threshold and said voltage dependent switch opens when a voltage applied across the switch is equal to or less than the second voltage threshold.

14. A device as recited in claim 13, wherein said load is connected for receiving electrical current passing through said voltage dependent switch.

15. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first energy harvesting circuit harvests energy in a first voltage range and wherein said second energy harvesting circuit harvests energy in a second voltage range, wherein said first voltage range is different from said second voltage range.

16. A device as recited in claim 15, wherein said first voltage range is 20 to 600 mV.

17. A device as recited in claim 15, wherein said first voltage range is from 3V to 20V.

18. A device as recited in claim 15, wherein said first voltage range is from 20V to 130V.

19. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said energy harvesting circuits includes a circuit for one from group consisting of stepping up voltage and for stepping down voltage.

20. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of diodes include one said diode located within each of said plurality of energy harvesting circuits, wherein one said diodes is positioned to communicate with said energy storing device, wherein each of said plurality of diodes is oriented to prevent current generated in one of said plurality of energy harvesting circuits from being dissipated in another of said energy harvesting circuits.

21. A device as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

a plurality of capacitances, wherein said plurality of capacitances includes a first capacitance and a second capacitance,

a plurality of power converters, wherein said plurality of power converters includes a first power converter and a second power converter,

wherein said plurality of diodes includes a first diode and a second diode,

wherein said first energy harvesting circuit includes said first capacitance, said first power converter and said first diode, said first capacitance is connected between said first power converter and said first diode, and

wherein said second energy harvesting circuit includes said second capacitance, said first second converter and said second diode, said second capacitance is connected between said second power converter and said second diode.

22. A device as recited in claim 21, wherein first capacitance is larger than said second capacitance.

23. A device for powering a load, comprising an energy harvesting circuit, a voltage dependent switch, an energy storage device, a first connection to the load, and a second connection to the load, wherein said energy harvesting circuit includes a transducer for converting a kind of energy into electricity, wherein said first connection to the load connects said energy harvesting circuit to power the load, wherein said voltage dependent switch is connected between said energy harvesting circuit and said energy storage device, wherein said second connection to the load connects said energy storage device to power the load, wherein said second connection to the load includes a diode oriented to allow current from said energy storage device to flow to said load.