Solar powered satellite system

• US 9,705,587 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Nafe, Frank, Rayner, Lauren, Goldey, Jordan, Langer, Paul Anthony, Jaramillo, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsieh, Ping
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, James
• Application Number:
  US14/587,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18513 Transmission in a satellite or space-based system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18517 Transmission equipment in earth stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar powered satellite system is provided. A power control system, for example, of the solar powered satellite system may include, but is not limited to, a first interface configured to receive a power signal from the satellite receiver, a voltage converter electrically coupled to the first interface, the voltage converter configured to reduce a voltage of the power signal received from the satellite receiver to a predetermined voltage, a second interface configured to receive a power signal from the solar panel assembly, a third interface configured to be coupled to at least one power consumer of a satellite antenna system, and a source selection circuit electrically coupled to the voltage converter, the solar panel assembly and the third interface, the source selection circuit configured to output a selected power signal based upon a comparison between the predetermined voltage and a voltage of the power signal from the solar panel assembly.

Claims

1. A power control system, comprising:

a first interface configured to be coupled to a satellite receiver and configured to receive a power signal from the satellite receiver;

a voltage converter electrically coupled to the first interface, the voltage converter configured to adjust a voltage of the power signal received from the satellite receiver to a predetermined voltage;

a second interface configured to be coupled to a solar panel assembly and configured to receive a power signal from the solar panel assembly;

a third interface configured to be coupled to at least one power consumer of a satellite antenna system;

a source selection circuit electrically coupled to the voltage converter, the solar panel assembly and the third interface, the source selection circuit configured to output a selected power signal by electrically coupling the second interface to the third interface when the voltage of the power signal from the solar panel assembly is greater than the predetermined voltage and further configured to electrically couple the first interface to the third interface when the voltage of the power signal from the solar panel assembly is less than the predetermined voltage;

a first bias-T electrically coupled between the first interface, the voltage converter and the third interface, the first bias-T configured to;

receive the power signal received from the satellite receiver and control and RF signals from the satellite receiver along a first single bus;

split the power signal received from the satellite receiver from the control and RF signals from the satellite receiver;

transmit the power signal received from the satellite receiver to the voltage converter; and

transmit the control and RF signals received from the satellite receiver to the third interface; and

a second bias-T electrically coupled between the first bias-T, the source selection circuit and the third interface, the second bias-T configured to;

receive the selected power signal from the source selection circuit;

receive the control and RF signals from the first bias-T;

combine the selected power signal received from the source selection circuit with the control and RF signals from the first bias-T; and

transmit the combined selected power signal and the control and RF signals to the third interface along a second single bus.

2. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the source selection circuit comprises:

a first diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the anode end of the first diode is electrically coupled to the first interface through the voltage converter;

a second diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the anode end of the second diode is electrically coupled to the second interface, and the cathode end of the first diode and the cathode end of the second diodes are electrically coupled together and electrically coupled to the third interface.

3. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the voltage converter is a DC to DC buck switched mode power supply.

4. The power control system of claim 3, wherein the voltage converter comprises a step-down switching regulator.

5. The power control system of claim 1, wherein the first single bus and second single bus are coaxial style busses.

6. A method of controlling a power control system, comprising:

receiving, from a solar panel assembly by the power control system, a first power signal;

receiving, from a satellite receiver by the power control system, a second power signal and RF signals from a first single bus;

splitting, by a first bias-T circuit the second power signal from the control and RF signals, the second power signal being transmitted to a voltage converter by the first bias-T circuit and the RF control signal being transmitted to a second bias-T circuit by the first bias-T circuit;

reducing, by the voltage converter, a voltage of the second power signal received from the satellite receiver to a predetermined voltage;

selecting, by a source selection circuit, one of the first power signal and the reduced voltage of the second power signal as a power source for a power consumer of a satellite antenna system based upon a comparison between the first power signal and the predetermined voltage;

combining, by the second bias-T circuit, the selected power source for the power consumer of the satellite antenna system with the RF control signal; and

electrically coupling, by the second bias-T circuit, the selected power source and the RF control signal to the power consumer of the satellite antenna system via a second single bus.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

reducing, before the selecting, a voltage of the first power signal when the voltage of the first power signal is above a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the selecting comprises:

electrically coupling the first power signal to the second power signal through first and second diodes, the first diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the anode end of the first diode is electrically coupled to the first power signal, the second diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the anode end of the second diode being electrically coupled to the second power signal, and the cathode end of the first diode and the cathode end of the second diodes are electrically coupled together and electrically coupled to the power consumer of the satellite antenna system.

9. A solar power satellite system, comprising:

a satellite antenna system coupled to at least one power consumer;

a satellite receiver configured to output a first power signal;

a solar panel assembly comprising at least one solar panel configured to output a second power signal; and

a power control system, comprising;

a first interface configured to be coupled to the satellite receiver and configured to receive the first power signal;

a voltage converter electrically coupled to the first interface, the voltage converter configured to reduce a voltage of the first power signal to a predetermined voltage;

a second interface configured to be coupled to the solar panel assembly and configured to receive the second power signal;

a third interface configured to be coupled to the at least one power consumer of the satellite antenna system;

a source selection circuit electrically coupled to the voltage converter, the solar panel assembly and the third interface, the source selection circuit configured to output a selected power signal by electrically couple the second interface to the third interface when the voltage of the second power signal from the solar panel assembly is greater than the predetermined voltage and further configured to electrically couple the first interface to the third interface when the voltage of the second power signal from the solar panel assembly is less than the predetermined voltage;

a first bias-T electrically coupled between the first interface, the voltage converter and the third interface, the first bias-T configured to;

receive the first power signal received from the satellite receiver and control and RF signals from the satellite receiver along a single bus;

split the first power signal received from the satellite receiver from the control and RF signals from the satellite receiver;

transmit the first power signal received from the satellite receiver to the voltage converter; and

transmit the control and RF signals received from the satellite receiver to the third interface; and

a second bias-T electrically coupled between the first bias-T, the source selection circuit and the third interface, the second bias-T configured to;

receive the selected power signal from the source selection circuit;

receive the control and RF signals from the first bias-T;

combine the selected power signal received from the source selection circuit with the control and RF signals from the first bias-T; and

transmit the combined selected power signal and the control and RF signals to the third interface along a single bus.

10. The solar power satellite system of claim 9, wherein the source selection circuit comprises:

a first diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the first end of the first diode is electrically coupled to the first interface through the voltage converter;

a second diode having an anode end and a cathode end, the anode end of the second diode is electrically coupled to the second interface, and the cathode end of the first diode and the cathode end of the second diodes are electrically coupled together and electrically coupled to the third interface.

11. The solar power satellite system of claim 9, wherein the voltage converter is a DC to DC buck switched mode power supply.

12. The solar power satellite system of claim 11, wherein the voltage converter comprises a step-down switching regulator.

13. The solar power satellite system of claim 9, wherein the first single bus and second single bus are coaxial style busses.

14. The solar power satellite system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined voltage is set to a lowest value allowable by the at least one power consumer taking into consideration various installation variables such as cable length, voltage tolerances, voltage and current changes over temperature.