High reliability power systems and solar power converters
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Reliability enhanced systems are shown where an short-lived electrolytic capacitor can be replaced by a much smaller, perhaps film type, longer-lived capacitor to be implemented in circuits for power factor correction, solar power conversion, or otherwise to achieve DC voltage smoothing with circuitry that has solar photovoltaic source (1) a DC photovoltaic input (2) internal to a device (3) and uses an enhanced DC-DC power converter (4) to provide a smoothed DC output (6) with capacitor substitution circuitry (14) that may include interim signal circuitry (28) that creates a large voltage variation for a replaced capacitor (16). Switchmode designs may include first and second switch elements (17) and (18) and an alternative path controller (21) that operates a boost controller (22) and a buck controller (23) perhaps with a switch duty cycle controller (32).
169 Citations
169 Claims
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1-45. -45. (canceled)
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46. An enhanced component solar power system comprising:
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at least one solar photovoltaic source providing a DC photovoltaic input; an inductive element connected to said DC photovoltaic input; alternative switch circuitry connected to said inductor element; a capacitor path responsive to said alternative switch circuitry; an alternative circuitry path also responsive to said alternative path switch circuitry; and a smoothed photovoltaic DC power output connected to said capacitor path and said second alternative circuitry path.
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47. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 46 and further comprising a substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power converter.
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48. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 47 wherein said substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power converter comprises a maximum power point converter.
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49. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 46 and further comprising:
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a photovoltaic DC-AC inverter responsive to said smoothed photovoltaic DC power output; and a photovoltaic AC power output responsive to said photovoltaic DC-AC inverter.
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50. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 49 wherein said alternative switch circuitry comprises:
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a first switch element connected to said inductor element; and a second switch element connected to said inductive element and across said capacitive element.
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51. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 46 and further comprising an alternative path controller to which said alternative switch circuitry is responsive.
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52. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 51 wherein said DC energy source has an alternating current component superimposed on a DC signal, and wherein said alternative path controller comprises a low ripple controller.
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53. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 52 wherein said capacitor path operatively stores a maximum operative capacitor energy, wherein said inductive element operatively stores a maximum operative inductor energy, and wherein said maximum operative capacitor energy is substantially greater than said maximum operative inductor energy.
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54. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 53 wherein said maximum operative capacitor energy and said maximum operative inductor energy are selected from a group consisting of:
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a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about two times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy; a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about five times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy; and a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about ten times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy.
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55. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 53 wherein said alternative path controller comprises a switch frequency controller.
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56. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 51 wherein said alternative path controller comprises a boost controller.
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57. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 56 and further comprises a buck controller.
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58. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 46 wherein said alternative circuitry path comprises a substantially energy storage free circuitry path.
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59. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 52 and further comprising a feedback sensor to which said alternative path controller is responsive.
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60. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 59 wherein said feedback sensor comprises an output voltage feedback sensor.
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61. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 51 wherein said alternative path controller comprises a switch duty cycle controller.
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62. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 61 wherein said switch duty cycle controller comprises an output voltage duty cycle controller.
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63. An enhanced component solar power system as described in claim 53 wherein said capacitor path has a capacitor size selected from a group consisting of:
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a 5 μ
F capacitor;a 10 μ
F capacitor;a 50 μ
F capacitor;a 100 μ
F capacitor;a 500 μ
F capacitor;a capacitor sized at less than about one hundredth of an equivalent electrolytic capacitor for that application; a capacitor sized at less than about one fiftieth of an electrolytic capacitor for that application; a capacitor sized at less than about one twentieth of an equivalent electrolytic capacitor for that application; and a capacitor sized at less than about one tenth of an equivalent electrolytic capacitor for that application.
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64. A device with enhanced life power factor correction comprising:
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operationally active solar photovoltaic power circuitry for said device and having at least one internal, substantially DC device voltage; an inductive element connected to said DC device signal; alternative switch circuitry connected to said inductor element; a capacitor path responsive to said alternative path switch circuitry; an alternative circuitry path also responsive to said alternative switch circuitry; a power factor controller to which device power circuitry is responsive; a low ripple controller to which said alternative switch circuitry is responsive; and an internal low ripple DC voltage connected to said capacitor path and said alternative circuitry path and responsive to said low ripple controller.
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65. A device with enhanced life power factor correction as described in claim 64 wherein said capacitor path operatively stores a maximum operative capacitor energy, wherein said inductive element operatively stores a maximum operative inductor energy, and wherein said maximum operative capacitor energy is substantially greater than said maximum operative inductor energy.
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66. A device with enhanced life power factor correction as described in claim 65 wherein said maximum operative capacitor energy and said maximum operative inductor energy are selected from a group consisting of:
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a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about two times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy; a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about five times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy; and a maximum operative capacitor energy that is at least about ten times as big as said maximum operative inductor energy.
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67. A device with enhanced life power factor correction as described in claim 64 wherein said alternative path controller comprises a switch frequency controller.
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68. A device with enhanced life power factor correction as described in claim 65 wherein said switch frequency controller comprises a switch frequency controller high frequency switch controller.
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69-75. -75. (canceled)
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76. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said unsmoothed DC energy source comprises an unsmoothed, substantially DC voltage.
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77. An apparatus as described in claim 76 wherein said unsmoothed, substantially DC voltage has an alternating current component superimposed on a DC signal.
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78. An apparatus as described in claim 77 wherein said unsmoothed DC energy source has a circuit input connection and wherein said smoothed substantially constant DC voltage has a coincident circuit output connection.
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79. An apparatus as described in claim 77 wherein said unsmoothed DC energy source has a circuit input connection and wherein said smoothed substantially constant DC voltage has a separate circuit output connection.
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80. An apparatus as described in claim 77 wherein said unsmoothed, substantially DC voltage has an alternating current component superimposed on a DC signal has an average sourced DC voltage, and wherein said smoothed substantially constant DC voltage is at a substantially similar average DC supply voltage.
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81. An apparatus as described in claim 77 wherein said unsmoothed, substantially DC voltage has an alternating current component superimposed on a DC signal has an average sourced DC voltage, and wherein said smoothed substantially constant DC voltage is at a different average DC supply voltage.
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82. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and further comprising large voltage variation interim signal circuitry.
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83. An apparatus as described in claim 82 wherein said large voltage variation interim signal circuitry is selected from a group consisting of:
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at least about twenty times voltage variation signal creation circuitry; at least about ten times voltage variation signal creation circuitry; at least about five times voltage variation signal creation circuitry; and at least about double voltage variation signal creation circuitry.
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84. An apparatus as described in claim 82 wherein said large voltage variation interim signal circuitry comprises a voltage transformer.
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85. An apparatus as described in claim 84 wherein said voltage transformer comprises a switch-mode isolated power converter.
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86. An apparatus as described in claim 85 wherein said switch-mode isolated power converter comprises a high frequency switch-mode power converter.
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87. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and further comprising a full circuit component bypass capacitor.
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88. An apparatus as described in claim 87 wherein said full circuit component bypass capacitor comprises a relatively small bypass capacitor.
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89. An apparatus as described in claim 88 wherein said relatively small bypass capacitor comprises a high frequency operative energy storage bypass capacitor.
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90. An apparatus as described in claim 89 wherein said high frequency operative energy storage bypass capacitor comprises a greater than high frequency cycle-by-cycle energy storage bypass capacitor.
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91. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said capacitor path comprises a relatively high voltage tolerant element.
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92. An apparatus as described in claim 91 wherein said relatively high voltage tolerant element comprises a relatively high voltage capacitor.
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93. An apparatus as described in claim 92 wherein said relatively high voltage capacitor comprises a relatively high voltage film capacitor.
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94. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said inductive element comprises a switch current limit inductor.
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95. An apparatus as described in claim 8 wherein said high frequency switch controller is selected from a group consisting of:
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an at least about one thousand times a predominant ripple frequency switch controller; an at least about five hundred times a predominant ripple frequency switch controller; and an at least about one hundred times a predominant ripple frequency switch controller.
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96. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and further comprising energy storage circuitry.
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97. An apparatus as described in claim 96 wherein said energy storage circuitry comprises multiple substantial energy storage locational circuitry.
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98. An apparatus as described in claim 97 wherein said multiple substantial energy storage locational circuitry comprises multiple character energy storage components.
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99. An apparatus as described in claim 98 and further comprising a switch between at least two of said multiple character energy storage components.
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100. An apparatus as described in claim 99 wherein said multiple character energy storage components comprise at least one capacitor and at least one inductive element.
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101. An apparatus as described in claim 100 wherein said inductive element comprises multiple phase inductors.
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102. An apparatus as described in claim 101 wherein said alternative switch circuitry comprises individual inductor switch circuitry.
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103. An apparatus as described in claim 101 wherein said multiple phase inductors comprises inductively coupled multiple phase inductors.
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104. An apparatus as described in claim 103 wherein said inductively coupled multiple phase inductors comprises individually switched inductively coupled multiple phase inductors.
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105. An apparatus as described in claim 104 wherein said individually switched inductively coupled multiple phase inductors comprise interphase connected inductors.
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106. An apparatus as described in claim 105 wherein said inductively coupled multiple phase inductors comprise leakage inductance energy storage multiple phase inductors.
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107. An apparatus as described in claim 105 and further comprising separate energy storage inductors.
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108. An apparatus as described in claim 104 wherein said individually switched inductively coupled multiple phase inductors comprises at least one tapped inductor.
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109. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said alternative switch circuitry comprises alternative output switch circuitry.
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110. An apparatus as described in claim 109 wherein said alternative output switch circuitry comprises deadtime switch circuitry.
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111. An apparatus as described in claim 109 wherein said alternative output switch circuitry comprises paired multiple path switch circuitry.
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112. An apparatus as described in claim 111 wherein said alternative output switch circuitry comprises deadtime switch circuitry.
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113. An apparatus as described in claim 109 wherein said alternative output switch circuitry comprises a double throw switch element.
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114. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and further comprising a voltage transformer.
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115. An apparatus as described in claim 1 and further comprising at least one intracircuitry path diode.
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116. An apparatus as described in claim 115 wherein said intracircuitry path diode comprises at least one antiparallel diode.
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117. An apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said alternative path controller comprises a boost controller.
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118. An apparatus as described in claim 117 wherein said alternative path controller further comprises a buck controller.
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119. An apparatus as described in claim 7 wherein said switch frequency controller comprises a switch duty cycle controller.
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120. An apparatus as described in claim 99 wherein said switch between at least two of said multiple character energy storage components comprises switch-mode circuitry.
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121-167. -167. (canceled)
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168. A method of enhanced component solar power generation comprising the steps of:
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creating a DC photovoltaic input from at least one solar photovoltaic source; inductively affecting said DC photovoltaic input to create a switch input; at times capacitively affecting said switch input by a capacitive component to create a capacitively affected internal signal; at alternative times bypassing said capacitive component to create an alternative internal signal; and combining said capacitively affected internal signal and said alternative internal signal to create a smoothed photovoltaic DC power output.
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169-270. -270. (canceled)
Specification