POWER GENERATOR AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM

• US 20120007435A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: KANNO, Hiroshi, SADA, Tomokazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/84
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves

Abstract

A power generator according to the present invention includes: a power generating section (101) for outputting DC energy; an oscillator (103) for converting the DC energy into RF energy having a frequency f0; a first antenna (107) for transmitting the RF energy; a second antenna, which receives, by coupling a resonant magnetic field, at least a part of the RF energy transmitted by the first antenna (107); and an output converting section (120) for converting the RF energy supplied from the second antenna (109) into AC energy having a lower frequency than the RF energy. If the oscillator (103) has a voltage step-up ratio Voc, the output converting section (120) has a voltage step-up ratio Vtr, the first inductor (107a) of the first antenna (107) has an inductance L1, the second inductor (109a) of the second antenna (109) has an inductance L2, and the first and second antennas (107, 109) have a coupling coefficient k, the power generator satisfies (L2/L1)≧(k/(Voc×Vtr))².

Claims

1. A power generator comprising:

a power generating section that outputs DC energy;

an oscillator that converts the DC energy into RF energy having a frequency f0;

a first antenna that transmits the RF energy, the first antenna including a first inductor and a first capacitor that are connected together in series to form a series resonant circuit with a resonant frequency fT;

a second antenna that receives, by coupling a resonant magnetic field, at least a part of the RF energy that has been transmitted by the first antenna, the second antenna including a second inductor and a second capacitor that are connected in parallel with each other to form a parallel resonant circuit with a resonant frequency fR; and

an output converting section that converts the RF energy that has been supplied from the second antenna into AC energy having a lower frequency than the RF energy,

wherein the resonant frequencies fT and fR are set to be substantially equal to the frequency f0 of the RF energy, and

if the oscillator has a voltage step-up ratio Voc,

the output converting section has a voltage step-up ratio Vtr,

the first inductor has an inductance L1,

the second inductor has an inductance L2, and

the first and second antennas have a coupling coefficient k,

the power generator satisfies (L2/L1) (k/(Voc×

Vtr))².

2. The power generator of claim 1, wherein the power generating section is a solar power generating section.

3. The power generator of claim 1, wherein (L2/L1)≧

100×

(k/(Voc×

Vtr))² is satisfied.

4. The power generator of claim 1, wherein (L2/L1)≧

10000×

(k/(Voc×

Vtr))² is satisfied.

5. The power generator of claim 1, wherein the power generating section and the first antenna are arranged outside of a building.

6. The power generator of claim 1, wherein L1<

L2 is satisfied.

7. The power generator of claim 1, wherein the number N2 of turns of the second inductor is greater than the number N1 of turns of the first inductor.

8. The power generator of claim 1, wherein the area of the second inductor is larger than the area of the first inductor.

9. The power generator of claim 8, wherein when the first and second inductors are projected onto the first antenna'"'"'s arrangement plane, the first inductor is included within an area defined by the projected profile of the second inductor.

10. The power generator of claim 9, wherein when the first and second inductors are projected onto the first antenna'"'"'s arrangement plane, the first inductor is located close to the periphery of the area defined by the projected profile of the second inductor.

11. The power generator of claim 1, comprising a power branching section that connects the output converting section to household wiring and a commercial power grid.

12. A power generation system comprising a number of power generators,

wherein in at least two of the power generators, their output terminals are connected in parallel with each other, and

wherein the at least two power generators are as defined by claim 1.

13. A power generation system comprising:

a number of power generating and voltage increasing sections; and

an output converting section, in which at least two of the power generating and voltage increasing sections have their output terminals connected in parallel with each other and which converts RF energy, supplied from the output terminals, into AC energy having a lower frequency than the RF energy, and

wherein each of the at least two power generating and voltage increasing sections includes;

a power generating section that outputs DC energy;

an oscillator that converts the DC energy into RF energy having a frequency f0;

a first antenna that transmits the RF energy, the first antenna including a first inductor and a first capacitor that are connected together in series to form a series resonant circuit with a resonant frequency fT; and

a second antenna that receives, by coupling a resonant magnetic field, at least a part of the RF energy that has been transmitted by the first antenna, the second antenna including a second inductor and a second capacitor that are connected in parallel with each other to form a parallel resonant circuit with a resonant frequency fR and supplying the RF energy to the output terminals, and

wherein the resonant frequencies fT and fR are set to be substantially equal to the frequency f0 of the RF energy, and

if the oscillator has a voltage step-up ratio Voc,

the output converting section has a voltage step-up ratio Vtr,

the first inductor has an inductance L1,

the second inductor has an inductance L2, and

the first and second antennas have a coupling coefficient k,

the power generation system satisfies (L2/L1)≧

(k/(Voc×

vtr))².