WO2015177493A1 - Améliorations apportées à l'énergie solaire - Google Patents

Améliorations apportées à l'énergie solaire Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2015177493A1
WO2015177493A1 PCT/GB2015/000140 GB2015000140W WO2015177493A1 WO 2015177493 A1 WO2015177493 A1 WO 2015177493A1 GB 2015000140 W GB2015000140 W GB 2015000140W WO 2015177493 A1 WO2015177493 A1 WO 2015177493A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
connector
housing
energy storage
circuitry
power supply
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/GB2015/000140
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Edward MATOS
Oliver KYNASTON
Alexander Smith
Paul Wolfson
Sebastian Conran
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
SHAMBA TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Original Assignee
SHAMBA TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SHAMBA TECHNOLOGIES Ltd filed Critical SHAMBA TECHNOLOGIES Ltd
Publication of WO2015177493A1 publication Critical patent/WO2015177493A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J1/00—Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks
    • H02J1/06—Two-wire DC power distribution systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
    • H02J7/34—Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering
    • H02J7/35—Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering with light sensitive cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J1/00—Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks
    • H02J1/10—Parallel operation of DC sources
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J1/00—Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks
    • H02J1/10—Parallel operation of DC sources
    • H02J1/108—Parallel operation of DC sources having arrangements for blocking reverse current flow, e.g. using diodes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks
    • H02J3/38—Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel
    • H02J3/381—Dispersed generators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00—Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks
    • H02J3/38—Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel
    • H02J3/46—Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02J—ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J2101/00—Supply or distribution of decentralised, dispersed or local electric power generation
    • H02J2101/20—Dispersed power generation using renewable energy sources
    • H02J2101/22—Solar energy
    • H02J2101/24—Photovoltaics
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
    • Y02E10/56—Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Definitions

  • a solar-powered system in its most basic form consists of a solar panel to generate electricity and some electronic components to safely and efficiently regulate that electricity. If the main purpose of the system is to supply power to devices at night (e.g. an LED light) then the system must also have a battery or other means for energy storage. Any such battery must have the necessary electronics so that it may be charged and discharged safely and efficiently whilst maximising the lifetime of the battery.
  • Mini solar-powered systems cannot supply electricity to higher-powered appliances: Appliances requiring a higher power supply, such as bright lights, a small TV, or a small fridge, cannot be powered by a small battery, not even for a short period of time. This is because the internal resistance of each battery limits the amount of current it can deliver. There is a tendency for an increasing amount of stored energy to be lost as heat, the higher the discharge current is. There is also an upper limit which the discharge current should not exceed to protect the cell from being damaged. Thus, users are limited to small, low-powered appliances even if they have a very large combined capacity in their numerous mini solar systems.
  • Fig. 2 shows a household using an exemplary known system 200.
  • the system 200 comprises four mini solar-powered systems 200a, 200b, 200c and 200d which are isolated from each other such that power cannot be shared between them.
  • Each mini system 200a, 200b, 200c, 200d comprises a respective solar panel 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art, a respective battery 206a, 206b, 206c, 206d, and a respective appliance 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d which is configured to draw power from its respective solar panel 202a, 202b, 202c, 202d and/or its respective battery 206a, 206b, 206c, 206d.
  • appliance 208d has been used more heavily than appliances 208a, 208b and 208c, meaning that the battery 206d associated with the appliance 208d has less remaining stored energy than batteries 206a, 206b and 206c.
  • the energy stored in batteries 206a, 206b and 206c cannot be used to power appliance 208d, and the appliance 208d can be used for a shorter period of time than that dictated by the cumulated power available in the system.
  • a system comprising:
  • control means configured to connect the first DC appliance to the energy storage means and the first DC power supply to permit the first DC appliance to draw power from the energy storage means or the first DC power supply;
  • throttling means for throttling an output power of the first DC power supply
  • the deactivation of the throttling means may permit the first DC appliance to draw power from the energy storage means.
  • the first threshold may be zero.
  • the control means may be further configured to activate the throttling means when the voltage across the energy storage means does not exceed the first threshold.
  • the throttling means may comprise a minimum input voltage regulation loop. Additionally or alternatively, the control means may comprise a step-down voltage converter.
  • the system may further comprise a second DC appliance connected to the energy storage means and configured to draw power from the energy storage means.
  • the first DC power supply may be connected to the energy storage means, and the energy storage means may be configured to store power drawn from the first DC power supply.
  • the first DC power supply may comprise a power supply bus. Alternatively or additionally, the first DC power supply may comprise a solar panel.
  • the first and/or second DC appliances may comprise one or more of a mobile phone, a lamp, a television, a computer, a music player.
  • At least one of the control means and the energy storage means may be contained within a housing.
  • the control means may be contained within a first housing and the energy storage means may be contained within a second housing.
  • the first housing and the second housing may be configured to be connected to one another in a stacked arrangement.
  • the circuitry may comprise a current limiter connected between the low current bus and the high current bus.
  • the current limiter may comprise a 3A current limiter.
  • the circuitry may further comprise an energy storage means.
  • the system may further comprise a DC power supply, such as a solar panel, connected to the circuitry.
  • the system may be a solar-powered system.
  • the system may further comprise a DC appliance which is connected to the circuitry and is configured to draw power from the energy storage means and/or the DC power supply.
  • the circuitry may further comprise a battery charge controller and battery discharge protection circuitry.
  • the system may further comprise a high current system or a low current system, wherein the circuitry is contained within a first housing and the high current system or low current system is contained within a second housing.
  • the first and second housings may be configured to be connected to one another in a stacked arrangement.
  • a device for supporting an electrical connector comprising a body and one or more elongate electrical contacts, wherein the device is configured to be attached to the connector such that it at least partially surrounds a portion of the one or more contacts.
  • the device may comprise one or more apertures which are configured to accommodate one or more electrical contacts.
  • the one or more apertures may be configured to permit one or more electrical contacts to be inserted therethrough.
  • the device may comprise three apertures.
  • the device may be configured to accommodate the pins of a PC/104 connector.
  • kit comprising:
  • an apparatus comprising:
  • a connector comprising a body and one or more elongate electrical contacts which extend from the circuitry;
  • a device as described above attached to the connector such that the device at least partially surrounds a portion of the one or more contacts.
  • the apparatus may further comprise a housing in which the circuitry is located.
  • the one or more contacts may protrude from an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing.
  • the device may support insertion of the one or more contacts through one or more apertures in the housing.
  • the device may support a portion of the one or more contacts which is located inside the housing.
  • the apparatus may further comprise a second component located outside the housing to which the connector is configured to be connected, wherein the second component may comprise an indent which is shaped to be matingly engaged by the shroud of the first component.
  • the second component may comprise a second connector into which the first connector is shaped to be inserted.
  • the connector(s) may comprise a PC/104 connector, such as a 3 pin PC/104 connector.
  • Fig. 2 shows a household using multiple known solar-powered systems
  • Fig. 3 shows a household using a solar-powered system according to an aspect of the invention
  • Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a stack of solar-powered systems according to an aspect of the invention
  • Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show schematic views of systems according to aspects of the invention
  • Figs. 8a to 8h show perspective views of an apparatus according to an aspect of the invention.
  • Fig. 3 depicts a household using multiple solar-powered systems which are capable of sharing solar panel power provided by a plurality of solar panels and battery power provided by a plurality of batteries.
  • individual systems are not constrained to the use of a single solar panel or a single battery as a source of power.
  • the system 300 of Fig. 3 like that of Fig. 2, comprises four solar panels 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d, four batteries 306a, 306b, 306c, 306d, and four appliances 308a, 308b, 308c, 308d which are configured to draw power from the solar panels 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d and/or the batteries 306a, 306b, 306c, 306d.
  • the four mini solar- powered systems making up the system 300 of Fig. 3 are integrated with one another such that power can be shared between them.
  • Any given appliance 308a, 308b, 308c, 308d can draw power from a common battery bus which is connected (via suitable circuitry) to batteries 306a, 306b, 306c, 306d and a common solar panel bus or power supply bus to which are connected (via suitable circuitry) solar panels 302a, 302b, 302c, 302d. Therefore, the most popular appliances can draw power from any or all of the solar panels and batteries within the system. This way, the most popular appliances can run for longer and their batteries can be recharged faster.
  • An additional benefit of being able to share power between the multiple mini solar-powered systems is that appliances which drain more power, such as televisions 310, can be powered.
  • Each system 500 shown in Fig. 5 comprises a direct current (DC) power supply 502 (such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art), circuitry 504 including battery discharge protection circuitry 505 and battery charge control circuitry 507, a battery 506 or other energy storage means, and a useful appliance 508, such as a light or a mobile phone adapter.
  • DC direct current
  • circuitry 504 including battery discharge protection circuitry 505 and battery charge control circuitry 507, a battery 506 or other energy storage means, and a useful appliance 508, such as a light or a mobile phone adapter.
  • either or both systems may not comprise a battery and therefore may not comprise battery discharge protection circuitry and battery charge control circuitry either.
  • the circuitry 504 also comprises a minimum input voltage regulation loop 512, the function of which will be described in detail below with particular reference to Fig. 6.
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a system 600 according to an aspect of the invention in which a first mini solar-powered system 600a is electronically integrated with a second mini solar-powered system 600b such that the first and second mini solar-powered systems 600a, 600b can share power between them. More particularly, battery power provided by batteries within the system and solar panel power provided by solar panels within the system can be shared between the first and second mini solar-powered systems. It is an aim of this aspect of the invention to achieve maximum power output from the system even when the solar panel(s) are exposed to low levels of sunlight, for example at the very beginning or very end of the day.
  • the first system 600a comprises a first DC power supply 602a (such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art), first circuitry 604a, and a first DC appliance 608a, such as a light, or a mobile phone adapter.
  • a first DC power supply 602a such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art
  • first circuitry 604a such as a light, or a mobile phone adapter.
  • a first DC appliance 608a such as a light, or a mobile phone adapter.
  • the second system 600b comprises a second DC power supply 602b (such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art), second circuitry 604b, and a second useful appliance 608b, such as a light, a television or a mobile phone adapter.
  • a second DC power supply 602b such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art
  • second circuitry 604b such as a light, a television or a mobile phone adapter.
  • the second system also comprises a battery bus 605 connected to a battery or any other energy storage unit 606b for storing energy provided by a power supply bus 601 (see below), battery charge control circuitry 611b connected between the power supply bus 601 and the battery 606b, and battery discharge protection circuitry 613b for regulating the power supplied by the battery 606b and connected between the battery 606b and the battery bus 605.
  • a battery bus 605 connected to a battery or any other energy storage unit 606b for storing energy provided by a power supply bus 601 (see below), battery charge control circuitry 611b connected between the power supply bus 601 and the battery 606b, and battery discharge protection circuitry 613b for regulating the power supplied by the battery 606b and connected between the battery 606b and the battery bus 605.
  • the first and second systems 600a, 600b are integrated with one another via the battery bus 605.
  • the first and second power supplies 602a and 602b and the power supply bus 601 are operable as a single power supply.
  • Diodes 609a, 609b allow the transfer of power from the DC power supplies 602a, 602b to the power supply bus 601 and thereby to the circuitry 604a, 604b, but prevent power from flowing back in the opposite direction (i.e. from the power supply bus 601 to the power supplies 602a, 602b).
  • the circuitry 604b comprises battery charge controller circuitry and battery discharge protection circuitry. This circuitry and its functions are known in the art.
  • the first and second systems 600a, 600b are integrated with one another via the battery bus 605 also.
  • the battery 606b is connected, via battery discharge protection circuitry, and through a blocking diode 614b to the battery bus 605. This enables the provision of power from the battery to the battery bus, and prevents flow of current in the opposite direction.
  • One or more appliance connected to the battery bus may therefore be provided with power in this way.
  • the battery bus 605 is connected through a blocking diode 614a to a voltage converter (described further below) which is connected to an appliance 608a.
  • a voltage converter (described further below) which is connected to an appliance 608a.
  • the diode 614a prevents flow of current in the opposite direction.
  • the first circuitry 604a is configured to connect the first appliance 608a to the power supply bus 601 or the battery bus 605 such that power may be drawn from one or other, as discussed below.
  • the second circuitry 604b is configured to connect the battery 606b to the power supply bus 601 and to the battery bus 605 to enable charging and discharging of the battery 606b, that is charging of the battery and the provision of power to the battery bus to power one or more appliance.
  • a minimum input voltage regulation loop is used to achieve the same result as an active maximum power point tracking system (i.e. obtaining the maximum power possible from the one or more DC power sources).
  • minimum input voltage regulation loops have the additional advantage that a plurality of such loops can be used to draw power from the same power supply bus without interfering with each other in the manner of the more complex maximum power point tracking systems.
  • IC controllers which implement minimum input voltage regulation loops include Texas Instrument's BQ24650, and Linear Technology's LT3652.
  • the first circuitry 604a comprises control means which controls a minimum input voltage regulation loop 612a.
  • the minimum input voltage regulation loop throttles the power output which is supplied to the first appliance 608a from the power supply bus 601 when the power supply bus 601 voltage does not exceed a minimum value. This stops the power supply bus 601 voltage from dropping any further.
  • the minimum value utilised in the minimum input voltage regulation loop corresponds to a maximum power point which has conventionally been used in maximum power point tracking systems.
  • the first system 600a is a step-down DC-DC converter that, in an exemplary embodiment, converts a voltage of 17-21V drawn from the power supply bus 601 into 5V that is then output to the first appliance (via a USB port, for example) 608a.
  • This exemplary first system 600a alone will only provide 5V, even when there is plenty of sunlight incident on the first solar panel 602a and/or the second solar panel 602b and/or any other solar panels on the power supply bus 601.
  • the first circuitry 604a is configured to allow the first appliance 608a to draw power from the battery bus 605, which is also connected to it as described above, as well as the power supply bus 601.
  • the minimum input voltage regulation loop 612a will prevent the power supply bus 601 voltage from dropping below the voltage on the battery bus 605.
  • the first appliance 608a will be unable to draw power from the battery bus 605 by virtue of the higher voltage on the power supply bus 601, and very little power can be drawn by the first appliance 608a from the power supply bus 601 as there is little power available from the power supply bus 601 due to the limited sunlight.
  • the first circuitry 604a i.e. the control means
  • the first circuitry 604a is configured to deactivate the minimum input voltage regulation loop 612a when a voltage is detected on the battery bus 605 (indicating that there is a battery connected to the battery bus 605, if required).
  • the power supply bus voltage will be allowed to drop below the battery bus 605 voltage, as would happen normally when there is insufficient sunlight for the solar panels to keep the power supply bus 601 voltage high.
  • the battery bus 605 is able to supply power to the first circuitry 604a, meaning that surplus power stored in the battery 606b during periods of high environmental solar power can be drawn by appliances effectively during periods of low environmental solar power (i.e. at the very beginning or very end of the day).
  • the circuit described above and shown in exemplary form in Fig. 6 achieves the desired functionality at minimal cost.
  • mini solar-powered systems within the system 600 such as the second mini solar-powered system 600b, comprise a minimum input voltage regulation loop.
  • the minimum input voltage regulation loop is not activated and deactivated in the manner described above; it is always active.
  • the minimum input voltage regulation loop is only activated and deactivated as described above in mini solar-powered systems which do not comprise a battery, because it is in such systems that throttling of the power supply becomes a problem at times of low sunlight (e.g. at the very beginning or very end of the day).
  • this aspect of the invention is achieved using an analog circuit.
  • the above-described functionality can be achieved using higher cost components and/or achieved digitally.
  • the above-described functionality is achieved using a microcontroller.
  • Fig. 6 shows the energy storage unit 606b (i.e. the battery) being a part of the second system 600b, the skilled person will understand that, in alternative embodiments, the battery can be provided as a stand-alone unit. The skilled person will also understand that, whilst Fig. 6 shows just two mini-systems, any number of systems can be connected in the manner described above with reference to Fig. 6 whilst providing the desired functionality.
  • the energy storage unit 606b i.e. the battery
  • the battery can be provided as a stand-alone unit.
  • Fig. 6 shows just two mini-systems, any number of systems can be connected in the manner described above with reference to Fig. 6 whilst providing the desired functionality.
  • the systems 600a, 600b each comprise a housing (not shown) and the circuitry 604a, 604b is contained within its respective housing.
  • the housings may be configured to be connected to one another in a stacked manner.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic view of a system 700 in which a high current bus 701a is connected to or interfaced with a low current bus 701b.
  • the high current bus 701a and low current bus 701b are distinguished from each other by the current ratings of the connectors used to connect devices on each bus.
  • the bus may be made up of a number of bus segments joined to one another using such connectors.
  • the high current bus 701a utilises generally more expensive connectors, rated for a high current-carrying capacity
  • the low current bus utilises generally cheaper connectors, rated for a low current-carrying capacity. This aspect of the invention will be described in further detail below.
  • DC power supply 702a, 702b such as a solar panel and the circuitry to enable electrical power to be drawn from it, as is known in the art
  • circuitry 704a, 704b an energy storage unit, such as a battery 706a, 706b, and a useful appliance 708a, 708b, such as a light or a mobile phone adapter, for example.
  • the DC power supplies 702a, 702b are connected to one another on a power supply bus 701
  • the energy storage units 706a, 706b are connected to one another on a battery bus 705, as described previously with reference to Fig. 6.
  • one or more of the systems 700a, 700b may not comprise an energy storage unit.
  • the circuitry 704a, 704b comprises battery charge controller circuitry 711a, 711 b and battery discharge protection circuitry 713a, 713b.
  • each of the systems 700a, 700b comprises a minimum input voltage regulation loop and one may comprise a control means as described above with reference to Fig. 6 to provide the advantageous power flow features associated with the arrangement shown in Fig. 6.
  • the high current mini solar-powered systems 700a are current-rated to be connected to each other via high current connectors.
  • the low current mini solar- powered systems 700b are current-rated to be connected to one another via low current connectors.
  • a low current system 700b is one which is designed to draw a current (e.g. from the power supply bus 701) and supply a current (e.g. to a battery bus 705) which is unlikely to result in the connectors which connect the low current systems on the low current bus 701b carrying a total current exceeding their rated capacity.
  • the low current connectors on the low current bus 701b are 7 Amp (7A) connectors, and each low current system 700b on the low current bus 701b is designed to draw and supply a maximum current of 200mA. Therefore, it is possible to connect up to 35 such low current systems 700b on the low current bus 701b without exceeding the current rating of the 7A connectors.
  • the low current connectors on the low current bus 701b are 7A connectors, and each system 700b on the low current bus 701b is designed to supply a maximum current of 0.8A from its battery 706b. Therefore, it is possible to connect up to 9 such low current systems 700b without the cumulative current provided by the integrated batteries exceeding the current rating of the 7A connectors.
  • high current systems 700a on the high current bus 701a can be designed to draw and supply a higher current by virtue of the higher current ratings of the typically more expensive connectors on the high current bus 701a.
  • the low current bus 701b is connected to the high current bus 701a via a low current connector 714 and through a current limiter, such as a 3A current limiter.
  • a current limiter such as a 3A current limiter.
  • any other suitable current limiting means and/or any other current limit e.g. a 5A current limiter or a 7A current limiter
  • the high current bus 701a is connected to the low current bus 701b using the low current connector 714 as opposed to a costly high current connector, thereby vastly reducing the cost of manufacture of the system.
  • the systems 700a, 700b each comprise a housing (not shown) and the circuitry 704a, 704b is contained within its respective housing. Two or more of the housings may be configured to be connected to one another in a stacked manner.
  • Fig. 7 may be combined with the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 to achieve the advantages afforded by both embodiments in a single system.
  • Figs. 8a to 8h show an aspect of the invention by means of which such components, units, apparatuses and/or systems can be stacked.
  • Fig. 8a shows an apparatus 800 comprising circuitry 854 mounted on a mounting element, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) 856.
  • Fig, 8b shows a first apparatus 800, the apparatus of Fig. 8a, which is connected in a stacked arrangement to a second apparatus 802 which is substantially the same as the first apparatus 800.
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • PC/104 connectors are very cheap connectors that are designed to be stacked on top of each other with minimum design difficulty and cost. However, they can be difficult to utilise successfully. PC/104 connectors are fragile and susceptible to deformation if they are subjected to excessive force, and thin exposed pins can be damaged easily.
  • An aspect of the present invention which will now be described with reference to Figs. 8c to 8h provides a device and associated apparatus by which the cheap PC/104 connectors, or similar low-cost but fragile connectors, can be used to stack various components, units, apparatuses and/or systems providing different levels of functionality.
  • the connector 858 shown in Figs. 8a to 8h comprises a body 872 and one or more electrical contacts 859 extending from the body 872, Typically, each PCB 856 is contained in its own plastic housing 860 (a portion of which is shown in Fig. 8e), meaning that the one or more electrical contacts 859 of the connector 858 must extend through the housing 860 such that the housing 860 can be connected to another external component in a stacked arrangement. To achieve this, as shown in Fig. 8e, the pins 859 of the connector 858 will have to push through apertures or holes 863 in the plastic housing 860.
  • a device 864 such as a low-tolerance manufactured plastic sleeve or grommet, is fitted to the connector 858 during PCB assembly to ensure that the connector 858 is inserted perpendicularly. This device 864 is shown in Figs. 8d and 8e.
  • the device 864 is configured to support an electrical connector 858 comprising one or more elongate electrical contacts 859 (e.g. pins), wherein the device 864 is configured to be attached to the connector 858 such that it at least partially surrounds a portion of the one or more contacts 859, such as a portion of the contacts 859 adjacent to the body 872.
  • the exposed length of the contacts 859 is reduced, meaning that damage and deformation of the contacts 859 is less likely.
  • a length of a free end of the contacts 859 is shortened by virtue of the device 864 surrounding a portion of the contacts 859, reducing the likelihood of the contacts 859 being bent or broken.
  • the device 864 comprises one or more apertures 865 which are configured to permit the one or more electrical contacts 859 (e.g. pins) of the connector 858 to be inserted therethrough.
  • the device 864 comprises three apertures 865.
  • the connector such as a PC/104 connector
  • the device 864 can comprise any number of contacts and the device can comprise any number of apertures.
  • the device 864 may take the form of a sleeve and comprise a single aperture which is configured to surround all of the contacts of a connector.
  • the device may comprise a plurality of apertures, each aperture being configured to surround a plurality of contacts.
  • the device 864 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape which is optionally tapered.
  • the recess 868 is shaped to match the rectangular cross- sectional shape of the device 864 thereby achieving a keying effect between the device 864 and the recess 868.
  • the device 864 can only be inserted into the recess 868 if the device 864 and the recess 868 are oriented correctly with respect to one another.
  • the keying effect also prevents twisting of the device 864 within the recess 868, and therefore further prevents damage and deformation of the contacts 859. Whilst an exemplary keying configuration between the device 864 and the recess 868 is shown in Fig.
  • the mounting holes 862 have a larger diameter than shafts of the mounting screws. This means that even if one or more mating components (e.g. device 864, pins 859, mounting screws, projections 866) are misaligned slightly, the mounting screws can be inserted through the mounting holes 862 and tightened without causing damage to any misaligned components.
  • one or more mating components e.g. device 864, pins 859, mounting screws, projections 866
  • the shroud 876 may be integrally formed (e.g. moulded) with the housing 860, or provided as a separate part which is removably attachable to the housing 860.
  • Fig. 8g shows a body 872a of a second connector 858a which is substantially similar to the connector 858.
  • the body 872a of the second connector comprises three apertures 873a into which the contacts 859 of the first connector may be inserted in a male-female connection.
  • the body 872a of the second connector 858a forms a mating connection with a socket 880a of a second housing 860a such that the apertures 873a of the body 872a are accessible from outside the second housing 860a.
  • the portion of the second housing 860a surrounding the socket 880a forms an indent 882a which is the female counterpart to the plastic shroud 876 which surrounds a portion of the contacts 859 of the connector 858 which extends outwardly from the housing 860 i.e. the two portions are complimentarily shaped.
  • an interference fit is provided between the shroud 876 and the indent 882a.
  • the shroud 876 itself has an internal recess 877 which is a female part which is shaped to receive and be engaged matingly by the socket 880a. In one embodiment, an interference fit is provided between the recess 877 and the socket 880a.
  • the stacking connection between connectors 858, 858a involves three male-female mating connections.
  • the elongated shape of the socket 880a and the portion of the second housing 860a which surrounds it, along with the elongated shape of the shroud 876, is intended to permit two PCBs that are connected together to be able to resist a certain amount of "twist" without damage.
  • the shroud 876 has a cross-sectional shape with two straight edges and two curved edges resulting in a keyed shape.
  • the indent 882a of the second housing is shaped to match the keyed shape of the shroud 876 to achieve a keying effect between the shroud 876 and the indent 882a.
  • the shroud 876 can only be inserted into the indent 882a if the shroud and the indent 882a are oriented correctly with respect to one another.
  • a keying arrangement is provided between the socket 880a and the internal recess 877 of the shroud.
  • the recess 877 and the socket 880a have complimentary cross-sectional shapes with three straight edges and one curved edge. Thus, there is only one orientation in which the socket 880a can be inserted into the recess 877.
  • exemplary keying configurations are shown in Figs. 8e to 8g, the skilled person will understand that any suitable alternative keying configuration can also be used. Moreover, the skilled person will achieve that the keying, as described above in a preferred embodiment, ensures that the connectors are presented in an exact manner such that stacking is facilitated.
  • Protective caps 878 may also be applied to protect the pins and the sockets from water and dust, as shown in Fig. 8h.
  • the housing 860 is made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, which provides good impact strength and rigidity.
  • ABS plastic include carbon dioxide-based composite materials, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polylactic acid (PLA).
  • PVC polyvinyl chloride
  • PLA polylactic acid
  • one or more of the female mating components, such as the apertures 863, recess 868, indent 882a and/or recess 877, is constructed from a flexible or semi-rigid plastic, such as polypropylene.
  • polypropylene for this purpose include polyethylene and polybutylene. The skilled person will understand that any other suitable materials can be used to construct the apparatuses and systems described herein.
  • mating components one of which is rigid and one of which is flexible or semi-rigid creates a mating/retaining force when a male mating component is inserted into a female mating component.
  • the flexible or semi-rigid component may deform resiliently when connected matingly to the rigid component. This resilient deformation causes an interference fit between the male and female mating components which reinforces and retains the mating connection between the male and female mating components.
  • the male mating component can be rigid and the female mating component can be flexible or semi-rigid and, in another embodiment, the female mating component can be rigid and the male mating component can be flexible or semi-rigid.
  • the male mating component and the female mating component can be semi-rigid or flexible. It is envisaged that any combination of rigid and semi-rigid/flexible mating components could equally be used to achieve the desired interference fit.
  • Figs. 8a to 8e can be combined with the embodiments shown in Fig. 6 and/or Fig. 7.
  • the advantages afforded by all of these embodiments or any two of these embodiments can be achieved in a single system.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un système comprenant une première alimentation électrique en courant continu (CC), un moyen de stockage d'énergie, un premier appareil à CC, un moyen de commande configuré de sorte à raccorder le premier appareil à CC au moyen de stockage d'énergie et à la première alimentation électrique en CC de façon à permettre que le premier appareil à CC puise de l'énergie du moyen de stockage d'énergie ou de la première alimentation électrique en CC, et un moyen d'étranglement permettant d'étrangler une puissance de sortie de la première alimentation électrique en CC. Le moyen de commande est destiné à surveiller une tension à travers le moyen de stockage d'énergie et à désactiver le moyen d'étranglement lorsque la tension à travers le moyen de stockage d'énergie dépasse un premier seuil.
PCT/GB2015/000140 2014-05-19 2015-05-05 Améliorations apportées à l'énergie solaire Ceased WO2015177493A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1408851.2 2014-05-19
GB1408851.2A GB2526281A (en) 2014-05-19 2014-05-19 Improvements in solar power

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WO2015177493A1 true WO2015177493A1 (fr) 2015-11-26

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EP1531542A2 (fr) * 2003-11-13 2005-05-18 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif d'invertisseur connecté à plusieurs des sources de courant continu de puissance et système de sources de puissance distribué avec un dispositif d'invertisseur lié à un réseau de puissance commercial pour opérer
US20080164766A1 (en) * 2006-12-06 2008-07-10 Meir Adest Current bypass for distributed power harvesting systems using dc power sources
EP1986306A1 (fr) * 2006-01-27 2008-10-29 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Systeme d'alimentation
EP1990892A2 (fr) * 2007-04-17 2008-11-12 The Boeing Company Partage de courant de décharge de batterie dans un système électrique à régulation serrée
US20110115292A1 (en) * 2009-11-16 2011-05-19 Tetsuya Yoneda Power operation system, power operation method and photovoltaic power generator
US20110286168A1 (en) * 2007-09-29 2011-11-24 Karl Frederick Scheucher Cordless power supply
US20120299386A1 (en) * 2011-05-26 2012-11-29 Pika Energy LLC Dc microgrid for interconnecting distributed electricity generation, loads, and storage
EP2547175A1 (fr) * 2010-03-11 2013-01-16 Rohm Co., Ltd. Système d'éclairage
US20130335010A1 (en) * 2012-06-19 2013-12-19 Nuvoton Technology Corporation Connector and control chip
EP2693289A1 (fr) * 2011-03-30 2014-02-05 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Boîte de captage de courant

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US20100259225A1 (en) * 2009-04-10 2010-10-14 Triune Ip Llc Adaptive Power Control for Energy Harvesting

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998041793A2 (fr) * 1997-03-19 1998-09-24 Nextek Power Systems, Inc. Systeme d'eclairage extremement performant
EP1531542A2 (fr) * 2003-11-13 2005-05-18 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif d'invertisseur connecté à plusieurs des sources de courant continu de puissance et système de sources de puissance distribué avec un dispositif d'invertisseur lié à un réseau de puissance commercial pour opérer
EP1986306A1 (fr) * 2006-01-27 2008-10-29 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Systeme d'alimentation
US20080164766A1 (en) * 2006-12-06 2008-07-10 Meir Adest Current bypass for distributed power harvesting systems using dc power sources
EP1990892A2 (fr) * 2007-04-17 2008-11-12 The Boeing Company Partage de courant de décharge de batterie dans un système électrique à régulation serrée
US20110286168A1 (en) * 2007-09-29 2011-11-24 Karl Frederick Scheucher Cordless power supply
US20110115292A1 (en) * 2009-11-16 2011-05-19 Tetsuya Yoneda Power operation system, power operation method and photovoltaic power generator
EP2547175A1 (fr) * 2010-03-11 2013-01-16 Rohm Co., Ltd. Système d'éclairage
EP2693289A1 (fr) * 2011-03-30 2014-02-05 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Boîte de captage de courant
US20120299386A1 (en) * 2011-05-26 2012-11-29 Pika Energy LLC Dc microgrid for interconnecting distributed electricity generation, loads, and storage
US20130335010A1 (en) * 2012-06-19 2013-12-19 Nuvoton Technology Corporation Connector and control chip

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GB2526281A (en) 2015-11-25
GB201408851D0 (en) 2014-07-02

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