Resonant circuit arrangement powered by supercapacitor and ring inductor

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a circuit for powering a connectable load. The circuit includes a supercapacitor configured for connection in parallel with a removable power source capable of charging the supercapacitor, a ring inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a base bias resistor, and a transistor. The secondary winding is connected in series to the base bias resistor and to the base; the primary winding is connected to the collector; the emitter is connected to the supercapacitor; and a load is bridged across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor. When the charged supercapacitor is discharged, the primary winding and the secondary winding excite the transistor to alternate at a resonant frequency between a saturation region and an off region, current is directed to the supercapacitor through a collector-emitter junction of the transistor when the transistor is in the saturation region, and direct the high voltage current to the load when the transistor is in the off region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the use of resonant circuits including toroidal inductors, and more particularly to increasing the voltage output and power supply duration available to a load by the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings of the toroidal inductor in the resonant circuit. Background Art

[0002] Resonant circuits can obtain energy from a nearly depleted battery and increase the output voltage at the cost of higher current consumption. Some problems associated with this process are difficulty in ensuring that the voltage output is high enough and providing voltage for a long time while using minimum power from the power supply.

[0003] In addition, although resonant circuits can have different component arrangements, their limitation is that they need to be always connected to a power supply of the resonant circuit. Therefore, the portability of the resonant circuit may be limited because the weight of the power supply also needs to be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to various aspects of the present invention, a circuit is provided. The circuit includes a supercapacitor configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power supply capable of charging the supercapacitor, and the supercapacitor has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The circuit further includes a toroidal inductor configured to receive current from the positive terminal of the supercapacitor when the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, and the toroidal inductor has a primary winding and a secondary winding, and the primary winding and the secondary winding have multiple turns. In addition, the circuit includes a transistor including a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction. Additionally, the circuit includes a base bias resistor configured to ensure that the base of the transistor receives a safe current. The toroidal inductor, the base bias resistor, the transistor, and a connectable load are connected in parallel to the supercapacitor. The secondary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the base bias resistor, and the base bias resistor is then connected to the base of the transistor. The primary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor is connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and the connectable load is connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor. Once charged, the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, causing the primary winding and the secondary winding to excite the transistor to alternate between the saturation region and the cut-off region at the resonant frequency, guiding current to the supercapacitor through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor when the transistor is in the saturation region, and guiding a high-voltage current to the load when the transistor is in the cut-off region.

[0005] The number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be proportional to the operating time of the load.

[0006] The number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0007] The operating time of the load can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0008] The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the operating time of the load.

[0009] The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0010] The circuit may further include an input current sensing resistor connected between the emitter of the transistor and the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, the input current sensing resistor being configured to assist in measuring the input current flowing through the supercapacitor.

[0011] The circuit may also further include an output current sensing resistor connected in series to the output terminal of the load, the output current sensing resistor and the load being connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor, the output current sensing resistor being configured to assist in measuring the output current supplied to the load.

[0012] The number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the average power factor of the circuit.

[0013] When the transistor is in the cut-off region, the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the peak power factor of the circuit.

[0014] In one embodiment of the circuit, the removable power source is a depleted battery.

[0015] Additionally, the depleted battery is an alkaline AA battery with a voltage of 1.3 volts or lower.

[0016] In another embodiment of the circuit, the removable power source is an AA battery with a voltage between 1.0 volts and 1.5 volts.

[0017] In another embodiment of the circuit, the capacitance of the supercapacitor is between 10 farads and 25 farads.

[0018] In another embodiment, the supercapacitor is an electric double layer capacitor.

[0019] In yet another embodiment, the supercapacitor is a hybrid supercapacitor.

[0020] In yet another embodiment, before the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, the power source is connected in parallel to the supercapacitor for at least 1 second to charge the supercapacitor, and then the power source is subsequently disconnected.

[0021] In one embodiment, the removable power source is a removable battery with a voltage between 1.25 volts and 1.3 volts.

[0022] Additionally, in this embodiment, the supercapacitor can be charged by connecting the removable battery for at least 9 seconds and then disconnecting the removable battery.

[0023] Furthermore, the capacitance of the supercapacitor can be 10 farads.

[0024] Furthermore, both the primary winding and the secondary winding can have 4 to 35 turns.

[0025] Furthermore, the resonant frequency can be between 120 kHz and 7.35 kHz.

[0026] In an alternative embodiment, the capacitance of the supercapacitor can be 25 farads.

[0027] Furthermore, both the primary winding and the secondary winding can have 25 to 35 turns.

[0028] Furthermore, the resonant frequency can be between 2.40 kHz and 1.62 kHz.

[0029] According to various aspects of the present invention, a method for powering a load is provided. The method includes providing a supercapacitor configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power source, the supercapacitor having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The method further includes providing a toroidal inductor, a base bias resistor, a transistor, and a connectable load, all connected in parallel with the supercapacitor, the toroidal inductor being connected to the positive terminal of the supercapacitor, the toroidal inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding and the secondary winding having multiple turns; the transistor including a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction. The method also includes providing the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor connected in series to the base bias resistor, the base bias resistor in turn being connected to the base of the transistor, the primary winding of the toroidal inductor being connected to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor being connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and the connectable load being connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor; additionally, the method includes charging the supercapacitor by connecting the removable power source for a predetermined duration and then disconnecting the removable power source. Furthermore, the method includes discharging the current from the charged supercapacitor to the toroidal inductor. The method also includes using the primary winding and the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor to drive the transistor to alternate between the saturation region and the cut-off region at a resonant frequency. Additionally, when the transistor is in the saturation region, the method includes directing the current through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor to the supercapacitor. Furthermore, when the transistor is in the cut-off region, the method includes directing a high-voltage current to the load.

[0030] The number of turns of the primary winding and the secondary winding around the toroidal inductor can be proportional to the operating time of the load.

[0031] The number of turns of the primary winding and the secondary winding around the toroidal inductor can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0032] The operating time of the load can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0033] The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the operating time of the load.

[0034] The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor can be inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0035] The number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the average power factor of the circuit.

[0036] When the transistor is in the cut-off region, the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal inductor can be directly proportional to the peak power factor of the circuit.

[0037] In one embodiment, the removable power source is a depleted battery.

[0038] Additionally, the depleted battery can be an alkaline battery with a voltage of 1.3 volts or lower.

[0039] In another embodiment, the removable power source is an AA battery with a voltage between 1.0 volts and 1.5 volts.

[0040] In yet another embodiment, the capacitance of the supercapacitor can be between 10 farads and 25 farads.

[0041] In yet another embodiment, the predetermined duration for which the removable power source is connected to charge the supercapacitor is at least 1 second.

[0042] In yet another embodiment, the predetermined duration is between 9 seconds and 12 seconds.

[0043] In yet another embodiment, the predetermined duration is between 9 seconds and 10 seconds.

[0044] According to various aspects of the present invention, a circuit is provided. The circuit includes a supercapacitor having a capacitance between 10 farads and 25 farads, the supercapacitor being configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power source capable of charging the supercapacitor. The removable power source is less than 1.3 volts, and the supercapacitor has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The circuit further includes a toroidal inductor configured to receive current from the positive terminal of the supercapacitor when the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, the toroidal inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, both the primary winding and the secondary winding having 4 to 35 turns. Additionally, the circuit includes a transistor having a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction. Further, the circuit includes a base bias resistor configured to ensure that the base of the transistor receives a safe current. The toroidal inductor, the base bias resistor, the transistor, and a connectable load are connected in parallel to the supercapacitor. The secondary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the base bias resistor, which in turn is connected to the base of the transistor, the primary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor is connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and the connectable load is connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor. Once charged by the removable power source for at least 9 seconds, the supercapacitor can be actuated to discharge, causing the primary winding and the secondary winding to excite the transistor to alternate between the saturation region and the cut-off region at a resonant frequency, guiding current through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor to the supercapacitor when the transistor is in the saturation region, and guiding a high-voltage current to the load when the transistor is in the cut-off region.

[0045] In another embodiment of the circuit, the capacitance of the supercapacitor is 10 farads, and both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 4 to 35 turns.

[0046] In yet another embodiment of the circuit, the capacitance of the supercapacitor is 25 farads, and both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 25 to 35 turns. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Embodiments of the present invention will be understood more clearly with reference to the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0048] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of a resonant circuit powered by a supercapacitor and a toroidal inductor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 is included as in Figure 1 is an isolated view of the toroidal inductor included in the circuit depicted in

[0050] Figure 3 depicts Figure 1The waveform of the output resonance frequency curve of the circuit, which is measured between the transistor and the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor, after the battery is connected to the circuit for 10 seconds and then removed from the circuit, and the supercapacitor discharges to the load. The toroidal inductor includes 32 turns of wire for the primary and secondary windings around the toroidal core. The x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents voltage;

[0051] Figure 4 depicts Figure 3 an enlarged view of the waveform in, where the period of the waveform is divided into independent regions for calculating the area under the waveform to determine the average output voltage;

[0052] Figure 5 depicts Figure 1 the waveform of the output resonance frequency curve of the circuit in, which is measured on the output current detection resistor under the same conditions as Figure 3 where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents current;

[0053] Figure 6 depicts Figure 5 an enlarged view of the waveform in, where the period of the waveform is divided into independent regions for calculating the area under the waveform to determine the average output current;

[0054] Figure 7 depicts Figure 1 the waveform of the input resonance frequency curve of the circuit in, which is measured on the input current detection resistor under the same conditions as Figure 3 where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents current; and

[0055] Figure 8 depicts Figure 7 an enlarged view of the waveform in, where the period of the waveform is divided into independent regions for calculating the area under the waveform to determine the average input current. Detailed Description

[0056] The following description and the embodiments described therein are provided by way of example or illustration of specific embodiments that explain the principles and aspects of the present invention. These examples are provided for explanation and not to limit those principles of the present invention. In the following description, throughout the specification and the drawings, the same parts are labeled with the same corresponding reference numerals.

[0057] Generally speaking, a device is provided for supplying charge to a load (such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a mobile device) by using the energy harvested from the remaining energy of a battery that is considered to be almost depleted after use. The device includes a resonant circuit, where the resonant circuit includes a supercapacitor and a toroidal inductor. The advantage of using a supercapacitor and a toroidal inductor is that after the resonant frequency is induced by the toroidal inductor in the circuit 100 configuration, the supercapacitor and the toroidal inductor maintain the resonant frequency throughout the circuit to maintain the power in the circuit, so that the load can be powered even when the battery or the power supply voltage is removed, thereby allowing for more efficient use of the harvested energy.

[0058] In addition, the advantage of using a supercapacitor as part of the resonant circuit is that it allows the removal of the battery, and thus allows for further improvement in efficiency by using a discrete power supply unit and saving the additional electrical energy in the battery once the battery is removed. Moreover, removing the battery reduces the weight of the resonant circuit, allowing the resonant circuit to have additional portability to power different loads at different locations.

[0059] However, the efficiency can be further improved by the design of a toroidal inductor (also referred to as a toroid inductor in this article). More specifically, the number of turns of the primary winding and the secondary winding in the toroidal inductor can be adjusted to ensure a higher peak voltage output and ensure that the total time for providing a high output voltage is as long as possible after the battery is removed. The size of the toroidal inductor can also further improve the efficiency. Additionally, the efficiency can also be improved by changing the capacitance of the supercapacitor. The present disclosure provides a device employing a circuit with a toroidal inductor and a supercapacitor, where the size of the toroidal inductor and the number of turns of its primary winding and secondary winding have been optimized to provide a higher peak voltage for the operating duration, and where the capacitance size of the supercapacitor has also been optimized.

[0060] Figure 1 A circuit 100 for harvesting energy from an almost depleted battery and using the energy to power a load is depicted. More specifically, the circuit 100 includes a resonant circuit configured to be powered by a supercapacitor and a toroidal inductor, where the supercapacitor is used to store the energy provided by the almost depleted battery, and the toroidal inductor is used to ensure that the circuit remains at a specific resonant frequency for efficient energy utilization. The circuit 100 includes a battery 104 as a power source and is connected in parallel with the supercapacitor 108 and the rest of the circuit. The rest of the circuit includes as Figure 1The configured connected toroidal inductor 120, resistors 112, 116, and 128, transistor 132, and load 136 are shown. It can be seen that the toroidal inductor 120, resistors 112, 116, and 128, transistor 132 forming a loop / closed circuit (and the loop configuration will be further discussed below), and load 136 are connected in parallel to the supercapacitor 108 and in parallel to the battery 104. The configuration of the components will be further discussed below.

[0061] The circuit 100 is designed to store energy from the battery 104 using the supercapacitor 108. Then, the battery 104 can be removed after charging the supercapacitor 108. The supercapacitor 108 can be fully charged or partially charged, depending on the type of the battery 104 and the duration that the battery 104 remains connected to the circuit 100 that powers the supercapacitor 108. Since the current flowing through the toroidal inductor 120 and transistor 132 alternates between the on and off states, multiple high-voltage output pulses are delivered to the load 136. This results in the load 136 being powered for a longer period of time compared to a circuit with a capacitor discharging into a load without the toroidal inductor 120.

[0062] In the current embodiment, where an AA battery is used as the battery 104 and a low-power LED is used as the load 136, if the circuit 100 is powered by the battery 104 for nine to ten seconds to charge the supercapacitor 108, the low-power LED load 136 can be powered within the circuit configuration of the circuit 100 for approximately fifteen to eighteen minutes from the discharge of the supercapacitor 108. More specifically, the LED can be powered at normal brightness for approximately 10 minutes and then at a lower brightness for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the configuration of the toroidal inductor 120. The configuration of the toroidal inductor 120 will be further discussed below.

[0063] The battery 104 is a power source that supplies voltage to the circuit 100. The battery 104 can be any power source that supplies voltage to the circuit 100, including but not limited to a power outlet or other energy storage devices, such as a battery or fuel cell, a generator, an alternator, or a solar power converter. Specifically, although in the current embodiment, the battery 104 is a direct current (“DC”) power source, the battery 104 can also be an alternating current (“AC”) power source. If an AC power source, such as a power outlet, is used, an AC-to-DC power converter can be serially disposed between the battery 104 and the rest of the circuit, thereby allowing the AC power source to be converted to a DC power source before powering the circuit 100. In the current embodiment, the battery 104 is preferably a depleted alkaline AA battery, where a depleted alkaline AA battery can be considered to have a voltage of 1.3 volts or less, preferably in the range of 1 volt to 1.3 volts, more preferably between 1.1 volts and 1.3 volts, and still more preferably between 1.2 volts and 1.3 volts. More specifically, a depleted alkaline AA battery can be considered to have a rated voltage of approximately 87% or less, preferably in the range of 67% to 87% of its rated voltage, more preferably between 73% and 87% of its rated voltage, and still more preferably between 80% and 87% of its rated voltage.

[0064] Although it is preferred to use a depleted battery, those skilled in the art will recognize that the circuit 100 will continue to operate using an alkaline AA battery having a voltage between 1.3 volts and 1.5 volts. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the circuit 100 will continue to operate using an alkaline AA battery having a voltage between 1.0 volts and 1.5 volts.

[0065] Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the battery 104 can be of any voltage and any type, including but not limited to an AAA battery, a D battery, a 9-volt battery, or even a 12-volt battery. Further, in an alternative embodiment, the battery 104 can be a rechargeable battery, such as a NiMH battery or a lithium-ion battery. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that these batteries have their respective depletion thresholds, which depend on the battery type and the voltage of the battery 104. Those skilled in the art will recognize the various configurations and different types of power sources for powering the circuit 100 and charging the supercapacitor 108.

[0066] Although circuit 100 will continue to operate with an undepleted battery or other power source, the advantages of circuit 100 will be more evident when a power source that is difficult to extract electrical energy due to low voltage, such as an almost depleted battery, is used to power load 136. In a preferred embodiment, during normal operation, an almost depleted battery 104 can be placed in circuit 100 to charge supercapacitor 108. Battery 104 can be removed and reconnected multiple times, where each time battery 104 is connected, the battery charges supercapacitor 108, and then battery 104 can be detached from circuit 100. Once completely depleted, battery 104 can be replaced with another almost depleted battery 104 to continue charging supercapacitor 108. In an alternative embodiment, multiple batteries 104 can also be placed in parallel or series with power circuit 100 and charge supercapacitor 108.

[0067] Battery 104 is connected in parallel with supercapacitor 108. In the current embodiment, supercapacitor 108 has a relatively high capacitance value in the farad range and thus stores charge from battery 104 and is able to hold the charge. The stored charge can then be discharged to the rest of the circuit as needed. Those skilled in the art will recognize that supercapacitor 108 with different capacitance values can be used, and the capacitance value of supercapacitor 108 can vary depending on variables of the components of circuit 100 and the operation of circuit 100, including but not limited to, the type of battery 104 used, the load on circuit 100, and also the duration that battery 104 powers circuit 100 before disconnection to charge supercapacitor 108. The control of charging and discharging will be discussed further below. When charging supercapacitor 108, a single battery 104, multiple batteries 104, or a series of batteries 104 that are sequentially replaced when each battery 104 is completely depleted and can no longer provide any charge to supercapacitor 108 can be used.

[0068] Supercapacitor 108 can be any form of supercapacitor, including electric double layer capacitors ("EDLC") and hybrid supercapacitors. Embodiments using EDLC supercapacitors and alternative embodiments using hybrid supercapacitors will be discussed further below. Those skilled in the art will recognize that different configurations can be used with different types of supercapacitors 108 to store the energy to be discharged to the rest of circuit 100.

[0069] Although Figure 1Although not shown, the parallel configuration of the battery 104 provides charge to the supercapacitor 108, and the remainder of the circuit can be separated by a switch. The switch can be located between the parallel branch containing the supercapacitor 108 and the remainder of the circuit 100. More specifically, the switch can be located on the second parallel branch including the toroidal inductor 120, resistors 112, 116, and 128, transistor 132, and load 136. An example of the switch location can include region 124A. The switch allows the connection and disconnection of the battery from the remainder of the circuit 100, thus allowing interruption of charging of the supercapacitor 108 by the charged battery 104.

[0070] It is also contemplated (although not depicted) to place switches on either side of the battery 104 so that in the event that the supercapacitor 108 needs to be fully discharged, the battery 104 can be disconnected from the supercapacitor 108, thereby discharging the charge of the supercapacitor 108 to the remainder of the circuit 100 and the load 136. Alternatively, if no switch is used, the battery 104 can be removed from the circuit when the supercapacitor 108 needs to be fully discharged. Those skilled in the art will recognize different configurations of the circuit 100, or components that can be added to the circuit 100, to ensure electrical isolation of the battery 104 from the circuit 100 when the supercapacitor 108 needs to be fully discharged.

[0071] Now turning to the toroidal inductor 120, the toroidal inductor 120 is connected in series to the supercapacitor 108. More specifically, the toroidal inductor 120 includes a secondary winding 204 and a primary winding 208, wherein the positive terminal of the supercapacitor 108 is connected to the junction of the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208, and wherein the secondary winding 204 is connected in series to the base bias resistor 128, and the primary winding 208 is connected to the collector of the transistor 132, denoted by "C" at the transistor 132. Then, the base bias resistor 128 is connected to the base of the transistor 132, denoted by "B" at the transistor 132. In essence, the transistor 132, the toroidal inductor 120, and the base bias resistor are part of a loop (also referred to herein as the third branch), specifically: the secondary winding 204 of the toroidal inductor 120, the base bias resistor 128, the transistor 132, and the primary winding 208. The current flow through the loop and the base bias resistor 128 will be discussed further below. The toroidal inductor 120 uses a toroidal magnetic core wound with wire. The magnetic core is made of a ferromagnetic material such as laminated iron, iron powder, or ferrite. In the current embodiment, the toroidal inductor 120 includes a toroidal ferrite magnetic core with a copper wire winding. More specifically, the toroidal ferrite magnetic core is an epoxy N87 ferrite magnetic core with a width of 10.80 mm, a diameter of 4.75 mm, and a height of 4.0 mm, and is wound with 30 American wire gauge ("AWG") enameled copper wire. The advantage of using a toroidal inductor is that, unlike other magnetic core shapes such as rectangular cores, this shape is symmetric and does not include any shape bends, thus allowing for reduced magnetic flux leakage. Therefore, the toroidal inductor 120 is more efficient and radiates less electromagnetic interference. As described above, the toroidal inductor 120 includes two windings that are inductively coupled in opposite directions, namely the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208. Equal turns between the primary winding and the secondary winding are preferred because using unequal turns produces suboptimal results and resonance cannot be achieved. Resonance will be discussed further below. Referring to Figure 2 , in the current embodiment, it can be seen that the toroidal inductor 120 includes a secondary winding 204 and a primary winding 208. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various configurations of the toroidal inductor 120 can be used, including toroidal inductors 120 with magnetic cores of different materials and sizes. For example, toroidal inductors with outer diameters of 10.80 mm, 20 mm, 22.1 mm, and 25.3 mm will be discussed below.

[0072] Return Figure 1 , the transistor 132 can be any NPN bipolar junction transistor. From Figure 1As can be seen, transistor 132 is located in circuit 100, where the base of transistor 132 is connected in series with base bias resistor 128 and secondary winding 204, the collector of transistor 132 is connected to primary winding 208, and the emitter of transistor 132 (designated by "E" at transistor 132) is connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor through input current sense resistor 112. In Figure 1 the configuration shown, the combination of transistor 132 and toroidal inductor 120 allows high voltage spikes (also referred to herein as high voltage pulses) to be transferred to load 136, the voltage of the voltage spike being much higher than the voltage provided by battery 104 or supercapacitor 108 in the absence of toroidal inductor 120 and transistor 132.

[0073] Resistor 128 is a base bias resistor. In the current embodiment, resistor 128 has a resistance value of 1 kiloohm and a rated power of 1 watt. Base bias resistor 128 is configured to operate transistor 132 safely by limiting the amount of current supplied to transistor 132. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the rated power of resistor 128 can be adjusted based on the type, size, and specifications of transistor 132.

[0074] In circuit 100, load 136 is an LED. However, load 136 can be any form of electrical load or component that consumes electrical energy and is not limited to low power devices such as LEDs. For example, load 136 can be a USB port for charging a mobile device. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that additional batteries 104 (in series) may be required to provide the voltage, depending on the voltage specifications of load 136. In the current embodiment, the series combination of load 136 and output current sense resistor 116 is connected across the collector-emitter junction of transistor 132. Output current sense resistor 116 will be discussed further below.

[0075] Output current sense resistor 116 is a current sense resistor and allows the current to be measured by monitoring the voltage drop across output sense resistor 116. As described above, output current sense resistor 116 is connected in series with load 136. By being connected in series with load 136, the current downstream of load 136 can be measured.

[0076] Input current sense resistor 112 is similarly a current sense resistor and similarly allows the current to be measured by monitoring the voltage drop across input current sense resistor 112. Input current sense resistor 112 is connected in series with supercapacitor 108 along the path of the input current flow in order to measure the current flowing into / through the input side of supercapacitor 108.

[0077] In the current embodiment, the resistance values of the current sensing resistors 112 and 116 are both 1 ohm, and their rated powers are both 1 watt. However, as long as the specifications and values of the resistors are known to calculate the current based on the voltage drop, and as long as the rated power does not significantly affect the function of the circuit 100, different rated powers can be used. For example, in the current embodiment, with the resistance value known, the voltage value measured across the resistor allows the calculation of the current.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the output current sensing resistor 116 and the input current sensing resistor 112 are used to measure the current at different positions along the circuit 100 and are optional for the function of the circuit 100. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that any number of current sensing resistors can be placed at any position in the circuit 100 to measure the current as long as the position of the current sensing resistor does not affect the function of the circuit 100.

[0079] The operation of the circuit 100 has two phases: a charging phase and a discharging phase. The charging phase of the circuit 100 includes connecting the battery 104 to the circuit to charge the supercapacitor 108. The battery 104 can be removed after charging the supercapacitor 108 for a period of time, or alternatively, the battery 104 can be removed after being completely depleted. The capacity of the supercapacitor 108 may affect the duration for which the battery 104 can be connected to the fully charged supercapacitor 108; however, the supercapacitor 108 does not need to be fully charged to operate the circuit 100. Once the supercapacitor 108 reaches the charging threshold, the electrical energy released from the supercapacitor 108 can power the load 136. Before the supercapacitor 108 reaches the charging threshold, no effect on the load 136 can be observed. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the charging threshold depends on the load 136. For example, when the load 136 is an LED that requires 2.9 volts of power supply, the supercapacitor 108 will continue to charge and discharge; however, the load 136 will not be powered until the charging threshold of at least 2.9 volts is reached to supply the load 136. In fact, the LED will not light up, and thus no effect on the load 136 can be observed until the supercapacitor 108 reaches the charge threshold of 2.9 volts. Once the charging threshold is reached, the LED will light up. Similarly, when the load 136 may require a higher voltage to be powered, the supercapacitor 108 with the charging threshold will need to be charged to match the high voltage. The charging level received by the supercapacitor 108 may affect the output voltage and the operating duration when the circuit powers the load 136.

[0080] The discharge phase of circuit 100 includes the supercapacitor 108 discharging the current stored during the charge phase of circuit 100 to the toroidal inductor 120. In the current embodiment, the supercapacitor 108 need not be fully charged before beginning to discharge to the remainder of circuit 100, but may also continue to charge while discharging. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other embodiments, elements such as switches may be added to circuit 100 to allow the supercapacitor 108 to fully charge before discharging to the remainder of circuit 100. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in various configurations, the charge state and discharge state of the supercapacitor 108 may be in different independent states or may operate simultaneously.

[0081] When the supercapacitor 108 is in the discharge state, current from the supercapacitor 108 flows through the secondary winding 204 of the toroidal inductor 120. The current flowing through the secondary winding 204 and the base bias resistor 128 provides a positive voltage to the base of the transistor 132. The transistor 132 begins to operate in the linear region where a collector current is generated. Then, current begins to flow through the primary winding 208. Since the primary winding 208 and the secondary winding 204 are inductively coupled in opposite directions, a positive voltage is induced in the secondary winding 204, which further creates a higher bias at the base B of the transistor 132. Thus, the current in the primary winding 208 will increase. The increasing positive feedback generates a magnetic field and drives the transistor 132 into the saturation region (also referred to herein as the transistor 132 being in a fully "on" state), effectively turning on the transistor and closing the collector-emitter junction of the transistor 132. In this state, since the path impedance through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor 132 is minimal, current does not flow to the load 136. This renders the load 136 non-powered. The current in the primary winding 208 continues to increase until it is proportional to the input voltage from the supercapacitor 108, where the current reaches a maximum and levels off. As the increase in the current across the primary winding 208 levels off, the positive feedback magnetic field collapses, causing the base-emitter voltage to drop below its threshold voltage. Eventually, the transistor 132 enters the cut-off region, thereby disconnecting the circuit between the emitter and the collector of the transistor 132 (also referred to herein as the transistor 132 being in the "off" state). The residual energy stored in the secondary winding 204 cannot pass through the transistor 132, and thus current flows through the only available path, i.e., through the load 136. The collapse of the magnetic field causes a voltage spike, and thus, a voltage much higher than the voltage between the positive and negative terminals of the supercapacitor 108 is formed across the load 136. Once the energy stored in the secondary winding 204 is fully dissipated in the load 136, the entire sequence of turning the transistor 132 on and off repeats.

[0082] As the energy dissipates and the magnetic field returns to zero, the sequence repeats, and the voltage across the supercapacitor 108 increases the current through the secondary winding 204, thereby moving the transistor 132 back from the cutoff region to the saturation region. In this way, the transistor 132 alternates between the on and off states, or more specifically, between the saturation region and the cutoff region. The transition between the on state and the off state occurs at a fixed frequency, also known as the resonant frequency. The resonant frequency alternates fast enough such that the load 136 appears to be continuously powered to the naked eye, although current only flows through the load 136 in the form of high voltage pulses.

[0083] The sequence repeats until all the energy in the supercapacitor 108 is depleted, or when the resonant frequency drops below a resonant frequency threshold, at which point the supercapacitor 108 needs to draw additional charge from the battery 104 to power the load 136. The resonant frequency threshold depends on the load 136. In the current embodiment, when the load 136 is an LED, the resonant frequency threshold is 12 kHz. Those skilled in the art will recognize that different loads 136 will have different resonant frequency thresholds. Alternatively, the switch can be opened and closed such that the supercapacitor 108 can be recharged with the battery 104 as long as the battery 104 continues to have charge. If completely depleted, the battery 104 can be replaced with another battery 104.

[0084] By cycling the transistor 132 between the saturation region and the cutoff region and conducting and turning off at the resonant frequency, power pulses at a higher voltage can be provided to the load 136, and the power appears to be continuous until there is no remaining charge to sustain the resonant frequency.

[0085] The circuit operating at the resonant frequency is the result of the combination of the supercapacitor 108 and the toroidal inductor 120 affecting the transistor 132. If the resonant frequency is not reached, high voltage pulses are not provided to the load 136, and sufficient current does not reach the load 136. Those skilled in the art will recognize that only a specific combination of the toroidal inductor 120 and the supercapacitor 108 will reach the resonant frequency and allow high voltage pulses to reach the load 136 over an extended duration. The configuration of the toroidal inductor 120 can vary depending on variables including the size of the toroidal inductor 120 and the number of turns around the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208. Similarly, the configuration of the supercapacitor 108 includes its capacitance value.

[0086] Figure 3 Waveform 300 is depicted, where the x-axis represents time and the y-axis represents voltage. It can be seen that the waveform of the resonant frequency shows high voltage spikes when the transistor 132 alternates between the on state and the off state.

[0087] As described above, ensuring that the toroidal inductor 120 establishes and maintains an appropriate resonant frequency allows the circuit 100 to continue operating and supply power to the load 136.

[0088] To maximize efficiency, the toroidal inductor 120 can be optimized based on the number of turns of the primary winding 204 and the secondary winding 208 around the toroidal core.

[0089] Example

[0090] The following is an exemplary circuit using: the number of turns of the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208, the toroidal core size, and the capacitance of the supercapacitor 108.

[0091] Example 1

[0092] The following table (Table 1) depicts the results of Example 1, specifically a table of the values measured across the circuit depicted in Figure 1 The measured values include the peak voltage, the total operating time of the LEDs in the circuit, and the initial resonant frequency in the circuit, which vary as the number of turns of the primary winding 204 and the secondary winding 208 of the wire around the toroidal ferrite core of the toroidal inductor 120 changes. As previously mentioned, equal turns are optimal for the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208. Thus, in the first row of Table 1, the secondary winding 204 has 4 turns and the primary winding 208 also has 4 turns. After the circuit 100 is powered, measurements are taken after charging the supercapacitor 108 for a duration of 9 to 10 seconds using a battery 104 with a voltage between 1.25 volts and 1.3 volts, after which the battery 104 can be removed from the circuit 100. In this embodiment, the supercapacitor 108 is an EDLC-type supercapacitor and its capacitance is 10 farads. Additionally, in this embodiment, the outer diameter of the toroidal inductor is 10.80 mm, the inner diameter is 5.25 mm, and the height is 4.75 mm. Then, the total operating time of the LEDs is recorded, as well as the peak voltage and the initial resonant frequency. For clarity, the total operating time provided in Tables 1 to 4 (and also mentioned herein) represents the total time the LEDs are on, regardless of the brightness of the LEDs.

[0093]

[0094]

[0095]

[0096]

[0097] Table 1 - Effects of Multiple Windings around a Circular Inductor

[0098] As can be seen from Table 1, as the number of turns of each winding of the toroidal core increases, the resonant frequency decreases and the operating time of the LED increases. In addition, as the number of turns of each winding of the toroidal core increases, the peak voltage also increases. The increase in the number of turns of each winding on the toroidal core is directly proportional to the operating time of the LED and the output peak voltage. In addition, the increase in the number of turns of each winding of the toroidal core is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

[0099] The LED requires a voltage higher than 2.7 volts to operate at a sufficient brightness level. It was observed that after 9 to 10 seconds of power supply to the circuit, where the number of turns is greater than 30, the LED remained bright for approximately 10 minutes before starting to dim. Therefore, it was observed that when the number of turns of the winding in the toroidal inductor is greater than 30, a voltage higher than 2.7 volts is generated within 10 minutes. When the voltage drops below 2.7 volts, the LED starts to dim and the resonant frequency also increases. For example, referring to Table 1, where the number of turns is 30, the total operating time observed is 15 minutes and 10 seconds, where the LED maintained its brightness (its output did not weaken) within the first 10 minutes and the voltage was higher than 2.7 volts. Therefore, within the remaining 5 minutes and 10 seconds, the voltage in Circuit 100 was below 2.7 volts. It was also observed that at the dimming point of the LED, the resonant frequency was approximately 50 kHz.

[0100] Example 2

[0101] As the diameter of the toroidal inductor increases, the proportional relationship between the number of turns and the operating time of the load continues to hold. Similarly, as the diameter of the toroidal inductor increases, the inverse proportional relationship between the number of turns and the resonant frequency also continues to hold. The results in Examples 2, 3, and 4 depicted in Tables 2, 3, and 4 changed the toroidal core size of the toroidal inductor 120 and included a fixed supercapacitor 108 with a capacitance of 25 farads, where the supercapacitor 108 is a hybrid supercapacitor. Similar to the variables in Example 1, the voltage of the provided battery 104 was between 1.25 volts and 1.29 volts and was connected to Circuit 100 within 9 to 10 seconds before being disconnected from Circuit 100. Regarding Example 2, as can be seen from Table 2, a toroidal inductor with an outer diameter of 20 mm, an inner diameter of 15 mm, and a height of 7 mm of the toroidal core was used, and the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings of the wire was gradually increased while measuring the peak voltage, total operating time, and resonance frequency.

[0102]

[0103] Table 2 - Influence of Multiple Windings around a Toroidal Inductor with an Outer Diameter of 20 mm

[0104] As can be seen from the values in Table 2, as the number of turns / windings of the toroidal magnetic core around the toroidal inductor with an outer diameter of 20 mm increases, the total operating time of the load also increases. Additionally, as the number of turns / windings of the toroidal magnetic core around the toroidal inductor with an outer diameter of 20 mm increases, the resonant frequency decreases.

[0105] Example 3

[0106] As used in Example 3, this also confirms a toroidal inductor with a toroidal magnetic core having an outer diameter of 22.1 mm, an inner diameter of 13.7 mm, and a height of 6.35 mm. Table 3 below depicts the use of the toroidal magnetic core with an outer diameter of 22.1 mm, where the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings of the wire is gradually increased, while the peak voltage, total operating time, and resonant frequency are measured.

[0107]

[0108]

[0109] Table 3 - Influence of multi-windings around a circular inductor with an outer diameter of 22.1 mm

[0110] Example 4

[0111] Additionally, the results of Example 4, particularly for the toroidal inductor with an outer diameter of 25.3 mm, also confirm the same relationship. Table 4 below depicts the use of a toroidal magnetic core having an outer diameter of 25.3 mm, an inner diameter of 14.8 mm, and a height of 15 mm, where the number of turns of the primary and secondary windings of the wire is gradually increased, while the peak voltage, total operating time, and resonant frequency are measured.

[0112]

[0113]

[0114] Table 4 - Influence of multi-windings around a circular inductor with an outer diameter of 25.3 mm

[0115] Although in Example 1, the supercapacitor 108 with a capacitance of 10 farads was used, Examples 2 to 4 used the supercapacitor 108 with a capacitance of 25 farads. Other supercapacitors 108 with different capacitance levels are envisioned. Specifically, supercapacitors 108 with a capacitance of 25 farads or less are envisioned for alternative embodiments of the circuit 100.

[0116] In addition, in Examples 1 to 4, the supercapacitor 108 is charged by connecting the battery 104 to the circuit 100 for 9 to 10 seconds before disconnection. It has been found that preferably, the battery 104 is connected for at least 9 seconds or more to charge the supercapacitor 108 before disconnection. In some preferred embodiments, the battery 104 can be connected for 9 to 12 seconds to charge the supercapacitor 108 before disconnection. The battery 104 can be connected for less than 9 seconds (and as low as 1 second) to charge the supercapacitor 108; however, this can shorten the total operating time of the circuit 100. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the battery 104 can be connected to the circuit 100 for any duration to charge the supercapacitor 108.

[0117] Power factor

[0118] The power factor represents the ratio of the output power to the input power. For example, for a toroidal inductor 120 where the secondary winding 204 has 32 turns and the primary winding 208 has 32 turns, the output voltage waveform can be regarded as Figure 3 the waveform 300 described in, where the x-axis depicts the duration and the y-axis depicts the voltage in volts. In the following calculations, the peak power factor and the average power factor are calculated for the toroidal inductor 120 of the circuit 100 where the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208 have 32 turns.

[0119] The peak power factor can be calculated as follows:

[0120]

[0121] The peak power factor represents the power factor achieved during the high-voltage output pulse when the transistor 132 is in the cut-off region or in its "off" state.

[0122] Based on the values provided from the waveform 300 and the observations of the circuit, for the current embodiment where the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208 have 32 turns, the peak power factor is:

[0123]

[0124] It can be seen that during the high-voltage output pulse, the peak power factor is greater than one (1), thus exceeding one during the high-voltage output pulse, but returning to zero (0) when the transistor 132 is in the saturation region and the load 136 is not receiving any power supply.

[0125] When calculating the average power factor of the same toroidal inductor 120 of the circuit 100 with 32 turns, the average power factor can be calculated as follows:

[0126]

[0127] The average output power can be calculated by multiplying the average output voltage and the average output current. To determine the average output voltage:

[0128]

[0129] Figure 4 Screenshot 400 is depicted, which is an enlarged isolated screenshot of waveform 300 in Figure 3 where the area of the waveform can be calculated. When calculating the area under the waveform, for simplicity, an approximation is used. For example, although a curve does exist in region 404, the area under the curve will be approximated as a triangular region. This simplification will be used in the following other calculations.

[0130] More specifically, the triangular region under the waveform in region 404, region 408, and the blank region under the waveform in region 412 can be calculated, where the time duration between region 404 and region 408 is 40 μs (the turn-on time of the transistor), and the time duration on region 412 is 78 μs. This provides a total time duration of 118 μs. Additionally, as provided, the height of region 404 is approximately 1100 mV, and the height of region 408 is approximately 2500 mV. Therefore, to calculate the average voltage:

[0131]

[0132] To determine the average output current:

[0133]

[0134] Figure 5 Waveform 500 is depicted, which shows the output current varying with time duration, where the x-axis depicts the time duration and the y-axis depicts mA. Figure 6 Screenshot 600 is depicted, which is an enlarged isolated screenshot of waveform 500 in Figure 5 where the area of the waveform can be calculated. More specifically, the triangular region under the waveform in region 604 has a time period of 40 μs and a height of 40 mA, and region 608 has a time period of 84 μs and a height of 0 mA. This results in a total time duration of 124 μs. Therefore, the average output current is calculated as follows:

[0135]

[0136] To determine the input voltage, once the battery is removed, the voltage across the input terminals of the circuit can be measured. This is measured in the range of 900 mV to 940 mV.

[0137] To determine the input current, the area under the input current waveform can be determined.Figure 7 Depicts an input current waveform 700, where the x-axis depicts the duration and the y-axis depicts the current in mA. Figure 8 Depicts a screenshot 800, which is an enlarged isolated screenshot of the waveform 700. When calculating the area under the curve, area 804 has a duration of 30 μs and a height of 35 mA, and area 808 has a duration of 97.5 μs and a similar height of 35 mA. Thus, the total duration of the cycle is 127.5 μs. The average input current is calculated as follows:

[0138]

[0139] Thus, the average power factor can be calculated using the equation provided above as follows:

[0140]

[0141] It can be seen that the average power factor includes a cycle where transistor 132 is first in the saturation region and then transistor 132 is in the cut-off region. This means that the average power factor includes the duration during which a high voltage pulse is sent to the load 136 and the duration when no power is sent to the load 136.

[0142] It can be considered that as the number of turns around the secondary winding 204 and the primary winding 208 increases, both the average power factor and the peak power factor will also increase. This indicates that as the number of turns increases, the efficiency of the circuit also increases.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising: A supercapacitor configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power source capable of charging the supercapacitor, the supercapacitor having a positive terminal and a negative terminal; A toroidal inductor configured to receive current from the positive terminal of the supercapacitor when the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, the toroidal inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding and the secondary winding having multiple turns; A transistor including a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction; A base biasing resistor configured to ensure that the base of the transistor receives a safe current; Wherein, the toroidal inductor, the base biasing resistor, and the transistor are connected in parallel to the supercapacitor, and a load can be connected in parallel to the supercapacitor; Wherein, the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the base biasing resistor, the base biasing resistor is then connected to the base of the transistor, the primary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor is connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and a load can be connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor; and Once charged, the supercapacitor can be actuated to discharge, causing the primary winding and the secondary winding to drive the transistor to alternate between the saturation region and the cutoff region at a resonant frequency, so that when the transistor is in the saturation region, current is directed to the supercapacitor through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor, and when the transistor is in the cutoff region, a high-voltage current is directed to the load.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein, The number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the operating time of the load.

3. The circuit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

4. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The operating time of the load is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

5. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor is proportional to the operating time of the load.

6. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

7. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an input current sensing resistor connected between the emitter of the transistor and the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, the input current sensing resistor being configured to assist in measuring the input current flowing through the supercapacitor.

8. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an output current sensing resistor connected in series to the output terminal of the load, the output current sensing resistor and the load being connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor, the output current sensing resistor being configured to assist in measuring the output current supplied to the load.

9. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the average power factor of the circuit.

10. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, When the transistor is in the cutoff region, the number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the peak power factor of the circuit.

11. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The removable power source is a depleted battery.

12. The circuit according to claim 11, wherein, The depleted battery is an alkaline AA battery with a voltage of 1.3 volts or lower.

13. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The removable power source is an AA battery with a voltage between 1.0 volts and 1.5 volts.

14. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The capacitance of the supercapacitor is between 10 farads and 25 farads.

15. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The supercapacitor is an electric double layer capacitor.

16. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The supercapacitor is a hybrid supercapacitor.

17. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, Before the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, the power source is connected in parallel to the supercapacitor for at least 1 second to charge the supercapacitor, and then the power source is subsequently disconnected.

18. The circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The removable power source is a removable battery with a voltage between 1.25 volts and 1.3 volts.

19. The circuit according to claim 18, wherein, The supercapacitor is charged by connecting the removable battery for at least 9 seconds and then disconnecting the removable battery.

20. The circuit according to claim 19, wherein, The capacitance of the supercapacitor is 10 farads.

21. The circuit according to claim 20, wherein, Both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 4 to 35 turns.

22. The circuit according to claim 21, wherein, The resonant frequency is between 120 kHz and 7.35 kHz.

23. The circuit according to claim 19, wherein The capacitance of the supercapacitor is 25 farads.

24. The circuit according to claim 23, wherein, Both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 25 to 35 turns.

25. The circuit according to claim 24, wherein, The resonant frequency is between 2.40 kHz and 1.62 kHz.

26. A method for powering a load, the method comprising: Providing: A supercapacitor configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power source, the supercapacitor having a positive terminal and a negative terminal; A toroidal inductor, a base bias resistor, a transistor, and a connectable load, all connected in parallel with the supercapacitor, The toroidal inductor is connected to the positive terminal of the supercapacitor, the toroidal inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding and the secondary winding having multiple turns; The transistor includes a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction; And The secondary winding of the toroidal inductor connected in series to the base bias resistor, the base bias resistor in turn connected to the base of the transistor, the primary winding of the toroidal inductor connected to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and the connectable load spanning across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor; Charging the supercapacitor by connecting the removable power source for a predetermined duration and then disconnecting the removable power source; Discharging current from the charged supercapacitor to the toroidal inductor; Exciting the transistor with the primary winding and the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor to alternate between the saturation region and the cut-off region at a resonant frequency; When the transistor is in the saturation region, guiding current through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor to the supercapacitor; And When the transistor is in the cut-off region, guiding a high voltage current to the load.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein The number of windings around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the operating time of the load.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein, The number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

29. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein The operating time of the load is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

30. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29, wherein, The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor is proportional to the operating time of the load.

31. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein The diameter of the toroidal core of the toroidal inductor is inversely proportional to the resonant frequency.

32. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein The number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the average power factor of the circuit.

33. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein When the transistor is in the cut-off region, the number of turns around the primary winding and the secondary winding is proportional to the peak power factor of the circuit.

34. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein, The removable power source is a depleted battery.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein, The depleted battery is an alkaline AA battery with a voltage of 1.3 volts or less.

36. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein, The removable power source is an AA battery with a voltage between 1.0 volts and 1.5 volts.

37. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 36, wherein The capacitance of the supercapacitor is between 10 farads and 25 farads.

38. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37, wherein, The predetermined duration is at least 1 second.

39. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37, wherein, The predetermined duration is between 9 seconds and 12 seconds.

40. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 37, wherein The predetermined duration is between 9 seconds and 10 seconds.

41. A circuit, comprising: A supercapacitor having a capacitance between 10 farads and 25 farads, the supercapacitor being configured to be connected in parallel with a removable power source capable of charging the supercapacitor, the voltage of the removable power source being less than 1.3 volts, the supercapacitor having a positive terminal and a negative terminal; A toroidal inductor configured to receive current from the positive terminal of the supercapacitor when the supercapacitor is actuated to discharge, the toroidal inductor having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding and the secondary winding having multiple turns; A transistor including a collector, a base, an emitter, and a collector-emitter junction; A base biasing resistor configured to ensure that the base of the transistor receives a safe current; Wherein, the toroidal inductor, the base biasing resistor, and the transistor are connected in parallel to the supercapacitor, and a load can be connected in parallel to the supercapacitor; Wherein, the secondary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the base biasing resistor, the base biasing resistor is then connected to the base of the transistor, the primary winding of the toroidal inductor is connected in series to the collector of the transistor, the emitter of the transistor is connected to the negative terminal of the supercapacitor, and the connectable load can be connected across the collector-emitter junction of the transistor; and Once charged by the removable power source for at least 9 seconds, the supercapacitor can be actuated to discharge, causing the primary winding and the secondary winding to excite the transistor to alternate between the saturation region and the cut-off region at a resonant frequency, so that when the transistor is in the saturation region, current is conducted to the supercapacitor through the collector-emitter junction of the transistor, and when the transistor is in the cut-off region, a high-voltage current is conducted to the load.

42. The circuit according to claim 41, wherein, The capacitance of the supercapacitor is 10 farads, and both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 4 to 35 turns.

43. The circuit according to 41, wherein, The capacitance of the supercapacitor is 25 farads, and both the primary winding and the secondary winding have 25 to 35 turns.

Images