Battery-based intermittent high-power source
The battery-based power supply system with a buck converter, current limiter, and capacitor addresses low-temperature performance and battery life issues, enhancing efficiency and reliability for intermittent workloads.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- XSENSE LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing battery-based power supplies struggle with low-temperature performance and battery life, particularly when powering intermittent workloads, leading to inefficiencies and reduced capacity.
A battery-based power supply system incorporating a buck converter, current limiter, and capacitor energy storage unit to manage voltage and current, optimizing performance and extending battery life.
Enhances low-temperature performance and extends battery life by stabilizing voltage and current, improving efficiency and reliability for intermittent workloads.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
This specification discloses a battery-based intermittent high-power power supply for powering intermittent workloads, optimized for improved low-temperature performance and extended battery life. The power supply includes: one or more batteries; a buck converter configured to be connected in series with the batteries and output a voltage VOUT less than the battery voltage V1; a current limiter connected in series with the buck converter and configured to limit inrush current from the batteries in a current-limiting mode and substantially provide a short circuit in a non-current-limiting mode; and a capacitor energy storage unit connected in series with the current limiter for providing a voltage V2 to the load, configured to: charge to a voltage VICL less than VOUT when the current limiter switches to the current-limiting mode; and charge to near VOUT when the current limiter switches to the non-current-limiting mode.
Claims
CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:
1. A battery power supply to power an intermittently operating load comprising: a voltage downconverter configured to be serially connected to a battery and to output a voltage VOUT less than a battery voltage VI; a current limiter serially connected to the voltage downconverter a nd configured to provide a voltage drop in a current limiting mode, and to substantially provide a short circuit in a non-current limiting mode; a capacitor tank serially connected to the current limiter for providing a voltage V2 to the load, and configured to be charged to a voltage VICL, which is less than VOUT, while the current limiter is switched to the current limiting mode, and configured to be charged to a voltage which is substantially equal to VOUT when the current limiter is switched to the non-current limiting mode; and a controller configured to sense the battery voltage (VI) and the voltage of the capacitor tank (VCT), and configured to switch the voltage downconverter between an off state and an on state, and to switch the current limiter between the current limiting mode and the non-current limiting mode, and to switch the load between an off state and an on state.
2. The battery power supply according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches the voltage downconverter from the off state to the on state responsive to receiving a signal from a signal source external to the battery power supply.
3. The battery power supply according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches the voltage downconverter from the off state to the on state responsive to the battery voltage VI being equal to or greater than a turn-on voltage VDCin of the downconverter.
4. The battery power supply according to claim 1, wherein the controller switches the current limiter from the current limiting mode to the non-current limiting mode upon sensing that VCT is equal to or exceeds a threshold voltage of VICL, which is less than VOUT.
5. The battery powersupply according to anyone or more of the preceding claims, wherein the controller activates the load responsive to the capacitor tank being charged to a voltage substantially equal to VOUT.
6. The battery power supply according to claim 5 wherein the voltage the voltage VCT of the capacitor tank is held for a period of time at a voltage substantially equal to V2 following the current limiterbeing switched to the non-current limiting mode, prior to the controller activating the load.
7. The battery power supply according to any one or more of the preceding claims, further comprising a voltage regulator to supply regulated power to the controller.
8. The battery power supply according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the battery comprises a non-flat discharge curve and a relatively high internal resistance compared to batteries comprising flat discharge curves.
9. The battery power supply according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the battery comprises one or more alkaline batteries, one or more non-lithium batteries, one or more lithium batteries, or one or more lithium-ion batteries.
10. The battery power supply according to any one or more the claims 1 to 7, wherein the battery comprises a flat discharge curve and a relatively low internal resistance.
11. The battery power supply according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the battery is integral to the battery power supply.
12. The battery power supply according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the intermittently operating load comprises an Internet of Things (loT) device.
13. The battery powersupply according to anyone or more of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is external to the battery power supply.
14. A method of providing DC power from a battery to an intermittently operating load, the method comprising: applying a voltage VI from the battery to a serially connected voltage downconverter, the voltage downconverter configured to output a voltage VOUT smaller than VI; applying the voltage VOUT to a current limiter serially connected to the voltage down converter, the current limiter configured to provide a voltage drop in a current limiting mode, and to substantially provide a short circuit in a non-current limiting mode; charging a capacitor tank serially connected to the current limiter for providing a voltage V2 to the load, the capacitor tank configured to be charged to a voltage VICL, which is less than VOUT, while the current limiter is switched to the current limiting mode, and configured to be charged to a voltage which is substantially equal to VOUT when the current limiter is switched to the non-current limiting mode; and switching the voltage downconverter between an off state and an on state, and the current limiter between the current limiting mode and the non-current limiting mode,, and to switch the load between an off state and an on state.
15. The battery power supply according to claim 14, comprising switching the voltage downconverter from the off state to the on state responsive to receiving a signal from a signal source external to the battery power supply.
16. The method according to claim 14, comprising switching the voltage downconverter from the off state to the on state responsive to the battery voltage VI being equal to or greater than a turn-on voltage VDCin of the downconverter.
17. The method according to claim 14, comprising switching the current limiter from the current limiting mode to the non-current limiting mode upon sensing that VCT is equal to or exceeds a threshold voltage VICL less than VOUT.
18. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 17, comprising measuring the battery voltage VI.
19. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 18, comprising measuring the capacitor tank voltage VCT.
20. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 19, comprising activating the load responsive to the voltage VCT of capacitor tank being charged to a voltage substantially equal to Vout.
21. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 20, wherein the voltage VCT of the capacitor tank is held for a period of time at a voltage substantially equal to V2 following a period of time after the current limiter is switched to the non-current limiting mode.
22. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 20, wherein the voltage the voltage VCT of the capacitor tank is held for a period of time at a voltage substantially equal to V2 following the current limiter being switched to the non-current limiting mode, prior to the controller activating the load.
23. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 22, wherein the battery comprises a non-flat discharge curve and a relatively high internal resistance compared to batteries comprising flat discharge curves.
24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the battery comprises one or more alkaline batteries.
25. The method according to any one or more of the claims 14 to 22, wherein the battery comprises a flat discharge curve and a relatively low internal resistance.
26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the battery comprises one or more lithium or lithium- ion batteries.
27. A device configured to operate intermittently comprising: a battery; and a battery power supply comprising: a voltage downconverter configured to be serially connected to the battery and to output a voltage VOUT less than a battery voltage VI; a current limiter serially connected to the voltage downconverter and configured to provide a voltage drop in a current limiting mode, and to substantially provide a short circuit in a non-current limiting mode; a capacitor tank serially connected to the current limiter for providing a voltage V2 to the load, and configured to be charged to a voltage VICL, which is less than VOUT, while the current limiter is switched to the current limiting mode, and configured to be charged to a voltage which is substantially equal to VOUT when the current limiter is switched to the non-current limiting mode; and a controller configured to switch the voltage downconverter between an off state and an on state, and the current limiter between the current limiting mode and the non-current limiting mode,, and to switch the load between an off state and an on state.
28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the battery comprises a non-flat discharge curve and a relatively high internal resistance compared to batteries comprising flat discharge curves.
29. The device according to claim 27, wherein the battery comprises a flat discharge curve and a relatively low internal resistance.
30. A battery power supply to power an intermittently operating load comprising: a voltage converter configured to be serially connected to a battery and to output a voltage VOUT greater than a voltage requirement of the load V2; a current limiter serially connected to the voltage converter and configured to be switched between a first lower current limit level and a second higher current limit level; a capacitor tank serially connected to the current limiter for providing the voltage V2 to the load, and configured to be charged to a voltage VICL which is less than VOUT while the current limiter is switched to the first lower current limit level, and further configured to be charged to a voltage VCT which is substantially equal to VOUT when the current limiter is switched to the second higher current limit level; and a controller configured to sense a battery voltage VI and the voltage of the capacitor tank VCT, and configured to switch the current limiter from the first lower current limit level to the second higher current limit level responsive to sensing that VCT > VICL.