Optical power supply device and optical power supply method

Abstract

This optical power supply device comprises a photodiode array having the same number of photodiodes as the number of cores of a multicore fiber, wherein a light receiving surface of each of the photodiodes faces the corresponding core of the multicore fiber, and at least two of the photodiodes are connected in series with a power supply target.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical power supply device and an optical power supply method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a technology called optical power supply, in which light passing through an optical fiber is converted into electricity by a photodiode and then powered. In optical power supply, for example, a method is used that uses a double-clad fiber to maximize the optical power supply capacity per fiber (see Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] 150-W Power-Over-Fiber Using Double-Clad Fibers, M. Matsuura, Journal of Lightwave Technology (Volume: 38, Issue: 2, Jan.15, 15 2020) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the invention described in Non-Patent Document 1 uses multiple transmitters, receivers, and optical power supply circuits, making the system complex and expensive. The present invention provides an optical power supply device that can be realized at lower cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is an optical power supply device comprising a photodiode array having photodiodes in the same number as the number of cores in a multicore fiber, wherein the light receiving surface of each of the photodiodes faces a corresponding core of the multicore fiber, and the at least two photodiodes are connected in series to a power supply target. Effect of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides an optical power supply device that can be realized at lower cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical power supply system 1. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is an example of a multi-core fiber 12 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3A] 2 is an example of a photodiode array 14 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] 2 is an example of a photodiode array 14 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 illustrates another example of the multi-core fiber 12 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 2 is another example of the photodiode array 14 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is an example of a multi-core fiber 12 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of a photodiode array 14 according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the optical power supply system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical power supply system 1. The optical power supply system 1 includes a power supply optical transmitter 11, a multi-core fiber 12, and an optical power supply device 13.

[0010] The power supply light transmitter 11 transmits power supply light to the optical power supply device 13 through a multi-core fiber 12. The multi-core fiber 12 is a fiber having a plurality of cores 120.

[0011] The optical power supply device 13 converts the power supply light transmitted from the power supply optical transmitter 11 through the multi-core fiber 12 into electrical energy. The electrical energy converted by the optical power supply device 13 is supplied to a power supply target via, for example, a DC / DC converter. The power supply device is, for example, a charge / discharge circuit. The optical power supply device 13 has a photodiode array 14, and the photodiode array 14 has a plurality of photodiodes 140. The number of photodiodes 140 in the photodiode array 14 is the same as the number of cores 120 in the multi-core fiber 12. The light receiving surface of each photodiode 140 is arranged to face the corresponding core 120 of the multi-core fiber 12.

[0012] In the first embodiment, the number of cores 120 and the number of photodiodes 140 are N×M (N is an integer of 2 or more, and M is an integer of 1 or more), the photodiodes 140 form M series circuits in which N photodiodes 140 are connected in series, and the M series circuits are connected in parallel to each other to the power supply target.

[0013] Fig. 2 shows an example of the multi-core fiber 12 in the first embodiment where N × M = 4. The multi-core fiber 12 shown in Fig. 2 has four cores 120-1 to 120-4.

[0014] Fig. 3A is an example of the photodiode array 14 in the first embodiment when N=4 and M=1. Fig. 3B is an example of the photodiode array 14 in the first embodiment when N=M=2. The photodiode array 14 shown in Figs. 3A and 3B has four photodiodes 140-1 to 4. The four photodiodes 140-1 to 4 correspond to the four cores 120-1 to 4 of the multi-core fiber 12, respectively. For example, light transmitted via the core 120-1 is converted into electrical energy by the photodiode 140-1.

[0015] In the photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 3A, four photodiodes 140-1 to 140-4 are connected in series. In the photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 3B, two photodiodes 140-1 to 140-2 are connected in series, and two photodiodes 140-3 to 140-4 are connected in series to configure two series circuits. The two series circuits are connected in parallel to a power supply target.

[0016] Fig. 4 shows an example of the multi-core fiber 12 in the first embodiment where N × M = 6. The multi-core fiber 12 shown in Fig. 4 has six cores 120-1 to 6. Fig. 5 shows an example of the photodiode array 14 in the first embodiment where N = 3 and M = 2.

[0017] The photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 5 has six photodiodes 140-1 to 6. The six photodiodes 140-1 to 6 correspond to the six cores 120-1 to 6 of the multi-core fiber 12, respectively. In the photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 5, three photodiodes 140-1 to 3 are connected in series, and three photodiodes 140-4 to 6 are connected in series to configure two series circuits. The two series circuits are connected in parallel to each other with respect to a power supply target.

[0018] The centers of the multiple cores 120 and the multiple photodiodes 140 may be arranged so as to be vertices of a regular polygon. For example, in the multi-core fiber 12 shown in Fig. 2 and the photodiode array 14 shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the centers of the four cores 120-1 to 4 and the photodiodes 140-1 to 4 may be arranged so as to be vertices of a regular rectangle. For example, in the multi-core fiber 12 shown in Fig. 5 and the photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 6, the centers of the six cores 120-1 to 6 and the photodiodes 140-1 to 6 may be arranged so as to be vertices of a regular hexagon.

[0019] In the first embodiment, the photodiode array 14 includes a plurality of photodiodes 140, and the photodiodes 140 are connected in series, so that the transmitter and receiver for optical power supply can be integrated into one. This allows an optical power supply device to be realized at low cost. Furthermore, the plurality of cores 120 and the plurality of photodiodes 140 are arranged so that their centers are vertices of a regular polygon. This reduces the distance between the photodiodes 140 to reduce loss due to resistance between the photodiodes, while facilitating alignment because the cores 120 and the photodiodes 140 are arranged point symmetrically.

[0020] <Second embodiment> In the second embodiment, the cores 120 and photodiodes 140 form M series circuits in which N cores are connected in series, as in the first embodiment, and the M series circuits are connected in parallel to the power supply target. At this time, each of the N×M photodiodes 140 is arranged to be a vertex of a regular polygon. In contrast, the number of cores 120 and photodiodes 140 in the second embodiment is N×M (N is an integer of 3 or more, and M is an integer of 3 or more), and they are arranged as follows. First, they are arranged so that the centers of the N cores and the N photodiodes are different vertices of a regular N-polygon. Second, they are arranged so that the centers of the regular N-polygon are a vertex of a regular M-polygon.

[0021] Fig. 6 is an example of the multi-core fiber 12 according to the second embodiment. The multi-core fiber 12 shown in Fig. 6 is a multi-core fiber 12 in the case of N=3 and M=3. The centers of the three cores 120-1 to 3 are arranged to be the vertices of an equilateral triangle, and the cores 120-4 to 6 and the cores 120-7 to 9 are arranged similarly. Here, an equilateral triangle having the centers of the cores 120-1 to 3 as vertices is defined as an equilateral triangle T1, an equilateral triangle having the centers of the cores 120-4 to 6 as vertices is defined as an equilateral triangle T2, and an equilateral triangle having the centers of the cores 120-7 to 9 as vertices is defined as an equilateral triangle T3. The cores 120 are arranged such that the center of the equilateral triangle T1, the center of the equilateral triangle T2, and the center of the equilateral triangle T3 are the vertices of an equilateral triangle.

[0022] Fig. 7 is an example of a photodiode array 14 according to the second embodiment. The photodiodes 140 in the photodiode array 14 shown in Fig. 7 are arranged similarly to the cores 120 shown in Fig. 6. The photodiodes 140-1 to 3 are connected in series, and the photodiodes 140-4 to 6 and the photodiodes 140-7 to 9 are also connected in series. Furthermore, the three series circuits connected in series are connected in parallel.

[0023] <Modification> A lens or a lens array may be provided between the multicore fiber 12 and the photodiode array 14 to adjust the core diameter of the core 120, the size of the opening of the photodiode 140, or the position where the light transmitted through the core 120 is irradiated. In this case, the position where the core 120 is arranged in the multicore fiber 12 and the position where the photodiode 140 is arranged in the photodiode array 14 are similar to each other, and it is considered that the light is adjusted by the lens or the lens array provided between the multicore fiber 12 and the photodiode array 14.

[0024] <summary> 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the optical power supply system 1. The power supply light transmitter 11 transmits power supply light (step S1). The optical power supply device 13 converts the power supply light transmitted from the power supply light transmitter 11 through the multi-core fiber 12 into electrical energy (step S2).

[0025] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Optical power supply system, 11 Power supply optical transmitter, 12 Multi-core fiber, 120 Core, 13 Optical power supply device, 14 Photodiode array, 140 Photodiode

Claims

1. A photodiode array having the same number of photodiodes as the number of cores of a multicore fiber, a light receiving surface of each of the photodiodes facing a corresponding core of the multicore fiber; The at least two photodiodes are connected in series to a power supply target; the number of the cores and the number of the photodiodes are N×M (N is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and M is an integer equal to or greater than 3); The photodiodes are connected in series to form M series circuits, each of which has N photodiodes connected in series, and the M series circuits are connected in parallel to a power supply target, The centers of the N cores and the N photodiodes are arranged so as to be different vertices of a regular N-gon, and the centers of the M regular N-gons are arranged so as to be vertices of a regular M-gon. Optical power supply device.

2. 1. An optical power supply method using a multi-core fiber and a photodiode array, the method comprising: converting light passing through the multi-core fiber into electrical energy by the photodiode array, the method comprising the steps of: the number of the plurality of cores included in the multicore fiber is equal to the number of the plurality of photodiodes included in the photodiode array, and the at least two photodiodes are connected in series; the number of the cores and the number of the photodiodes are N×M (N is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and M is an integer equal to or greater than 3); The photodiodes are connected in series to form M series circuits, each of which has N photodiodes connected in series, and the M series circuits are connected in parallel to a power supply target, The centers of the N cores and the N photodiodes are arranged so as to be different vertices of a regular N-gon, and the centers of the M regular N-gons are arranged so as to be vertices of a regular M-gon. Optical power supply method.

Images