Battery Current Regulator for Pulsed Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing battery-powered current regulators for pulsed loads poses challenges in efficiency, size, and weight due to the use of capacitors in feedback loops, particularly for devices like high-power pulsed lasers and electromagnetic forming devices, which require efficient power regulation within strict size constraints.
Innovation Solution
A current regulator circuit that includes a capacitive energy storage device, a current sink driver, and power monitor circuitry using two feed-forward signals from the input current sense and capacitive storage device to optimize efficiency, with PWM/PFM control to minimize power consumption and reduce the size of the energy storage capacitor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a capacitor is used in the feedback loop of a battery-powered current regulator for pulsed loads, then power regulation capability is improved, but the size and weight of the energy storage capacitor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the energy storage function into two separate components: a capacitor for voltage stabilization and a battery for primary energy storage. This segmentation allows the capacitor to be much smaller since it only needs to handle voltage ripple, not the full energy storage requirement, thereby reducing its size and weight while maintaining power regulation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a diode as an intermediary element between the capacitor and the current regulator feedback loop. This diode isolates the capacitor from direct feedback signaling, allowing the capacitor to serve as a local voltage buffer without requiring large capacitance values, thus reducing its physical size and weight.
2Reliability
If a capacitor is used in the feedback loop of a battery-powered current regulator for pulsed loads, then power regulation capability is improved, but power regulation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the energy storage function between the battery and capacitor, the system optimizes each component's operating range. The battery operates at steady-state charging/discharging while the capacitor handles only transient voltage stabilization, minimizing energy losses in both components and improving overall power regulation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control to charge and discharge the capacitor in synchronization with the pulsed load requirements. This periodic action allows the capacitor to be charged during low-demand periods and discharged during high-demand periods, reducing energy dissipation and improving power regulation efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves high efficiency and reduces the size and weight of the energy storage capacitor, ensuring continuous current consumption from a battery source independent of input voltage, temperature, and pulse repetition rate, with improved stability and reduced power dissipation in the current sink driver.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitive energy storage device; a current source charger which receives input current from the input power source via the current sense circuit and provides a charge for the capacitive energy storage device
Implementation Method 2
a pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM) circuitry which controls the current source charger based on the feedback signal
Data Source
AI summary
A current regulator for a pulsed load is provided herein. The current regulator may include: an input power source; a current sense circuit; a capacitive energy storage device; a current sink driver; a current source charger which receives input current from the input power source via the current sense circuit and provides a charge for the capacitive energy storage device coupled between the current source charger and the current sink driver which drives the pulsed load; a power monitor circuitry which generates a feedback signal, based on a function of the input power and a function of at least one of: voltage across the capacitive energy storage, or voltage across the current sink driver; and a pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM) circuitry which controls the current source charger based on the feedback signal.