Bio-mechanical Power Management via Voltage-Limited Interim Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Bio-mechanical energy harvesters face issues with sudden drops in generator torque due to fully charged storage capacitors reaching voltage limits, causing discomfort to users and inefficient energy transfer.
Innovation Solution
A system that synchronizes current consumption with power production, using an interim electrical storage module with a voltage limit, and a control module to manage current supply, minimizing storage capacity and communication overhead, while maintaining voltage below the limit to prevent sudden drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If intermediate storage capacitors are used to store energy produced by energy harvesters, then energy storage capacity is improved, but when capacitors reach voltage limit they can no longer accept energy causing sudden drops in generator torque and user discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The control module continuously monitors the voltage of the intermediate storage module and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the current supplied to the load. This closed-loop control prevents the storage capacitor from reaching its voltage limit by reducing load current when voltage approaches the threshold, thereby preventing torque drops and maintaining user comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the current supplied to the load based on real-time voltage conditions in the intermediate storage module. The control module modifies operational parameters continuously to match varying power production from the harvester, preventing voltage limit violations and associated discomfort
2Quantity of substance
If larger interim energy storage capacity is used, then energy buffering capability is improved, but safety risk increases due to higher power density of capacitors
Solution Approach 1:
The control module deliberately operates the intermediate storage module at partial capacity rather than allowing it to reach full voltage limit. By maintaining voltage below the maximum threshold (e.g., operating at 80% capacity), the system reduces the stored energy to safe levels while still providing sufficient buffering capability for normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of high-capacity capacitors into a benefit by using the control module to deliberately limit stored energy to safe levels. The same capacitor that could release dangerous energy is controlled to release only safe, manageable amounts, turning a safety risk into a controlled, beneficial energy storage solution
3Quantity of substance
If current consumption is synchronized with power production, then interim storage capacity can be minimized, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control module autonomously manages the synchronization between current consumption and power production by continuously monitoring storage voltage and automatically adjusting load current accordingly. The system serves itself by using simple voltage threshold comparisons and proportional current adjustments, achieving complex synchronization without elaborate control algorithms
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
This approach reduces fluctuations in current supplied to the load, enhances user safety by minimizing storage capacity risks, and improves energy transmission efficiency by maintaining a stable voltage within the storage module's limits.
Implementation Method 1
an energy harvester configured to attach to at least two body segments and to generate electrical energy as a result of relative movement between said segments
Data Source
AI summary
Electrical energy produced by an energy harvester is stored on a temporary basis in an interim energy storage module before transferring it to a load. The current fed to the load is controlled so that a voltage limit of, for example, a capacitor in the interim storage module is not reached. By at least partially synchronizing the current consumed with the power produced, the capacity of the interim energy storage can be minimized, while still beneficially reducing fluctuations in the current. Current consumed may be determined by the use of a voltage to current look-up table, so that minimal communication overhead between the load and the power source is needed.