Bridge Drive Circuit With Charge Recovery for Capacitive Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive circuits for capacitive loads, such as those used in piezoelectric elements, are inefficient in reducing power consumption due to the inability to effectively utilize the electric energy accumulated in the capacitive load.
Innovation Solution
A drive circuit configuration that includes a bridge circuit with switch elements, rectifier elements, an electric storage element, and a control circuit to manage the flow of electric charge from the capacitive load to the electric storage element, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the capacitive load has a large capacity to increase sound pressure and displacement, then the sound pressure and displacement increase, but the power consumption increases because electric energy accumulated in the capacitive load is large and electric energy converted into thermal energy is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers electric energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat in the capacitive load by using rectifier elements to capture the energy during voltage transitions and store it in an electric storage element. This allows the system to reuse the energy, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining large capacitive load capacity for high sound pressure and displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of energy dissipation as heat into a beneficial resource by capturing the electric energy during voltage transitions through rectifier elements. The previously wasted energy is now stored and reused, transforming a loss into a useful energy source that reduces power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If electric charge accumulated in the piezoelectric element is transferred to a capacitor in a charge pump, then power consumption in the charge pump is reduced, but the transfer process requires multiple stages which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the charge transfer function from a complex multi-stage charge pump architecture and implements it directly within the drive circuit using rectifier elements and an electric storage element. This simplifies the system by removing the intermediate charge pump stages while maintaining the ability to transfer and store electric charge efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electric storage element as an intermediary between the capacitive load and the power supply system. This intermediary component enables efficient energy transfer and storage without requiring complex multi-stage charge pump circuits, thereby improving transfer efficiency while reducing power consumption.
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 proposed drive circuit effectively reduces power consumption by utilizing the electric energy stored in the capacitive load, thereby improving the efficiency of driving capacitive loads.
Implementation Method 1
a first rectifier element connected to one end of the capacitive load; a second rectifier element connected to another end of the capacitive load
Data Source
AI summary
A bridge circuit (30) alternately applies a first voltage and a second voltage having mutually different polarities to a capacitor (200). A diode (41) is connected to one end of the capacitor (200). A diode (42) is connected to another end of the capacitor (200). A capacitor (50) is connected to the diode (41) and the diode (42). A control circuit (60) controls a plurality of switch elements included in the bridge circuit (30) in such a way that electric charge stored in the capacitor (200) moves to the capacitor (50) via the diode (41) when a voltage applied to the capacitor (200) transitions from the first voltage to the second voltage and electric charge stored in the capacitor (200) moves to the capacitor (50) via the diode (42) when a voltage applied to the capacitor (200) transitions from the second voltage to the first voltage.