Stand-alone DC Power Network with Priority-Based Voltage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stand-alone power systems in remote areas face challenges with complex and expensive interfaces, reliability issues, and inefficiencies due to frequent conversion between DC and AC power, leading to power loss and maintenance difficulties in harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
A stand-alone DC power network with a battery-based system that uses DC to DC converters to provide multiple voltage levels, prioritizing power distribution to ensure constant voltage and current at high-priority terminals while allowing voltage and current fluctuations at secondary terminals, utilizing sensors and a processor to manage power demand and prevent voltage drops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If frequent AC to DC conversions are performed to manage power distribution, then power can be distributed to multiple terminals with different voltage levels, but power loss increases and system efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the AC conversion stage from the power distribution system, keeping only essential DC to DC conversion. By removing the AC intermediary, the system eliminates the energy losses associated with AC to DC conversion while maintaining the capability to distribute power at multiple voltage levels through DC to DC converters.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of converting DC to AC and then back to DC (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by maintaining DC throughout the system and using DC to DC converters for voltage transformation. This reversal eliminates unnecessary energy conversion losses.
2Reliability
If complex interface components (inverters, voltage surge protections) are added to manage stand-alone power distribution, then power can be controlled and distributed, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes unnecessary protective components from the stand-alone power system interface. By carefully analyzing the actual risks in stand-alone DC applications, the invention extracts only the essential protection needed while eliminating redundant components like complex inverters and multiple voltage surge protectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the battery's inherent characteristics and simple DC to DC conversion to provide self-regulation and protection. The DC to DC converters naturally manage voltage and current distribution without requiring additional complex protective devices, allowing the system to protect itself through intelligent control.
3Stability of the object's composition
If voltage and current are maintained constant at all terminals, then power quality is improved, but power availability to high-demand terminals is reduced when battery charge is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different voltage stability requirements to different terminals based on their priority and power demands. High-priority terminals receive constant voltage and current to ensure their proper operation, while low-priority terminals allow voltage and current fluctuations when power is limited. This localized quality approach ensures critical loads maintain power quality while non-critical loads can tolerate variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts voltage and current distribution based on battery charge levels and terminal priorities. When battery charge is sufficient, all terminals receive stable power. When charge is limited, the system dynamically shifts to providing constant power to high-priority terminals while allowing fluctuations at low-priority terminals, ensuring overall system survival and critical function maintenance.
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 system ensures reliable and efficient power distribution, reduces power loss, and simplifies maintenance by minimizing AC to DC conversions, thereby preserving power for critical loads and extending battery life, making it suitable for remote and harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
An electric battery is provided that stores a DC power
Implementation Method 2
Within the DC power supply are a plurality of DC to DC converters that each provide the selected voltage at their output terminals
Data Source
AI summary
A stand-alone DC power network is provided with a DC to DC power converter only, and does not have a converter that will convert AC to DC. In addition, each of the different terminals that provides the DC voltage at different levels will be ranked according to priority as to which ones are the most important to supply the full voltage to, and which ones are of secondary importance in the event there is insufficient power in the system to provide full voltage at the specified current for the different loads. A processor monitors the voltage and current at each of the terminals, and in the event a current is attempted to be drawn from the system which would cause a first priority terminal to be reduced in voltage, the processor will instead reduce the power provided to the second priority terminal and ensure that the first priority terminal does not have a significant reduction in the specified voltage or the amount of current supplied to that terminal at the specified voltage.