Joule Thief Circuit for Depleted Battery Voltage Boosting
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Solution Overview
Problem
In third world countries, billions of people rely on expensive batteries due to a lack of household electricity, leading to a significant expenditure on energy sources and premature disposal of batteries that still have remaining energy, resulting in wasted energy and increased landfill pollution.
Innovation Solution
A Joule Thief circuit is integrated into low current draw devices like flashlights, which boosts the voltage of 'dead' batteries using a toroid inductor and transistor to rapidly discharge voltage pulses, allowing the remaining energy to be utilized, thereby extending battery life and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If conventional direct battery connection is used, then device operates with sufficient voltage, but battery life is shortened due to premature disposal of 'dead' batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the voltage parameter by using a Joule Thief circuit to boost the voltage from depleted batteries. The circuit includes a toroid inductor and transistor that convert low voltage from dead batteries into sufficient voltage to power the device, allowing extraction of remaining energy that would otherwise be wasted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a Joule Thief circuit as an intermediary between the depleted battery and the device. This circuit acts as a mediator that transforms the insufficient voltage from the battery into usable voltage, enabling the device to operate with otherwise useless battery power.
2Duration of action of moving object
If Joule Thief circuit is added to extend battery life, then remaining energy is utilized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the voltage boosting function into a separate, dedicated Joule Thief circuit module. This allows the complexity to be isolated in a small, self-contained unit with specific components (toroid inductor, transistor, resistor) that can be easily integrated without complicating the overall device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive, simple components in the Joule Thief circuit such as a basic toroid inductor, common transistor, and resistor. These cheap components minimize the cost and complexity addition while achieving the voltage boosting function, making the overall system addition economically acceptable.
3Ease of operation
If voltage sensing circuit is added for automatic switching, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a voltage sensing circuit that automatically detects battery voltage levels and switches between direct connection and Joule Thief circuit modes without user intervention. The circuit serves itself by monitoring its own power source condition and making appropriate configuration changes, eliminating the need for manual switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a voltage sensing mechanism that provides feedback about the battery voltage state to the circuit configuration. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically adjust its operation mode based on real-time voltage measurements, optimizing performance and extending battery life through intelligent control.
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 Joule Thief circuit significantly extends battery life, reduces energy costs, and minimizes battery pollution by effectively utilizing the last amount of energy in batteries, paying for itself in the first set of batteries and offering a cost-effective solution for low current draw devices.
Implementation Method 1
a toroid as an inductor (similar in function to a step up transformer) and then rapidly discharges a voltage pulse to the component of the device needing power
Implementation Method 2
doing this several hundred to several hundred thousand times a second by using the transistor as a fast switch
Data Source
AI summary
A low-current battery operated apparatus with a first voltage boosting circuit for operation with depleted batteries and a second circuit for operating with non-depleted batteries, and a circuit selector switch for selectively connecting a low-current component such as an LED with the first circuit or the second circuit.