Lightning Regulator Circuit With Self-Test and Transistor Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing over-voltage protection methods for sensitive electronics, such as voltage clamping and series switch techniques, face issues with rapid heating, reliability concerns, and lack of testability, leading to potential damage and power disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A circuit design using an N Channel Field Effect Transistor (F.E.T.) with a voltage regulator and charge pump circuit, along with a voltage clamping/regulating device and BIT STIM controlled switches, regulates voltage and allows for self-testing without power interruption, minimizing size, weight, and expense.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage clamping devices are used to protect sensitive electronics from over-voltages, then protection is provided by converting excess voltage into current and dissipating it as heat, but the device size, weight, and expense increase to compensate for rapid heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the protection circuit by using a transistor-based voltage regulator that dynamically adjusts its resistance based on voltage conditions. Instead of using high-power resistive clamping elements that generate excessive heat, the circuit uses the transistor's variable resistance characteristic to shunt excess current during over-voltage events, significantly reducing the power dissipation and thermal management requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/resistive voltage clamping approach with an electronically controlled transistor-based regulation system. This substitution eliminates the need for large, heavy resistor banks and thermal management components, achieving the same protection function with much lighter and more compact circuitry.
2Reliability
If voltage clamping circuits are used to protect sensitive electronics, then over-voltage protection is provided, but the reliability becomes questionable due to repeated over-voltage events wearing on the resistor bank and clamping circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The protection circuit is designed to be self-regulating and self-protecting. The transistor automatically adjusts its operating state based on the voltage conditions, and the circuit includes self-diagnostic capabilities that can detect and report the status of protection components without external intervention, allowing for proactive maintenance before failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor the voltage conditions and the state of protection components. This feedback allows the system to detect wear or degradation in real-time and can trigger alerts or automatic adjustments to maintain optimal protection performance throughout the component's service life.
3Reliability
If voltage clamping circuits are used for protection, then over-voltage protection is provided, but there is no reliable way to test the protection circuit without subjecting the circuit to potentially destructive voltage application
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit includes built-in self-test functionality that can be activated under normal operating conditions to verify the protection circuit's readiness. This preliminary testing allows the system to check component integrity and functionality without applying destructive over-voltage, ensuring the protection circuit is operational before actual over-voltage events occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The self-test mechanism creates a simulated or representative test condition that mirrors the protection circuit's intended operation but at safe, non-destructive voltage levels. This allows verification of circuit functionality and component health without replicating the full stress conditions that would be required to truly test protection capability, thereby avoiding potential damage during testing.
4Reliability
If series switch technique is used to disconnect the circuit during over-voltage, then protection is provided by opening the circuit, but power supply to electronics is disrupted necessitating battery back-up or other power storage devices
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a binary on/off switch that completely disconnects power, the patent employs a transistor-based voltage regulator that dynamically adjusts its resistance to maintain continuous power flow while filtering out over-voltage conditions. This dynamic regulation allows the circuit to remain powered during protection events, eliminating the need for backup power sources.
5Reliability
If series switch technique is used to disconnect the circuit during over-voltage, then protection is provided by opening the circuit, but reliability and accuracy of switching circuits under varying conditions becomes a concern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static switching elements with a dynamically controllable transistor-based voltage regulator that can adapt its resistance in real-time based on varying voltage conditions. This dynamic approach maintains reliable protection across a wide range of operating conditions without the reliability and accuracy issues associated with fixed switching circuits.
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 effectively limits over-voltage exposure to sensitive electronics, ensures reliable protection without power disruption, and allows for functional testing without damaging the protected components, reducing the need for additional power dissipation circuits.
Implementation Method 1
over voltage protection is implemented by placing a transistor between the input and the electronics being protected (the load), with the input connected to the transistor's drain, and the load connected to the transistor's source
Implementation Method 2
A voltage clamping device works by allowing any voltage above a rated value to run off to ground. These devices provide protection by converting excess voltage into current, and running the current through a circuit, typically a resistor bank, that converts the current into heat energy
Implementation Method 3
The voltage regulator circuit is connected to a charge pump circuit and functions as a low power regulator for the charge pump circuitry. Charge pumps consist of electronics that provide an isolated voltage, similar to an isolated power supply
Implementation Method 4
Connected parallel to each voltage regulating electrical component in the voltage clamping device is a BIT STIM controlled switch
Data Source
AI summary
A system for regulating high speed voltage surges, particularly as a result of lightning strikes, which includes a transistor, an isolated voltage provider, and an array of voltage regulating electrical components, where the isolated voltage provider maintains the transistor in a fully on mode unless a voltage surge occurs. In the case of a voltage surge the array of voltage regulating electrical components switches the transistor to linear mode thus providing protection equal to its rating. A method of determining the voltage rating of individual Zener diodes contained within a Zener diode array consisting of shorting out individual diodes from the array and measuring the total voltage rating, then comparing the total voltage rating of the array with no diodes shorted out to the voltage rating of the array with the one diode shorted out.