Main Board Switched-Capacitor Regulation for Variable Battery Voltage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The recycling and reuse of components in portable information handling systems are challenging due to their compact and lightweight designs, which make disassembly difficult and inefficient, leading to environmental impact and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
A modular component architecture that allows for automated assembly and disassembly, tracking of component useful life, and targeted refurbishment and recycling, ensuring components are reused or recycled based on their performance and usage patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If portable information handling systems are designed with compact and lightweight configurations, then portability and mobility are improved, but disassembly difficulty increases and recycling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components including a main board module, display module, keyboard module, and battery module. Each module can be independently removed and recycled. The main board is segmented from other components through standardized connectors, allowing separate recovery of valuable electronics without requiring complete system disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The main board is designed with a nested structure where the processor, memory, and other electronic components are integrated within a standardized board format. This nesting allows the entire main board assembly to be removed as a single unit while still enabling internal recycling of individual components within the board.
2Volume of moving object
If components are tightly integrated to reduce system size, then portability is improved, but component recovery and recycling efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs clear segmentation between major components (display, keyboard, battery, main board) while maintaining tight integration within each segment. This hierarchical segmentation enables efficient recycling at both the module level and component level, resolving the conflict between compact design and recyclability.
Solution Approach 2:
The main board and other modules are designed with universal interfaces and standardized form factors that allow them to be reused across different system configurations. This universality increases recycling value by enabling components to be recovered and deployed in multiple applications, improving overall recycling efficiency.
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 optimizes component reuse and recycling, reducing the carbon footprint of information handling systems, making recycling and reuse easier, and maintaining user experience while minimizing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a programmable switched capacitor voltage regulator to step the native battery voltage down to a system voltage
Data Source
AI summary
A portable information handling system modular hybrid architecture separates components between rotationally coupled housing portions to minimize cabling, connectors and materials, and to provide improved durability that supports recycling and reuse of the components. A single cable between the housing portions provides power and data communications for the components. A battery in a first housing portion interfaces with a secondary board having a charger and embedded controller that cooperate to provide power at a native battery voltage to a main board of a second housing portion through the cable. A switched-capacitor voltage regulator coupled to the main board reduces the power to a system voltage with a selectable divider ratio that is set based upon the measured battery voltage applied at the main board.