Heatsink-Free Power Network Device Using Dynamic Impedance Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fault detection sensors in power grids face challenges with wide dynamic range operation, high measurement accuracy, and heat dissipation issues due to varying line currents, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, especially when mounted on transmission lines where mechanical variations and air gaps affect power harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A heat sink-free power network device with a sensor module, processor, power harvesting module, and power transfer control module, utilizing an impedance regulation module, dynamic burden impedance, and voltage limiting module to dynamically regulate power transfer and minimize heating, allowing operation across a wide range of line currents with high accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional range extenders are employed to limit power transfer at higher line currents, then power dissipation is controlled, but the device becomes temperature dependent and inefficient for power constrained devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic range extender that adaptively adjusts its operation based on real-time conditions. The system dynamically switches between different operating modes (power limiting mode and voltage limiting mode) depending on the line current level and temperature conditions, thereby maintaining reliability while controlling power dissipation only when necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically - switching between power limiting and voltage limiting strategies based on measured conditions. The range extender monitors line current and temperature, then adjusts its impedance characteristics accordingly to optimize both reliability and energy efficiency under varying operating conditions.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the flux concentrator core is made large enough to extract minimum power at downstream sections, then power harvesting is improved, but the device complexity and heat dissipation challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flux concentrator into multiple smaller cores arranged in parallel, each contributing to the overall power harvesting capability. This segmentation allows the system to achieve the required power extraction without using a single large complex core, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective power harvesting at downstream sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple flux concentrator cores and multiple range extenders into a unified system. By merging several smaller functional units, the system achieves the power harvesting performance of a large core while maintaining the simplicity and modularity of smaller components, thus reducing overall device complexity.
3Measurement precision
If multi-stage amplification or multiple amplifiers in parallel are employed to achieve high accuracy measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption and component complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single amplifier operating in an optimized regime rather than multiple amplifiers. By carefully designing the amplifier to operate with slightly excessive headroom and using dynamic range extension techniques, the system achieves high measurement precision without the power consumption penalty of multiple amplification stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts amplifier parameters such as gain and bandwidth based on the measured signal conditions. By changing operational parameters in real-time, a single amplifier can achieve the measurement precision that would otherwise require multiple fixed-gain amplifiers, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining accuracy.
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 enables reliable, long-lasting fault detection with reduced heat dissipation and costs, maintaining high measurement accuracy and extending the operational range of fault sensors without the need for heat sinks, ensuring efficient power transfer and reduced component complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The power harvesting module harvests power from the current carrying conductor by harvesting an induced voltage proportional to a line current flowing in the current carrying conductor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A heatsink-free power network device (100) physically disposable on a current carrying conductor (101) is provided which includes a sensor module (103) measuring one or more parameters associated with the current carrying conductor (101), a processor (105) detecting a condition in the power network based on the parameters, a switched mode power harvesting module (102) harvesting power from an induced voltage (Vind) proportional to the line current (IL) using a coil wound flux concentrator, an impedance regulation module (102A), a dynamic burden impedance (102B), and a voltage limiting module (102C), an energy storage module (109) storing the harvested power, and a power transfer control module (108) selectively transferring the harvested power directly from the power harvesting module (102) or from the energy storage module (109). The power network device (100) also includes a parameter conditioning module (104) dynamically conditioning the parameters to improve accuracy of measured parameters.