Battery-Buffered Window Treatment Power for Peak Current Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motorized window treatments that use traditional alkaline batteries face reduced lifespan due to high peak current demands, leading to inefficient energy use and shorter battery life, as they are designed to handle infrequent high peak currents, resulting in suboptimal performance and increased maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an internal energy storage element, such as a supercapacitor or lithium battery, and a control circuit that limits current drawn from the batteries, allowing for a small constant current to be drawn over a long period, decoupling power from peak current demands and extending battery life by charging the energy storage element to power the motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional alkaline batteries are used to power the motor directly, then the motor can be powered, but the battery life is reduced due to high peak current demands
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage element is charged in advance from the alkaline batteries during periods of low power demand, so that when peak current is needed for motor operation, the pre-charged energy storage element can immediately supply the required current without draining the batteries rapidly
Solution Approach 2:
The energy storage element acts as an intermediary between the alkaline batteries and the motor. It buffers the high peak current demands by absorbing charge during low-demand periods and delivering charge during high-demand periods, protecting the batteries from direct exposure to damaging peak currents
2Power
If high peak currents are drawn from the batteries, then the motor can be powered effectively, but the batteries experience reduced lifespan and increased failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage element serves as a protective intermediary that isolates the batteries from the motor's high peak current demands. The control circuit manages power flow to ensure batteries only supply low-level charging current to the energy storage element, never direct peak currents to the motor, thereby maintaining battery reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary charging of the energy storage element during low-power periods, preparing the buffer in advance so that when motor power is needed, the batteries are already protected and only need to maintain the energy storage element's charge rather than supply peak currents
3Duration of action of moving object
If the energy storage element is used to power the motor, then battery life is extended, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The energy storage element is designed to be a compact, integrated component that serves multiple functions: storing energy, smoothing power delivery, and providing voltage regulation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while achieving extended battery life
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 solution prolongs battery life, reduces peak current and voltage draws, and decreases the likelihood of battery failures, while optimizing energy output and reducing maintenance costs by using the energy storage element to power the motor.
Implementation Method 1
The batteries may be comprised of a first battery chemistry, and the energy storage element may be comprised of a second battery chemistry. For example, the one or more batteries comprise alkaline batteries... The energy storage element comprises one or more lithium batteries
Implementation Method 2
The energy storage element comprises one or more lithium batteries and/or one or more supercapacitors
Data Source
AI summary
A motorized window treatment may be configured to adjust a position of a covering material to control the amount of daylight entering a space. The motorized window treatment may include a DC power source for charging an energy storage element, such as a supercapacitor and/or rechargeable battery. The energy storage element may be configured to provide power for the operation of a motor used to adjust the position of the covering material. The energy storage element may discharge when providing power to the motor and may charge such that the current it draws from a battery is at a desired average current level that extends the lifetime of the battery.