Triboelectric power generator system and method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsAndrew Ulrich Rutgers, Mark Thomas Johnson, Alan James Davie
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Abstract
A triboelectric power generator system uses a power converter to provide a controllable impedance between a triboelectric power generator and a load, in dependence on the triboelectric generator output. This enables improved power transfer even though the output generated by a triboelectric power generator can be irregular and fluctuates over time.
Claims16
A triboelectric power generator system for providing an output power to a load, comprising:
- a triboelectric generator for generating an electrical power output in response to movement;
- a power converter for converting the electrical power output from the triboelectric generator to the output power for application to the load;
- and a controller for controlling the power converter;
- and
- a movement sensor for detecting the movement which is used to generate the electrical power,
- wherein the controller is adapted to control the power converter, in response to the movement sensor output, to alter the impedance presented by the power converter to the triboelectric generator over time in dependence on the triboelectric generator electrical power output, thereby to control the output power,
- wherein the controller is adapted to control the power converter to alter the impedance presented by the power converter to the triboelectric generator during a time period corresponding to a single pulse of electrical power generation of the triboelectric generator.
A triboelectric power generation method, comprising:
- generating an electrical power output in response to movement using a triboelectric generator;
- converting the electrical power output from the triboelectric generator to an output power for application to a load using a power converter;
- detecting the movement which is used to generate the electrical power output;
- and
- controlling the power converter, in response to the detected movement, to alter the impedance presented by the power converter to the triboelectric generator over time in dependence on the triboelectric generator electrical power output, thereby to control the output power during a time period corresponding to a single pulse of electrical power generation of the triboelectric generator.
A triboelectric power generator system for providing an output power to a load, comprising:
- a triboelectric generator for generating an electrical power output in response to movement;
- a power converter for converting the electrical power output from the triboelectric generator to the output power for application to the load;
- and a controller for controlling the power converter;
- and
- a database of movement types and associated impedance functions,
- wherein the controller is adapted to select a movement type based on a parameter,
- wherein the controller is adapted to control the power converter to alter the impedance presented by the power converter to the triboelectric generator over time, based on the selected movement type and associated impedance function, thereby to control the output power,
- wherein the controller is adapted to control the power converter to alter the impedance presented by the power converter to the triboelectric generator during a time period corresponding to a single pulse of electrical power generation of the triboelectric generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.