Maximum power point tracking apparatus for energy harvesting system and maximum power point tracking control method
AssigneesSKAIChips Co., Ltd., Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University
InventorsKang Yoon Lee, Jong Wan Jo, Kyung Duk Choi, Young Gun Pu
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Abstract
Provided is a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) apparatus for an energy harvesting system and an MPPT control method. A count value of the time for an output voltage of a direct current (DC)-DC converter to reach a high reference voltage is used to change and output a control parameter of the DC-DC converter for maximum power.
Claims12
A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) apparatus for an energy harvesting system, the MPPT apparatus comprising:
- a comparison part including a first comparator configured to compare an output voltage of a direct current (DC)-DC converter with a high reference voltage;
- and
- a controller including a counter, which operates on the basis of a signal output through the comparison part and measures a time for the output voltage of the DC-DC converter to reach the high reference voltage, and a power controller which outputs a control parameter of the DC-DC converter for minimizing a count value while updating the control parameter,
- wherein the power controller comprises:
- a modulation mode-specific settling time calculator configured to calculate a difference between count values in a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode and a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode;
- and
- a modulation mode setter configured to set a modulation mode of the DC-DC converter to the modulation mode in which the count value is smaller when the difference between the count values calculated by the modulation mode-specific settling time calculator is larger than a modulation reference value.
A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control method performed by an MPPT controller connected to a direct current (DC)-DC converter of an energy harvesting system, the MPPT control method comprising:
- a modulation mode-specific settling time calculation operation of calculating a difference between count values in a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode and a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode;
- and
- a modulation mode setting operation of setting a modulation mode of the DC-DC converter to the modulation mode in which the count value is smaller when the difference between the count values calculated in the modulation mode-specific settling time calculation operation is larger than a modulation reference value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.