Power conversion circuitry
AssigneeNPL Associates, Inc.
InventorsNie Luo, George Miley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One form of the invention is directed to an apparatus that comprises step-down circuitry to better match impedance between an input and an output that includes a number of stages each electrically coupled to another and each including a charge storage device. The circuitry further includes a number of switching devices operable in a first electrical connectivity state to connect the charge storage device of each of the stages in series to receive electrical charge from the input and in a second electrical connectivity state opposite the first state to connect the charge storage device of each of the stages in parallel to discharge electricity through the output. This circuitry can be used in connection with a radioisotopic conversion cell.
Claims25
A method, comprising:
- operating a conversion cell to generate electric charge from nuclear radiation;
- charging a number of charge storage devices electrically coupled in series with the electric charge generated by the conversion cell;
- changing an electrical configuration of the charge storage devices to discharge electricity while parallel to one another after the charging;
- and
- providing the electricity to a receiving device from the charge storage devices during the discharging.
An apparatus, comprising:
- one or more radioisotopic conversion cells to generate electric charge;
- circuitry with an input to receive the electric charge from the one or more radioisotopic conversion cells and an output to provide electricity, the circuitry including a number of charge storage devices electrically coupled together in series in a first configuration to charge the storage devices with the electric charge from the one or more radioisotopic conversion cells, the circuitry being structured to be reconfigurable to electrically couple the charge storage devices together in parallel in a second configuration to discharge the electricity through the output;
- and
- wherein the circuitry includes a number of switching devices responsive to a threshold voltage to change between the fist configuration and the second configuration.
A method, comprising:
- generating electric charge;
- providing the electric charge to an input of step-down circuitry that includes a number of charge storage devices and a number of switching devices;
- operating the circuitry in a charging configuration to receive the electric charge, the charging configuration including the switching devices in a first electrical connectivity state to connect the charge storage devices in series;
- and
- providing electricity through an output of the circuitry by operating the circuitry in a discharging configuration, the discharging configuration including the switching devices in a second electrical connectivity state opposite the first state to connect the charge storage devices in parallel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.