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US 2022/0069741 A1Published application
Recycling Piezoelectric Energy-Harvesting Switched-Inductor CMOS Charger
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsSiyu Yang, Gabriel Alfonso Rincon-Mora
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Abstract
Devices and methods for charging a power storage device using a piezoelectric energy-harvest charger that employs a single switched inductor stage. The charger may maintain a maximum power point without requiring a second switched inductor stage.
Claims20
A switched-inductor power harvesting charger device, comprising:
- circuit components, including:
- a piezoelectric transducer (PZT);
- an inductor (Lx);
- and
- a power storage device (B);
- and
- switch components, comprising:
- a positive current grounding switch (SGI+);
- a negative current grounding switch (SGI−);
- a positive current energizing switch (SI+);
- a negative current energizing switch (SI−);
- a positive bridge grounding switch (SG+);
- a negative bridge grounding switch (SG−);
- a positive bridge output switch (SO+);
- a negative bridge output switch (SO−);
- wherein each of the circuit components have a corresponding first end (*1) and a corresponding second end (*2);
- wherein:
- PZT*1 is connected to SGI+*1 and SI+*1;
- PZT*2 is connected to SGI−*2 and SI−*1;
- SGI+*2 is connected to SGI−*1 and a ground;
- SI+*2 is connected to SG+*1, SO+*1, and Lx*1;
- SI−*2 is connected to SG−*2, SO−*2, and Lx*2;
- SO+*2 is connected to SO−*1 and B*1;
- and
- B*2 is connected to the ground;
- and
- wherein the switch components are individually controllable to transfer a vibration-induced current from the PZT to the power storage device B for charging the power storage device B.
24 more elements
A method of harvesting vibration-induced current from a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) to charge a power storage device (B) using an inductor (Lx) and a switch circuit, the method comprising:
- sensing, with a microcontroller, a PZT output voltage signal from the PZT;
- and
- controlling, with the microcontroller, a conduction state of switch components in the switch circuit responsive to the PZT output voltage signal to charge the B;
- wherein
- the switch components comprise:
- a positive current grounding switch (SGI+);
- a negative current grounding switch (SGI−);
- a positive current energizing switch (SI+);
- a negative current energizing switch (SI−);
- a positive bridge grounding switch (SG+);
- a negative bridge grounding switch (SG−);
- a positive bridge output switch (SO+);
- a negative bridge output switch (SO−);
- wherein each of the circuit components have a corresponding first end (*1) and a corresponding second end (*2);
- wherein:
- PZT*1 is connected to SGI+*1 and SI+*1;
- PZT*2 is connected to SGI−*2 and SI−*1;
- SGI+*2 is connected to SGI−*1 and a ground;
- SI+*2 is connected to SG+*1, SO+*1, and Lx*1;
- SI−*2 is connected to SG−*2, SO−*2, and Lx*2;
- SO+*2 is connected to SO−*1 and B*1;
- and
- B*2 is connected to the ground.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.