Methods and apparatus for auxiliary trickle power supply

A trickle power supply for generating trickle voltages and currents from an unregulated direct current (DC) source, said trickle power supply comprising:

• a resistor coupled to said unregulated DC power source;
• a first capacitor coupled to said resistor for storing charge delivered by said unregulated DC power source;
• a SIDAC semiconductor device coupled to the resistor and the capacitor for enabling said capacitor to alternately charge and discharge, thereby generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles;
• said SIDAC having a breakover voltage V.sub.bo, said SIDAC comprising a high impedance high voltage nonconducting first state when said unregulated DC source is below V.sub.bo, said SIDAC further comprising a low impedance low voltage conducting second state when said unregulated DC source is above V.sub.bo ;
• voltage reducing means coupled to said first capacitor and said SIDAC semiconductor device for converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform, and
• voltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means for accumulating and converting said modified periodic oscillating waveform into a regulated voltage and current outputs, said voltage regulation means thereby producing said trickle voltages and currents.

In a trickle power supply, a method for generating trickle voltages and currents comprising the steps of:

• receiving and storing charge from an unregulated direct current (DC) source in a charge storage means;
• generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles using a bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means coupled to said charge storage means, said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means enabling said charge storage means to alternately charge and discharge;
• converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform using a voltage reducing means coupled to said charge storage means and said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means, and
• accumulating and converting said reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform into regulated voltage and current outputs using a voltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means, said regulated voltage and current outputs comprising said trickle voltages and currents.