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High-Efficiency Low-Voltage Conversion System with Self-Powered Comparator

标题

High Efficiency AC/DC Converter for Ultra Low Voltage Application

详细技术说明

None

*Abstract

Invention

This self-powered comparator efficiently accomplishes AC/DC conversion of low-voltage input signals. Although it is useful in many applications, such as energy harvesting and signal processing, converting low-voltage AC waveforms into DC often requires high power budget. Manufacturers experience much difficulty when balancing the converter’s power consumption with the resolution of the resulting digital signals. Therefore many designs ultimately lead to inaccurate sampling or aliasing. Another common design problem causes a device to consume power when it is receiving little to no voltage signal, resulting in unnecessary energy drainage.

Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a low-voltage AC/DC converter that pushes the lower limit of the input power to several millivolts, ensuring that power-consuming components operate only when needed. The converter incorporates into most energy-harvesting systems and is able to rectify and store low-amplitude, intermittent energy from the environment, contributing to energy sustainability. Using the input as its power source, this power conversion system eliminates both the standby power consumption and the need for an external power supply. Therefore the device doesn’t require pre-charging and permits indefinitely long intervals between charging cycles.

Application

Self-powered comparator for efficient AC/DC conversion in sustainable energy systems

Advantages

• Harvests low-input voltage at high-efficiency, providing a marketable advantage in the rapidly growing field of sustainable energy sources
• Allows for indefinitely long intervals between charging cycles, eliminating the need for pre-charging
• Terminates consumption of energy when energy is not being harvested, eliminating energy drainage from storage components

Technology

This power conversion system uses active diodes in place of junction-based semiconductor diodes to rectify low-voltage input waveforms, an important process for AC/DC conversion. Each diode includes a comparator, which compares two voltages and switches its output to indicate which is larger, and a MOSFET, which switches electronic signals. The configuration of these two components emulates an ideal diode. When anode voltage is greater than cathode voltage, the comparator turns on the MOSFET in order to transfer the harvested energy to the load. Conversely, when the anode voltage is lower than cathode voltage, the comparator turns off the MOSFET to prevent stored energy from flowing back to the source. This feature enables power consumption only when an input source provides sufficiently high voltage to charge the load or energy element. This eliminates power consumption when the device is in stand-by mode.

Related to 13207, 14516

*IP Issue Date

Jun 3, 2014

*IP Publication Date

May 26, 2011

*Principal Investigation

Name: Shuo Cheng

Department:

Name: Yuan Rao

Department:

主要类别

电子

细分类别

半导体

申请日期

Nov 19, 2010

申请号码

8,743,577

其他

国家/地区

美国