System and method for low-cost, high-efficiency solar panel power feed
View Patent ↗A cascading regulation system connected to a number of serially connected power sources and uses multiple regulators having different cutoff voltages to provide an output for the local power consumption unit. Each of the regulators is connected to a subset of serially connected power sources and so configured that if the voltage generated at the lowest tap is no longer sufficient for a stable supply to the local power consumption unit, the next higher regulator takes over, and the output voltage drops in small steps reflective of that takeover of the next higher tap. When the voltage generated across a subsection grows, a lower connected tap may take over again, producing a slightly higher output voltage for the local power consumption unit. The cutover steps are chosen such that the output voltage range matches the range given as the acceptable input range for the local power consumption unit.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of power generation sections connected in series; and
a plurality of voltage regulators coupled with the plurality of power generation sections and configured to regulate a supply bus, wherein each of the voltage regulators is coupled to receive input from a different subset of the plurality of power generation sections connected in series;
wherein when receiving sufficient power input, the voltage regulators are configured to have different output voltages.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein lower voltage outputs of the voltage regulators are configured to be blocked from the supply bus in the presence of a higher voltage output from one of the voltage regulators.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when receiving sufficient power input, each first voltage regulator of the plurality of voltage regulators receiving a higher voltage input than each second voltage regulator of the plurality of voltage regulators is configured to generate a lower voltage output than the second voltage regulator.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the different output voltages are within a voltage range acceptable for the supply bus.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each respective voltage regulator of the plurality of voltage regulators is configured not to control the supply bus when receiving insufficient power input.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a solar panel; and each of the power generation sections comprises a plurality of solar cells and a back flow protection diode.
7. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of voltage regulators coupled between a power source having a plurality of outputs and a supply bus, wherein each of the voltage regulators is
coupled to a respective output of the plurality of outputs of the power source to receive power input from the power source, and
configured to output power to the supply bus when a voltage of the respective output is within a predetermined range;
wherein in the plurality of voltage regulators, each first voltage regulator receiving a voltage input higher than each second voltage regulator is configured to produce a lower output than the second voltage regulator, unless a voltage input for the second voltage regulator is insufficient to operate the second voltage regulator.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the voltage regulators is configured to output to the supply bus at a different voltage; and lower voltage outputs of voltage regulators are configured to be blocked from the supply bus in the presence of a higher voltage output from one of the voltage regulators.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each first voltage regulator having an output voltage lower than a second voltage regulator is connected to receive an input voltage from the power source higher than an input voltage received by the second voltage regulator.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the power source includes a plurality of sections connected in series; and the plurality of voltage regulators are connected to receive input from different subsets of the plurality of sections connected in series.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of solar cells and a back flow protection diode.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein different voltage outputs of the voltage regulators are configured to be within an accepted voltage range of the supply bus.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each respective voltage regulator of the voltage regulators includes an output diode to block an output of the respective voltage regulator from the supply bus when the supply bus is powered by a voltage higher than the output of the respective voltage.
14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each respective voltage regulator of the voltage regulators includes an output diode to block an output of the respective voltage regulator from the supply bus when the supply bus is powered by a voltage higher than the output of the respective voltage.
15. A method, comprising:
generating a plurality of different input voltages from a plurality of solar sections connected in series;
providing the plurality of different input voltages to a plurality of voltage regulators respectively;
generating, by the voltage regulators, a plurality of output voltages, wherein a first voltage regulator receiving a higher input voltage than a second voltage regulator is configured to generate a lower output voltage than the second voltage regulator when an input voltage for the second voltage regulator is sufficient to operate the second voltage regulator; and
blocking lower voltage outputs of the voltage regulators from a supply bus when a higher voltage output of the voltage regulators is powering the supply bus.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the lower voltage outputs is blocked from the supply bus via output diodes of the voltage regulators.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein when the input voltage for the second voltage regulator is insufficient to operate the second voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator does not power the supply bus.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of output voltages of the voltage regulators are configured to be within a voltage range acceptable for the supply bus.