Manually operated piezoelectric energy harvesting electronic circuitry
An electrical energy harvesting device for harvesting electrical energy from a pulsed impact loading event. The device including: a piezoelectric element configured to be loaded and unloaded to a first load level by the pulsed impact loading event; and a first inductor coupled to the piezoelectric element configured to be loaded and unloaded to a second load level by the pulsed impact loading event, wherein the piezoelectric element and the first inductor together operate as a first inductor/capacitor (LC) resonant circuit having a first resonance frequency and wherein the loading of the first inductor lags in time the loading of the piezoelectric element.
1. A device responsive to an acceleration pulse event, the device comprising:
a piezoelectric device configured to generate a voltage over a duration responsive to one or more acceleration pulse events;
an electrical storage device configured to receive a portion of the generated voltage to accumulate a charge;
an energy dissipating device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to dissipate the accumulated charge following the one or more acceleration pulse events and not to substantially dissipate the accumulated charge during the one or more acceleration pulse events;
a voltage limiting device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to limit the portion of the generated voltage applied to the electrical storage device to a predetermined limit; and
a bridge wire coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to receive a portion of the accumulated charge;
wherein the electrical storage device is configured to produce a detection signal in response to the accumulated charge indicating that the one or more acceleration pulse events met prescribed threshold magnitude and/or duration limits; and
the bridge wire is coupled to the electrical storage device through a current amplifying circuit that amplifies current produced as a result of the portion of the accumulated charge.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising pyrotechnic material positioned in proximity to the bridge wire wherein the bridge wire is configured to ignite the pyrotechnic material in response to the detection signal.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the current amplifying circuit comprises a pair of transistors coupled in a positive feedback configuration.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bridge wire is coupled to the electrical storage device though a MOS transistor configured to operate as a switch that couples or decouples the bridge wire to the electrical storage device responsive to the detection signal.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the current amplifying circuit is coupled to the electrical storage device though a MOS transistor configured to operate as a switch that couples or decouples the current amplifying circuit to the electrical storage device responsive to the detection signal.
6. A device responsive to an acceleration pulse event, the device comprising:
a piezoelectric device configured to generate a voltage over a duration responsive to one or more acceleration pulse events;
an electrical storage device configured to receive a portion of the generated voltage to accumulate a charge;
an energy dissipating device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to dissipate the accumulated charge following the one or more acceleration pulse events and not to substantially dissipate the accumulated charge during the one or more acceleration pulse events;
a voltage limiting device coupled to the electrical storage device and configured to limit the portion of the generated voltage applied to the electrical storage device to a predetermined limit;
wherein the electrical storage device is configured to produce a detection signal in response to the accumulated charge indicating that the one or more acceleration pulse events met prescribed threshold magnitude and/or duration limits; and
the bridge wire is a first bridge wire, the device further comprising:
a photovoltaic cell
a second bridge wire
a switch coupled between an output voltage from the photovoltaic cell to the second bridge wire, where the first bridge wire holds the switch open and in response to the detection signal, the first bridge wire is configured to burn and thereby close the switch coupling the output voltage from the photovoltaic cell to the second bridge wire.
7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising pyrotechnic material positioned in proximity to the second bridge wire wherein the second bridge wire is configured to ignite the pyrotechnic material in response to the coupling the output voltage from the photovoltaic cell to the second bridge wire.
8. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a light source configured to couple light to the photovoltaic cell.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light sources configured to couple light to the photovoltaic cell.
10. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a voltage booster circuit configured to boost the output voltage from the photovoltaic cell that is provided to the second bridge wire.
11. The device of claim 6 , wherein the energy storage device is a first energy storage device, the device further comprising a second energy storage device, wherein the second energy storage device is configured to be charged by the output voltage from the photovoltaic cell to a threshold voltage, whereinafter the charge from the second energy storage device is coupled to the second bridge wire.
12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a light configured to turn on when the second energy storage device reaches the threshold voltage.
13. The device of claim 6 , further comprising a voltage delay circuit configured to delay providing the output voltage from the closed switch to the second bridge wire for a predetermined period of time.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the energy storage device is a first energy storage device, the device further comprising a second energy storage device, wherein the second energy storage device is configured to be charged by the output voltage from the photovoltaic cell to a threshold voltage, whereinafter the voltage delay circuit is configured to delay providing the threshold voltage from the second energy storage device to the second bridge wire for a predetermined period of time.
15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a programmable electrically initiated inertial igniter.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a portion of an all-fire detection circuit for an electrically initiated inertial igniter.
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the detection signal is provided as an all-fire detection signal to an electrically initiated inertial igniter.
18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric device is configured to be responsive to at least one of setback acceleration and an impact event.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the piezoelectric device comprises a piezoelectric element configured as a stack type piezoelectric element.
20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the piezoelectric device comprises a piezoelectric element positioned between a rigid mass and a base structure.
21. The device of claim 1 , wherein the voltage limiting device comprises a voltage limiting Zener diode.