Adaptive solar powered system
An apparatus for powering a load from solar energy comprises logic is coupled to the converter to control its conversion rate. A detector is coupled to the converter and detects its power output. The logic is operable to adjust the conversion rate until the solar panel operates at the smaller of a maximum power point of the solar panel and a power point of the solar panel that results in a maximum desired power and second logic adjusts the energy consumption over a period of time as a function of the energy available from the solar panel over a previous same period of time.
1. An apparatus for powering a load from solar energy comprising:
a DC/DC converter;
battery terminals coupled to said DC/DC converter and coupleable to a battery;
solar panel terminals coupled to said DC/DC converter and coupleable to a solar panel;
first logic for controlling a conversion rate of said converter to operate said DC/DC converter near the maximum power point of said solar panel;
a detector for detecting an energy output of said converter;
second logic coupled with said detector and operable to adjust the energy consumption of said load over a period of time as a function of the energy available from said solar panel over a previous instance of said period of time.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second logic is operable to adjust the energy consumption of said load to be at most 90% of the energy available from said solar panel over said previous instance of said period of time.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
said load comprises at least one light emitting diode; and
said logic is further adapted to control the brightness of said light emitting diode to adjust the energy consumption of said load.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
said load comprises at least one light emitting diode; and
said logic is further adapted to control a pulse rate of said light emitting diode to adjust the energy consumption of said load.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a buck converter.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a boost converter.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises a buck/boost converter.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said DC/DC converter comprises an H-bridge.