Interrupted DC applications
View Patent ↗Solar electricity is used more efficiently and at lower cost via the technique of interrupted DC power. Interrupted DC removed the spark problem from high voltage DC circuits, allowing their use with normal appliances. Wasteful and expensive inductor based voltage changes were avoided by adjusting solar panel output voltage via loading. This provided prioritization of use among appliances. Furthermore, the extreme decrease in sparking obtained by interrupted DC allows for the manufacture and use of lower cost direct current circuit breakers that are self powered and provide protected circuits of greater than 99% direct current purity.
1. A high voltage solar powered lighting switch comprising:
a first electrical input connection for solar electric output voltage of greater than 100 volts;
a second electrical input connection for an external utility power and which is connected in parallel with the first electrical input;
a PWM controller that controls a circuit of multiple LED lights connected in series to directly consume the high voltage solar electrical output voltage and that generates an interrupted DC power of more than 120 interrupts per second at more than 90 percent duty cycle; and
a user operable switch for a user to input a voltage threshold;
wherein the lighting switch, the user operable switch, the solar panel power that feeds the switch, the external utility power and the connected LED lights lack any DC to AC inverter and lack an inductor based buck or boost voltage converter for providing power to the multiple LED lights.
2. The lighting switch of claim 1 , wherein the duty cycle is controlled to maintain the first threshold output voltage of the solar panels.
3. The lighting switch of claim 1 , wherein the interrupt rate is above 1000 Hz and is dithered.
4. The lighting switch of claim 1 , further comprising a power outlet circuit connected to the solar power that provides interrupted DC power to other appliances,
wherein the power outlet circuit has a second threshold output voltage that is set to a lower or higher voltage to allow prioritization of power to the outlet or to the lighting switch, respectively.
5. A high voltage solar powered lighting system comprising:
multiple LED lights connected in series to directly consume a high voltage of over 100 volts; and
a switch controller having
i. a first electrical input connection for solar electric output voltage of greater than 100 volts,
ii. a second electrical input connection for an external utility power and which is connected in parallel with the first electrical input,
iii. a PWM controller that controls an output to the multiple LED lights connected in series to directly consume the high voltage and which generates an interrupted DC power of more than 120 interrupts per second at more than 90 percent duty cycle, and
iv. a user operable switch for a user to input a voltage threshold;
wherein the switch controller, the user operable switch, the solar panel power that feeds the switch, the external utility power and the connected LED lights lack any DC to AC inverter and lack an inductor based buck or boost voltage converter for providing power to the multiple LED lights.