High Efficiency Electric Power Manager for Man-Portable Photovoltaic Systems

Renewable energy, specifically photovoltaic, is an attractive technology for man-portable power sources and tactical applications. However, to be effective as a system, it is necessary to have a power manager that can efficiently couple a small solar array (~20W) to a battery such as the BB2590. Power managers are already being fielded with PV sources, but their usefulness has been limited by the design of the power manager. The goal of this topic is to develop a cost-effective, lightweight power manager that displays high efficiencies for low power modules in a user-friendly format that can rapidly charge a BB2590. In addition, given the nature of Li-ion batteries, maximum use of solar input is achieved when multiple batteries are charged in parallel, so a power manager is sought that can charge multiple batteries simultaneously. Other capabilities that will benefit the system are scavenge mode, buck/ boost capability, high-speed maximum point tracking, reduced heat and IR signature, a wide operating temperature range, charging capability in low light (<0.1W input power), and near loss-less power transfer.