Alternative Power Sources

SmartSpark Energy Systems proposes a battery-free power supply for unattended field use that combines advanced power electronics with state-of-the-art photovoltaics and high-density double-layer capacitors. The technical challenges are to develop and apply sophisticated power electronics for optimal energy management of a photovoltaic source, to store the energy efficiently in a reversible process over thousands of cycles, to provide tightly regulated dc power supply outputs, and to package the system to be waterproof and reliable under harsh weather conditions. The expected outcome is a modular system that can produce power unattended for at least four years while delivering energy of 5 W-hr/day, scalable to 10 W-hr/day and 25 W-hr/day. SmartSpark plans to combine its patented solar power processing and energy storage management inventions with innovations in power electronics control to achieve the technical objectives. The objectives include efficient energy conversion from photovoltaics even at low and variable light levels, energy storage input-output efficiency exceeding 80%, outputs that support standard 12 V, 5 V, and 3.3 V loads, and a package that allows the system to reach 100,000 hr computed mean-time-between-failure in wet environments. A system is planned that achieves this with a 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) mass and volume under four liters.