Cordless versions of small
electric tools have been around for some time. As discussed in my previous post, battery
improvements and a "clean sheet of paper" design approach have led to
significant progress in this area. However, there are power levels where the
combination of battery power/ size/ cost just isn't there to make a direct
battery version of a product practical. Today these applications are still only
available as grid connected devices yet many of these applications are already electronicly
controlled.
What if we could cut the cord
on these applications without changing the existing product at all? The answer
is that we can by providing electronics to boost the voltage to grid levels.
This isn't a particularly new
concept. One often used approach is to install a DC TO AC inverter between the
battery and the product. The output of the inverter mimics the 50 or 60 HZ
power line at 120 or 220 voltc AC. However, unless the load is an induction
motor or has a 50/60 HZ transformer, this approach is ineffecient,
unnecessarily costly and electrically noisy.
A better way is to take
advantage of the fact that most grid operated electronically controlled systems
first rectify the incoming AC to DC. So converting the
low battery DC to high voltage DC works. Put the DCDC converter near the battery, and
the wires to the application need be no bigger than their AC counterpart. Size
the battery to the mission and the battery size and weight are minimized. Since
the DCDC converter can be smart, it can accurately meter battery power and
provide an excellent level of safety. All without changing the design of the end product..
At Software Defined Power our
DSP controlled DCDC technology can be scaled from peak power levels of a few
watts to 5KW and above with effeciences better than 94% and power densities of 16W/cubic inch.
This technology opens all
kinds of options for product and system portability. and we love brainstorming options
with our clients, so call or drop us an email and start thinking "what
if".
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