Speed vs Efficiency and Storage Type in Portable Energy Systems

Abstract

Abstract. Portable power management systems must optimise power interfacing, storage and routing, to meet application specific functionality requirements. Two key aspects are reliability and efficiency. For reliable operation, it is required that powering on/off the system must occur in a planned manner. For efficient operation, it is desired that the system is powered for an optimal amount of time. maximizing its useful operational outcome per unit of energy consumed. This can be achieved by optimizing energy usage based on the anticipated energy income and power demand of duty-cycled power consumers. Both battery and supercapacitor storage can be employed to meet energy and power density demand, on both sides, and to enable fast transition from cold-starting to active power management. A simplified model is used to calculate the reliability of a simple solar-powered microsystem. The modelling of dynamically configurable interfacing and storage may enable a new generation of power management, providing reliable power from irregular and small energy sources. IntroductionThe management of energy delivery, storage and usage in wireless devices is critical for emerging IoT technologies, including mobile phones, wearable electronics, small electric vehicles and wireless sensor networks. Key performance aspects of portable power management include the efficiency of energy conversion and transfer, energy storage density, the ability to store and deliver energy at high rates (power density) but also the efficiency, speed and safety of energy transfer between storage media. Depending on the application, these requirements can be fulfilled by using more than one type of energy storage and a diverse range of power flow interfaces. In parallel, the exploitation of energy sources with challenging features such as low signal level and irregular availability is highly desirable, including indoor lighting, stray motion and stray heat flow. To regulate this increasingly multidimensional energy ecosystem, a holistic design approach is required [1]. In addition, the reliability of energy availability must be quantified.