Abstract: A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light apparatus has a housing and a printed circuit board (PCB) received in the housing. The PCB has one or more first openings and one or more LEDs on a front side thereof about the first openings. The housing has a rear-wall structure with a plurality of fins spaced from each other and one or more second openings at locations corresponding to those of the first openings for heat management. The LED light apparatus may also have a plurality of rotatable LED panels having PCBs and LEDs thereon. The LED panels are spaced from each other with gaps therebetween for heat management, and are rotatable for controlling light distribution, light angular-span, and light direction. A LED grow-light system uses a light-distribution structure such as reflectors and/or fiber-optic cables for distributing at least a portion of the light towards the plant.

Abstract: A DC/DC converter and a microinverter architecture using the DC/DC converter are disclosed. The DC/AC inverter is based on a differential geometry control scheme to balance and optimize the flying capacitor voltages across the flying capacitors used in the converter. Based on overall system conditions, including flying capacitor voltages, converter output voltages, input current, and input voltage, desired fields are generated. These fields are used to balance capacitor voltages such that capacitor voltage values converge, over time, to an optimal solution.

Abstract: A multi-layer apparatus has a transparent or semi-transparent substrate, a solar-cell layer coupled to the substrate, an energy-storage layer coupled to the solar-cell layer, and a converter layer coupled to the energy-storage layer. The solar-cell layer has a plurality of solar cells for receiving light through the substrate and converting energy of the received light to a first electrical energy, the energy-storage layer has one or more energy-storage units for storing a second electrical energy, and the converter layer has one or more power converters electrically connected to the solar-cell layer and the energy-storage layer for receiving the first electrical energy and the second electrical energy therefrom and outputting a third electrical energy via an output thereof.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use in a high voltage DC/DC converter. The high frequency current passing through a transformer in the converter is shaped according to prevailing system conditions and to ensure optimal operation. The voltages across flying capacitors in the power circuit of the DC/DC converter are also balanced and long term behaviour of these voltages are tracked.

Abstract: Systems and methods relating to the conversion of DC power to AC power suitable for an AC power grid. DC power is received from one or more PV panels and is converted into DC power useful for charging an energy storage subsystem. The energy storage subsystem feeds into a DC/DC converter that converts the low voltage DC power into high voltage DC power suitable for a DC/AC inverter. The DC/AC inverter then converts the high voltage DC power into AC power suitable for an AC grid. A low voltage DC/DC converter can be used that is based on a differential geometry approach such that adjustable parameter values for components within the converter converge to nominal values as system parameters evolve.

Abstract: A power circuitry has a first input circuit for coupling to a first energy source, a second input circuit for coupling to a second energy source, a third circuit coupled to the first and second input circuits for combining outputs of the first and second circuits and outputting electrical energy via a direct-current output thereof, and a control circuit coupled to the first, second, and third circuits for controlling the output of the third circuit by controlling parameters of the first, second, and third circuits based on output voltages of the first and second energy sources, outputs of the first and second input circuits coupling to the third circuits, and an output voltage of the third circuit.

Abstract: A DC/AC inverter and microinverter architectures using the DC/AC inverter are disclosed. The DC/AC inverter is based on a differential geometry control scheme to balance and optimize the flying capacitor voltages across the flying capacitors used in the inverter's power circuit. Based on changing inverter and overall system conditions, including capacitor voltages, grid voltages, grid current, and DC bus voltages, desired fields are generated. These fields are used to balance capacitor voltages such that capacitor voltage values converge, over time, to an optimal solution.

Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus for facilitating the growth of one or more plants. The apparatus has a light-emitting layer comprising one or more light-emitting diodes for emitting light, and at least one optical-transformation layer having one or more optical-transformation units. Each optical-transformation unit has a metasurface for adjusting one or more parameters of the light emitted from the light-emitting layer. In some embodiments, the light-emitting apparatus may further have a polarization-control layer sandwiched between the light-emitting layer and the optical-transformation layer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a plurality of DC/DC converters that are coupled to either a renewable energy source or an energy storage device. The system automatically detects the energy source coupled to the relevant DC/DC converter and operates accordingly. If the DC/DC converter is coupled to a renewable energy source (such as a PV panel), the system maximizes power extraction from the energy source. If the DC/DC converter is coupled to an energy storage device, the system performs charge/discharge functions for the attached energy storage device.

Abstract: A thermoelectric recycling structure has a heat-conductive first component for engaging a heat source for receiving heat generated therefrom, a second component spaced from the first component, and a heat-nonconductive and electrons-and-holes-transportive thermoelectric layer sandwiched between the first and second components for receiving the heat from the first component and converting the received heat to electrical power.

Abstract: Control system and method for controlling power flow in dual active bridge converters. The control system comprises a compensator, a feedback unit, and a modulator. An outer loop provides a reference signal. The output of the compensator are the control parameters for the modulator. The feedback unit samples the transformer current once every half switching cycle to thereby determine a power level. The power level is used to determine a modulation technique to apply. The modulation technique is one of phase-shift modulation (PSM), variable duty cycle modulation (VDM), or triangular current mode modulation (TCM).

Abstract: An optical lens for passing therethrough an incident light beam and forming an output light beam towards a target plane at a distance therefrom and perpendicular to the norm thereof. The optical lens has a smooth or piecewise-linear first surface having a cross-section profile along an axis perpendicular to the norm of the optical lens for directing the incident light beam to form the output light beam towards the target plane with a light intensity uniformly distributed in a target area of the target plane. In some embodiments, the cross-section profile of the first surface has a concave curve in the central portion thereof smoothly transitioning to a convex curve in the peripheral portion on each side of the central portion for directing the incident light beam to the target plane with the light intensity uniformly distributed in the target area of the target plane.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing AC power to a power grid using renewable energy sources as well as energy storage devices. A control system controls multiple DC/DC converters that are coupled to renewable energy sources as well as to one or more energy storage devices. The control system also controls the charge/discharge of the energy storage devices. Each DC/DC converter control block in the control system automatically detects whether to perform MPPT on the renewable energy source or to control the discharge of the energy storage devices. Each DC/DC converter control block ensures that power from the renewable energy source or from the energy storage device is converted and provided to the power grid.

Abstract: A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light system has a plurality of LED groups connected in parallel with each of the plurality of LED groups having one or more LEDs connected in series, a power circuit having a plurality of outputs with each output of the power circuit is electrically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of LED groups, and a control subsystem electrically coupled to the power circuit for individually controlling each output of the power circuit for controlling the operation of the corresponding LED group and adapting to the characteristics thereof. In some embodiments, at least one LED group may further have a switch and/or a light-angle controlling structure connected with the one or more LEDs in series and controlled by the control subsystem for selectively enabling or disabling the LED group and/or adjusting the light angle thereof.

Abstract: Power-electronic systems and components thereof such as electrical-energy storage apparatuses/subsystems in the form of supercapacitors and power-electronic apparatuses/subsystems are disclosed. A supercapacitor has a conductive or semi-conductive first metasurface layer, a conductive or semi-conductive second metasurface layer, and a dielectric layer sandwiched between the first and the second metasurface layers for electrically insulating the first metasurface layer from the second metasurface layer. An electrical power conversion apparatus has a first power conversion circuitry for converting a first portion of electrical power received from an electrical power source and outputting the converted electrical power via an output.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing AC power to a power grid using renewable energy sources as well as energy storage devices. A control system controls multiple DC/DC converters that are coupled to renewable energy sources as well as to one or more energy storage devices. The control system also controls the charge/discharge of the energy storage devices. Each DC/DC converter control block in the control system automatically detects whether to perform MPPT on the renewable energy source or to control the discharge of the energy storage devices. Each DC/DC converter control block ensures that power from the renewable energy source or from the energy storage device is converted and provided to the power grid.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a plurality of DC/DC converters that are coupled to either a renewable energy source or an energy storage device. The system automatically detects the energy source coupled to the relevant DC/DC converter and operates accordingly. If the DC/DC converter is coupled to a renewable energy source (such as a PV panel), the system maximizes power extraction from the energy source. If the DC/DC converter is coupled to an energy storage device, the system performs charge/discharge functions for the attached energy storage device.

Abstract: A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) light system has a plurality of LED groups connected in parallel with each of the plurality of LED groups having one or more LEDs connected in series, a power circuit having a plurality of outputs with each output of the power circuit is electrically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of LED groups, and a control subsystem electrically coupled to the power circuit for individually controlling each output of the power circuit for controlling the operation of the corresponding LED group and adapting to the characteristics thereof. In some embodiments, at least one LED group may further have a switch and/or a light-angle controlling structure connected with the one or more LEDs in series and controlled by the control subsystem for selectively enabling or disabling the LED group and/or adjusting the light angle thereof.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use with renewable energy resources that provide power to an energy power grid or to one or more motor loads. A control system along with an energy storage/combiner block and a DC/AC inverter is used to condition DC power received from renewable energy sources. The control system receives current and voltage outputs from the inverter along with values indicating current and voltage outputs directly from the renewable energy sources. These are then used to estimate and control motor speed when the system is in the off-grid mode. In addition, the control system uses these inputs to provide the gate pulses that are used to control the three phase AC output power from the inverter.

Abstract: A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) system for facilitating the growth of a plant includes at least one LED array having one or more LEDs for emitting colored light spectra absorbable by a plant, a light detector for detecting light reflected from the plant, and a LED light driver electrically coupled to the at least one LED array and the light detector. The LED light driver receives electrical power from a power source and drives the at least one LED array using the received electrical power; receives from the light detector a signal indicative of the reflected light spectra, and controls the at least one LED array to adjust at least one of the intensities and the spectra of the light emitted from the at least one LED array, based on the received signal.