Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for facilitating a photovoltaic device to provide a wireless communication channel. The apparatus comprises a switch connected in parallel with the photovoltaic device and configured for driving the photovoltaic device to produce optical signals carrying sensed data to be transmitted; and a control module connected with the switch and configured for receiving electrical sensing signals and generate a control signal to control the switch. The apparatus provided by the present invention is extremely durable. Compared to existing communication technologies which require extra hardware, the apparatus provided by the present invention is simpler and can be integrated into a single component.

Abstract: A method for estimating intrinsic parameters of an encapsulated capacitor having three capacitors is provided, comprising: inputting received first sampled current value, second sampled current value and third sampled current value, first sampled voltage value, second sampled voltage value, and third sampled voltage value corresponding to the three capacitors into a capacitor current estimating model to obtain a first capacitor current error corresponding to a first capacitor among the three capacitors, a second capacitor current error corresponding to a second capacitor among the three capacitors and a third capacitor current error corresponding to a third capacitor among the three capacitors; and inputting the first capacitor current error, the second capacitor current error and the third capacitor current error into a particle swarm optimization model to obtain a plurality of optimized parameters corresponding to the three capacitors as a plurality of intrinsic parameters of the encapsulated capacitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for facilitating a photovoltaic device to provide a wireless communication channel. The apparatus comprises a switch connected in parallel with the photovoltaic device and configured for driving the photovoltaic device to produce optical signals carrying sensed data to be transmitted; and a control module connected with the switch and configured for receiving electrical sensing signals and generate a control signal to control the switch. The apparatus provided by the present invention is extremely durable. Compared to existing communication technologies which require extra hardware, the apparatus provided by the present invention is simpler and can be integrated into a single component.

Abstract: An active common mode filter is configured to be positioned between a power supply and a switching converter-device/load for reducing common mode noise. The active common mode filter includes an active capacitor that has a sensing stage including one or more sensing capacitors, an amplifying stage including a common collector amplifier for mitigating an input voltage divider effect coupled to a common emitter amplifier for providing high gain, and an injection stage including one or more injection capacitors. Depending on the required attenuation in different applications, a multistage active common mode filter may be formed with a necessary number of stages, each stage including an active capacitor and an inductor.

Abstract: An electrical circuit for reducing electromagnetic noise or interference in a power converter. The circuit includes at least one shunt capacitor arranged to connect with a grounded component of the power converter, wherein the at least one shunt capacitor is further arranged to be driven by an active control signal so as to sink a noise current originating from a noise source to the grounded component of the power converter, wherein the noise source is connected to the grounded component via a capacitive path formed by at least one stray capacitors.

Abstract: An RFID-based sensing method including receiving, from an RFID tag with a tuning circuit when the tuning circuit is arranged in a first state, a first RF signal; and receiving, from the RFID tag when the tuning circuit is arranged in a second state, a second RF signal. The tuning circuit is arranged to affect or facilitate impedance matching of an antenna and an integrated circuit of the RFID tag. The method also includes processing the first and second RF signals received to determine respective differences in two or more properties of the first and second RF signals received; and determining, based on the processing, a status associated with an environment in which the RFID tag is arranged.

Abstract: An RFID-based sensing method including receiving, from an RFID tag with a tuning circuit when the tuning circuit is arranged in a first state, a first RF signal; and receiving, from the RFID tag when the tuning circuit is arranged in a second state, a second RF signal. The tuning circuit is arranged to affect or facilitate impedance matching of an antenna and an integrated circuit of the RFID tag. The method also includes processing the first and second RF signals received to determine respective differences in two or more properties of the first and second RF signals received; and determining, based on the processing, a status associated with an environment in which the RFID tag is arranged.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing an electrical energy storage apparatus includes exciting at least one energy storage system in the electrical energy storage apparatus; sampling data associated with an electrical characteristic of the at least one energy storage system in response to the excitation of the at least one energy storage system; and estimating at least one electrical parameter and/or at least one operational condition attribute of the at least one energy storage system.

Abstract: A system for determining a state of a photovoltaic panel. The system includes a data acquisition device having a circuit and a communication module. The circuit is arranged to transmit excitation signals to a photovoltaic panel and detect response signals generated by the photovoltaic panel in response to the excitation signal, during normal operation of the photovoltaic panel. The communication module is arranged to communicate the response signals to a control device for analysis and determination of a state of the photovoltaic panel.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fast voltage stabilizer wherein an actual voltage across a targeted electronic element is sensed. The actual voltage is compared with a reference voltage. A control signal is generated, wherein in response to the control signal, an external current path is provided to maintain current flow and stabilize the actual voltage through charging or discharging an input capacitor and a supply filtering capacitor. Under an arbitrary supply voltage variation, a fast dynamic response to regulate the voltage across the targeted electronic element is provided no matter what the operating mode of the entire electrical circuit is, including but not limited by constant current mode, constant output resistant mode and constant power mode.

Abstract: A system for controlling a switching network of a power regulation circuit arranged to regulate power transfer between a first and second circuit connected with the power regulation circuit includes one or more controllers receiving one or more first signals indicative of power characteristics of the first circuit and one or more second signals indicative of power characteristics of the second circuit. The controllers determine, based on the received signals and reference signals, a required power output for regulating power transfer between the first and second circuit, and then select, dynamically, a switching scheme, from predetermined switching schemes, based on the determination result. The predetermined switching schemes represent unique switching schemea for controlling switching of respective switches of the switching network.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing an electrical energy storage apparatus includes exciting at least one energy storage system in the electrical energy storage apparatus; sampling data associated with an electrical characteristic of the at least one energy storage system in response to the excitation of the at least one energy storage system; and estimating at least one electrical parameter and/or at least one operational condition attribute of the at least one energy storage system.

Abstract: A battery tester for efficiently extracting intrinsic characteristics of a battery. The battery tester comprises a sensing unit, a controller, a bi-directional power converter, and an energy storage unit so that energy discharged from a battery during testing is stored in the energy storage unit and recycled back to the battery. The battery tester uses a high current pulse test and a switching excitation test with a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm to analyze precise model parameters that can be used to describe the health conditions of a battery.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing an electrical energy storage apparatus includes exciting at least one energy storage system in the electrical energy storage apparatus; sampling data associated with an electrical characteristic of the at least one energy storage system in response to the excitation of the at least one energy storage system; and estimating at least one electrical parameter and/or at least one operational condition attribute of the at least one energy storage system.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for use in an electric circuit. The apparatus includes a sampling module arranged to obtain an approximation of a voltage-current characteristic of at least one electrical circuit component of the electric circuit subjected to an excitation, wherein each of the at least one electrical circuit component is represented by a constant phase element in an equivalent circuit of the electric circuit; and a processing module arranged to estimate a time-domain voltage response and/or a time-domain current response based on the approximation of the voltage-current characteristic under the excitation applied to the electric circuit.

Abstract: An electric circuit for regulating power transfer in a power grid includes a compensator circuit arranged to be connected between outputs of one or more power sources and a point of common coupling in the power grid. The compensator circuit is arranged to detect one or more electrical properties associated with the outputs and one or more electrical properties associated with the point of common coupling; and provide, based on the detection, a voltage output to emulate a resistor for suppressing filter resonance associated with the one or more power sources and to reduce equivalent impedance of the power grid.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement for filtering an electric current, wherein the circuit arrangement is arranged between a power source providing the electric current and a load; and the electric current includes a first current component and a second current component. The circuit arrangement includes a first circuit arranged to receive and filter the first current component, a current control device arranged to receive and regulate the second current component so as to provide a regulated current to the load, and a control circuit arranged to provide a control signal to the current control device so as to control regulation of the second current component. The control circuit is further arranged to detect one or more operation parameters associated with the current control device, and to determine the control signal based on the one or more detected operation parameters.

Abstract: A current control circuit having a current regulation element, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The first control circuit is arranged to regulate, based on a reference current, a current flowing with respect to the current regulation element. The second control circuit is arranged to regulate, based on a reference voltage, a voltage across the current regulation element.

Abstract: An electric circuit arrangement and a method for generating electric current pulses to a load, the electric circuit arrangement including a switch and a current source in series connection with the load; wherein the switch is arranged to operate in at least an on state and an off state, thereby selectively connecting or disconnecting the current source to or from the load so as to generate the electric current pulses. With such architecture, the circuit performs with a better efficiency than a cascaded architecture.

Abstract: A system for determining a state of a photovoltaic panel. The system includes a data acquisition device having a circuit and a communication module. The circuit is arranged to transmit excitation signals to a photovoltaic panel and detect response signals generated by the photovoltaic panel in response to the excitation signal, during normal operation of the photovoltaic panel. The communication module is arranged to communicate the response signals to a control device for analysis and determination of a state of the photovoltaic panel.