This invention consists of an apparatus to interface an electric vehicle battery with a solar photovoltaic system and a method of using the apparatus to provide back up power during grid outages and ancillary service revenue from the grid. The apparatus uses the solar PV inverter to provide bidirectional power flow from the battery during night-time hours, or whenever the solar array is producing insufficient power. The apparatus thus consists only of switches and control and measurement equipment. It relies on the otherwise underutilized inverter and the on-board vehicle battery charger as the power electronic components.

This invention consists of an apparatus to interface an electric vehicle battery with a solar photovoltaic system and a method of using the apparatus to provide back up power during grid outages and ancillary service revenue from the grid. The apparatus uses the solar PV inverter to provide bidirectional power flow from the battery during night-time hours, or whenever the solar array is producing insufficient power. The apparatus thus consists only of switches and control and measurement equipment. It relies on the otherwise underutilized inverter and the on-board vehicle battery charger as the power electronic components.

A method for black starting a power supply device is disclosed, wherein the power supply device includes at least one bidirectional inverter having an AC-side connection for a grid and a battery connected to the DC side of the bidirectional inverter. The method includes operating an activation device of the power supply device so that the activation device applies a voltage to a control line of the battery to place the battery into an operating state, wherein the voltage provided by the activation device is provided by an auxiliary battery. The method also includes putting the bidirectional inverter into an operating state after the voltage provided by the auxiliary battery is applied to the control line.

In distributed green-energy architectures, where a customer location has energy storage as well as local generation, the present application provides techniques which advantageously prevent the battery from being charged from the grid. This is preferably implemented by using voltage-level signaling to limit power transfer from grid to battery, thereby 1) allowing transfer from PV to battery, and 2) preventing “round-trip” transfer of net energy from grid to battery to grid. This is particularly advantageous where net energy metering is allowed, or where any analogous form of preferential pricing is given to green energy (or to solar energy specifically).

A power tool comprising a housing, an interface configured to receive a battery pack, a trigger for user control of power tool operation, at least one sensor configured to measure an operational characteristic of the power tool, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a control signal from the trigger, control the power tool in response to the control signal, receive power tool operational data from the at least one sensor indicative of the operational characteristic of the power tool, and provide additional energy to the power tool via an auxiliary energy supply within the power tool housing based on the operational characteristic of the power tool.

A power tool comprising a housing, an interface configured to receive a battery pack, a trigger for user control of power tool operation, at least one sensor configured to measure an operational characteristic of the power tool, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a control signal from the trigger, control the power tool in response to the control signal, receive power tool operational data from the at least one sensor indicative of the operational characteristic of the power tool, and provide additional energy to the power tool via an auxiliary energy supply within the power tool housing based on the operational characteristic of the power tool.

A switch assembly including a switch and a high impedance element used for energy harvesting purposes that are connected to a power line at one end and assembly electronics at an opposite end, where in one non-limiting embodiment the switch assembly has particular application for use in connection with a vacuum interrupter. The high impedance element has higher impedance than the switch so that current flows through the switch from the power line when the switch is closed and through the high impedance element from the power line when the switch is open, where power from the high impedance element can power a switch closing device, such as a solenoid actuator. The high impedance element can be a resistive element, a capacitive element or a combination of a resistive and capacitive element.

Disclosed is an apparatus including: a photovoltaic panel; a CPG controller configured to receive a limit output power value of a photovoltaic panel, a photovoltaic panel terminal voltage, and a photovoltaic panel output current and output a photovoltaic panel terminal voltage reference; a direct current (DC)-voltage controller configured to receive the photovoltaic panel terminal voltage reference and the photovoltaic panel terminal voltage and output a duty ratio to cause an error between these values to become zero; a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal generator configured to receive the duty ratio and output a PWM signal to control a DC/DC converter connected to the photovoltaic panel; the DC/DC converter configured to receive the PWM signals and perform CPG control; and a DC/AC inverter connected to the DC/DC converter and configured to convert DC power into AC power and output the AC power to an electrical grid.

Disclosed is an apparatus including: a photovoltaic panel; a CPG controller configured to receive a limit output power value of a photovoltaic panel, a photovoltaic panel terminal voltage, and a photovoltaic panel output current and output a photovoltaic panel terminal voltage reference; a direct current (DC)-voltage controller configured to receive the photovoltaic panel terminal voltage reference and the photovoltaic panel terminal voltage and output a duty ratio to cause an error between these values to become zero; a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal generator configured to receive the duty ratio and output a PWM signal to control a DC/DC converter connected to the photovoltaic panel; the DC/DC converter configured to receive the PWM signals and perform CPG control; and a DC/AC inverter connected to the DC/DC converter and configured to convert DC power into AC power and output the AC power to an electrical grid.

A system supplies supplemental power to a power tool. The system includes a motor coupled to an output driver, a trigger for user control of power tool operation, a sensor configured to measure an operation characteristic, a battery pack coupled to the motor, and an auxiliary energy supply. A motor controller receives a control signal from the trigger and drives the motor utilizing energy from the battery pack in response to the control signal. The motor controller also receives information from the sensor and provides additional energy to the motor from the auxiliary energy supply depending on the information from the sensor (e.g., motor speed, motor rotational position, motor current, or trigger pull percentage). The controller may connect the auxiliary energy supply in series with the battery pack to supply the supplemental power. A battery charger or energy recapture may be utilized to charge the auxiliary energy supply.