Power supply apparatus

Abstract

A power supply apparatus comprises a power generating device in which the output power supplied to a load varies depending on a power generating condition; a current detection part for detecting the current output from the power generating device; a target output voltage setting part for setting a target output voltage of the power generating device; an error amplifier for amplifying the error between the voltage output from the power generating device and the target output voltage and outputting an error signal; a current control part for receiving input of the error signal, controlling the output current of the generating device so as to make the absolute value of the error signal small and outputting it to external output terminals; and an operation part for calculating the target output voltage as a desired operating condition of the power generating device by a predetermined function having at least the current detected by the current detecting part as an input parameter, and issuing it to the target output voltage setting part.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus. [0002] The output power of a fuel cell varies mainly depending on the variation in fuel feeding rate. The output power of a solar cell varies mainly depending on the variation in amount of solar radiation. Conventionally, in such a power supply apparatus having a power generating device (cell), the output power of which supplied to a load varies according to the power generating condition, DC output power of the power generating device has been converted into a power of a constant voltage or a constant current by using a DC-DC converter or a DC-AC converter to output it. [0003] A prior art fuel cell apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-173636. In the prior art fuel cell apparatus, the DC power generated in the fuel cell main body itself is converted into a DC power of a specified voltage by using a DC-DC converter and the converted DC power is constantly ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022] The “predetermined function” can be easily obtained by measuring the output voltage and the output current at plural measuring points in a range under which the characteristic of its power generating device changes monotonically and acquiring an optimum operating point. The power supply apparatus of the present invention can calculate the operating point by using the predetermined function and can automatically track its operating point constantly onto its desired operating point, even if the operating condition of the generating device varies.

[0025] The operation part calculates the target output voltage or the target output current by using the voltage setting function having the measured current as its parameter, the current setting function having the measured voltage as its parameter, or several measured data. Therefore, the operation part necessitates only a smaller-sized memory in comparison with the case of memorizing a data table of optimum operating points for every operating condition. The present invention has an effect of realizing more inexpensive power supply apparatus.

Problems solved by technology

This decreases the usage efficiency of the fuel cell.

Further, in the case of a fuel cell that uses methanol as fuel, a considerable amount of unused-methanol is discharged.

This raises the problem on the purification method of the discharged methanol.

In the prior art fuel cell, the operation of constantly controlling the discharge rate of methanol below a predetermined value cannot be performed.

Conventionally, in the power generating device in which the output power supplied to the load varies depending on the power generating condition, it has been a problem in this field to provide a power supply apparatus that is constantly operable under a desired operating condition (for example, an operating condition under which amount of the fuel discharged from the fuel cell becomes minimum or the output power of the solar cell becomes maximum).

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