JP7649997B2 - Power generation system, power receiving module and power supply module - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure generally relates to a power generation system, a power receiving module, and a power supply module, and more specifically, to a power generation system that generates power, a power receiving module provided in the power generation system, and a power supply module provided in the power generation system.

Patent document 1 describes a power supply device that generates power by electrostatic induction from bare wires such as overhead power lines. The power supply device described in patent document 1 includes an induction electrode, a shield, and an output section. The induction electrode is disposed near one of a plurality of conductors (overhead power lines). The shield is disposed between the other of the plurality of conductors and the one conductor, and shields the induction electrode from the electric field generated from the other conductor. The output section is drawn from both ends of a parallel circuit formed by floating electrostatic capacitance and inductance between the induction electrode and the shield.

JP 2013-172584 A

The power supply device described in Patent Document 1 is intended for bare wires such as overhead power lines, and cannot be applied to insulated wires such as VVF cables.

The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a power generation system, a power receiving module, and a power supply module that can be applied to insulated electric wires and are capable of generating electric power.

A power generating system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a first module and a second module. The first module is attached to an insulated wire. The insulated wire includes a plurality of conductors and a plurality of insulators covering the plurality of conductors. The second module is connected to the insulated wire and applies a high-frequency voltage between the plurality of conductors, the high-frequency voltage being a voltage with a frequency higher than a commercial frequency. The first module includes a plurality of electrodes and a power supply circuit. The plurality of electrodes are arranged to face the plurality of conductors, respectively. The power supply circuit is connected to the plurality of electrodes. The power supply circuit generates power from electric energy generated by electrostatic capacitance between each of the plurality of conductors and a corresponding one of the plurality of electrodes, based on a voltage including the high-frequency voltage applied between the plurality of conductors.

The power receiving module according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used as the first module in the power generation system.

A power supply module according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used as the second module in the power generation system.

The power generation system, power receiving module, and power supply module according to one aspect of the present disclosure can be applied to insulated electric wires and can generate electric power.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a power generating system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a power receiving module according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power receiving module attached to an insulated wire. 4A and 4B are waveform diagrams of a commercial power supply voltage applied to an insulated wire to which the power receiving module is attached, and a waveform diagram when a high-frequency voltage is superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire to which the power receiving module is attached. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the power receiving module with the housing open. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the power receiving module. 7A to 7C are schematic diagrams showing variations of the insulated wire to which the power receiving module is attached. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a power supply module according to a second modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a waveform diagram illustrating a case where the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire to which the power receiving module according to the second modification of the embodiment is attached is switched at a specific frequency during a specific period of the commercial power supply voltage.

The power generation system, power receiving module, and power supply module according to the embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The figures described in the following embodiments are schematic diagrams, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios. Furthermore, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be achieved.

(Embodiment)
(1) Overview As shown in Fig. 1 , the power generating system 10 according to this embodiment is applied to, for example, a distribution board 4 provided in a facility 100, and generates power in the power receiving module 1 by attaching the power receiving module 1 to an insulated electric wire 3 drawn from the distribution board 4. The facility 100 is, for example, a building in which the distribution board 4 is installed, and is a residence such as a detached house or each dwelling unit in an apartment building, or a non-residential building such as an office, store, factory, or nursing home. In this embodiment, a case in which the facility 100 is a detached house will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the power generation system 10 includes a plurality of (six in the illustrated example) power receiving modules 1 as first modules (modules) and a power supply module 2 as a second module. The power generation system 10 further includes a communication adapter 5 as an external device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power receiving module 1 is attached to an insulated wire 3. The insulated wire 3 is, for example, a VVF (vinyl insulated vinyl sheath flat) cable for indoor electrical wiring, and includes multiple conductors 31 (two in the illustrated example) and multiple insulators 32 (two in the illustrated example). The multiple insulators 32 cover each of the multiple conductors 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the power receiving module 1 includes a plurality of electrodes 11 (two in the illustrated example) and a power supply circuit 12. The electrodes 11 are arranged to face the conductors 31, respectively. The power supply circuit 12 is connected to the electrodes 11. The power supply circuit 12 generates power from a voltage including a high-frequency voltage applied between the conductors 31 and electrical energy generated by the capacitances C1 and C2 between each of the conductors 31 and a corresponding one of the electrodes 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply module 2 is connected to an insulated electric wire 3. The power supply module 2 applies a high-frequency voltage, which is a voltage with a frequency higher than the commercial frequency, between the multiple conductors 31.

The communication adapter 5 communicates with the power receiving module 1.

In the power receiving module 1 attached to the insulated wire 3, capacitances C1 and C2 are generated between each conductor 31 of the insulated wire 3 and the corresponding electrode 11, and electrical energy is generated by the commercial power supply voltage applied between the multiple conductors 31 and the capacitances C1 and C2. A current i1 (see FIG. 2) due to this electrical energy is input to the power supply circuit 12 via the multiple electrodes 11, and power is generated in the power supply circuit 12. In other words, the power generation system 10 according to this embodiment is applicable to the insulated wire 3 and is capable of generating electrical power.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to this embodiment, the power supply module 2 applies a high-frequency voltage to the insulated wire 3. This makes it possible to increase the capacitances C1 and C2 generated between each conductor 31 and the corresponding electrode 11, and as a result, makes it possible to increase the power generated by the power supply circuit 12.

In this embodiment, the power receiving module 1 constitutes the first module, and the power supply module 2 constitutes the second module. That is, the power receiving module 1 is used as the first module in the power generation system 10. Also, the power supply module 2 is used as the second module in the power generation system 10.

(2) Details As described above, the power generating system 10 according to this embodiment is applied to the distribution board 4. That is, the power generating system 10 further includes the distribution board 4 in addition to the power receiving module 1, the power supply module 2, and the communication adapter 5.

1, the distribution board 4 has a plurality of internal devices 40. The plurality of internal devices 40 includes a main breaker 41, a plurality of branch breakers 42, a power supply module 2, and a communication adapter 5.

(2.1.1) Main Breaker The main breaker 41 is, for example, a three-pole earth leakage circuit breaker with a neutral phase loss protection function. The three input terminals on the input side (power supply side) of the main breaker 41 are electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship to the first voltage line, the second voltage line, and the neutral line in a single-phase three-wire power distribution system. In addition, the three output terminals on the output side (load side) of the main breaker 41 are electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship to the first conductive bar, the second conductive bar, and the third conductive bar. The first conductive bar is conductive to the first voltage line, the second conductive bar is conductive to the second voltage line, and the third conductive bar is conductive to the neutral line.

(2.1.2) Branch Breaker Each of the multiple branch breakers 42 is, for example, a circuit breaker equipped with an overcurrent tripping device. Two input terminals on the input side (power supply side) of each branch breaker 42 are electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship to either the first conductive bar or the second conductive bar and to the third conductive bar. In this case, an AC voltage with an effective value of 100 V is supplied to each branch breaker 42. Note that two input terminals of one or more branch breakers 42 may be electrically connected in a one-to-one relationship to the first conductive bar and the second conductive bar. In this case, an AC voltage with an effective value of 200 V is supplied to one or more branch breakers 42.

The two terminals on the output side (load side) of each branch breaker 42 are electrically connected to a wiring device 102 via an insulated electric wire 3 for indoor wiring. The wiring device 102 includes, for example, an outlet embedded in an indoor wall and a ceiling hook body provided on an indoor ceiling. One or more loads 101 are connected to each wiring device 102. In FIG. 1, one load 101 is connected to each wiring device 102. The load 101 is, for example, an electrical appliance such as a washing machine, a refrigerator, a television receiver, or a lighting fixture. Note that the load 101, such as an electromagnetic range and a bathroom dryer, may be directly connected to the output terminal of the branch breaker 42 without going through the wiring device 102.

1 , the communication adapter 5 has a first communication unit 51, a second communication unit 52, a measurement unit 53, and a control unit 54. The communication adapter 5 is accommodated in the box 43 of the distribution board 4 together with the above-mentioned main breaker 41 and the multiple branch breakers 42.

The first communication unit 51 has, for example, a specific low-power radio module that complies with a specific low-power radio station in the 920 MHz band. The first communication unit 51 performs specific low-power radio communication with a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) (not shown). Note that the first communication unit 51 may have a network controller (integrated circuit) that complies with a wired LAN standard such as 100BASE-T or 1000BASE-T instead of the specific low-power radio module. In this case, the first communication unit 51 performs wired communication with the HEMS controller via a LAN cable and a router.

The second communication unit 52 is configured to perform wireless communication conforming to, for example, BLE (Bluetooth [registered trademark] Low Energy). The second communication unit 52 performs wireless communication with the communication circuit 14 of the power receiving module 1 described below. The second communication unit 52 may be configured to perform wireless communication conforming to a wireless LAN standard (for example, IEEE802.11b/g/n) or ZIG Bee (registered trademark), infrared communication, etc.

The measurement unit 53 measures the main current flowing through the main breaker 41 and the branch current flowing through each branch breaker 42. The measurement unit 53 also calculates the power consumption of the main circuit including the main breaker 41 and the power consumption of each branch circuit including each branch breaker 42 based on the measured main current and each branch current.

The control unit 54 can be realized by a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. That is, the control unit 54 functions as a result of the one or more processors executing a program recorded in one or more memories of the computer system. Here, the program is pre-recorded in the memory of the control unit 54, but it may be provided, for example, through a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or may be provided by recording it on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. The control unit 54 controls the first communication unit 51, the second communication unit 52, and the measurement unit 53 described above, separately.

In this embodiment, as described above, the communication adapter 5 constitutes an external device. That is, the power generating system 10 includes a power receiving module 1 as a module described later, and a communication adapter 5 as an external device. The communication adapter 5 communicates with the power receiving module 1.

(2.1.4) Power Supply Module As shown in Fig. 1, the power supply module 2 is connected to a conductive bar on the output side of the main breaker 41. The power supply module 2 has a voltage superimposing unit 21. The voltage superimposing unit 21 applies a high-frequency voltage to a commercial power supply voltage (e.g., 60 Hz, 100 V) superimposed on the insulated wire 3. The high-frequency voltage is a voltage with a higher frequency than the commercial frequency, which is the frequency of the commercial power supply voltage. Fig. 4A is a waveform diagram of the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3, and Fig. 4B is a waveform diagram in which the high-frequency voltage is superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage. As an example, the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes a high-frequency voltage of 2 MHz, 1 V on the commercial power supply voltage.

The voltage superimposing unit 21 intermittently superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage, for example, at 10-second intervals. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the voltage superimposing unit 21 compared to when the voltage superimposing unit 21 continuously superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage. Here, it is preferable that the timing at which the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage includes the timing at which the sensor circuit 13 described below senses information within the facility 100 (e.g., temperature information, humidity information).

In addition, it is preferable that the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage based on the phase of the commercial power supply voltage. For example, if the high-frequency voltage is superimposed at the timing of the zero crossing of the commercial power supply voltage, the effect on the load 101 will be maximum, and there is a possibility that the load 101 will malfunction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, it is preferable that the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage when the phase of the commercial power supply voltage is in the range of 90°±10° (a predetermined range including the maximum value of the amplitude of the commercial power supply voltage). This makes it possible to minimize the effect on the load 101 of the high-frequency voltage superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage.

In this embodiment, the power supply module 2 constitutes the second module and is used as the second module of the power generation system 10.

(2.2) Power Receiving Module As shown in Fig. 2, the power receiving module 1 has a plurality of electrodes 11 (two in the illustrated example), a power supply circuit 12, a sensor circuit 13, and a communication circuit 14. Moreover, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6, the power receiving module 1 further includes a housing 15. As shown in Fig. 3, the power receiving module 1 is attached to an insulated wire 3. In this embodiment, the power receiving module 1 constitutes a first module (module) and is used as the first module 1 of a power generation system.

(2.2.1) Electrodes As shown in FIG. 2, the electrodes 11 are arranged to face the conductors 31 of the insulated wire 3, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the electrodes 11 is formed in an arc shape. More specifically, each of the electrodes 11 has a shape that follows the outer shape of the insulated wire 3 when the power receiving module 1 is attached to the insulated wire 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the electrodes 11 are in close contact with the insulated wire 3 when the housing 15 of the power receiving module 1 is attached to the insulated wire 3 (see FIG. 6). Also, each of the electrodes 11 is elongated along a first direction D1, which is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5. The length of each of the electrodes 11 in the first direction D1 is shorter than the length of a contact member 6, which will be described later, and shorter than the length of the housing 15. The electrodes 11 are electrically connected to an input end of the power supply circuit 12.

(2.2.2) Power supply circuit As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply circuit 12 is electrically connected to the multiple electrodes 11. The power supply circuit 12 generates operating power for the sensor circuit 13 and the communication circuit 14 described below. The power supply circuit 12 includes a capacitor, a boost circuit, and a smoothing circuit. In the power supply circuit 12, power is stored in the capacitor via the multiple electrodes 11, and when the voltage across the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than the minimum operating voltage of the boost circuit, the boost circuit generates boosted power with a voltage higher than the voltage across the capacitor. Furthermore, in the power supply circuit 12, the boosted power generated in the boost circuit is smoothed by the smoothing circuit and supplied to the sensor circuit 13 and the communication circuit 14.

(2.2.3) Sensor Circuit The sensor circuit 13 senses information within the facility 100. Here, "sensing information" means detecting (measuring) physical quantities such as temperature and humidity within the facility 100. The information within the facility 100 is, for example, the indoor temperature and indoor humidity. That is, the sensor circuit 13 includes a temperature sensor that detects the indoor temperature and a humidity sensor that detects the indoor humidity. The sensor circuit 13 is supplied with power from the above-mentioned power supply circuit 12 and operates using this power. Note that the information within the facility 100 is not limited to the above-mentioned indoor temperature and indoor humidity, and may be other information within the facility 100.

(2.2.4) Communication Circuit The communication circuit 14 performs wireless communication with, for example, the second communication unit 52 (see FIG. 1) of the communication adapter 5 serving as an external device. The communication circuit 14 is configured to perform wireless communication conforming to, for example, BLE. The communication circuit 14 is supplied with power from the above-mentioned power supply circuit 12 and operates using this power. Note that the communication circuit 14 may also be configured to perform wireless communication or infrared communication conforming to a wireless LAN standard (for example, IEEE802.11b/g/n), ZIG Bee (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

(2.2.5) Housing The housing 15 is a molded product made of synthetic resin, such as ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) resin or PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate) resin. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 15 is, for example, rectangular parallelepiped. The housing 15 has two divided housings 151 and 152. The two divided housings 151 and 152 are connected to each other by a connector 153 formed in an arc shape so that they can be opened and closed. Hereinafter, one of the two divided housings 151 and 152 may be referred to as a first divided housing 151, and the other may be referred to as a second divided housing 152.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the first divided housing 151 is a rectangular box having a first recess 155 on one surface (the right surface in Fig. 6) in the third direction D3 perpendicular to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The first recess 155 has a semi-elliptical shape when viewed from the first direction D1.

The second direction D2 is a direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the first direction D1, which is the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3, and is a direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) the direction in which the multiple conductors 31 of the insulated wire 3 are arranged. As described above, the third direction D3 is a direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, and is a direction in which the multiple conductors 31 are arranged.

The second divided housing 152, like the first divided housing 151, is a rectangular box with a second recess 156 on one side (left side in FIG. 6) in the third direction D3. The second recess 156 is semi-elliptical in plan view from the first direction D1. The second divided housing 152 also has a coupling plate 154. The coupling plate 154 is rectangular in plan view from the second direction D2. As shown in FIG. 6, when the housing 15 is attached to the insulated electric wire 3, a part (tip) of the coupling plate 154 protrudes toward the first divided housing 151 in the third direction D3 (left-right direction in FIG. 6). Therefore, when the housing 15 is attached to the insulated electric wire 3, the movement (rotation) of the first divided housing 151 relative to the second divided housing 152 is restricted by the coupling plate 154. As a result, it is possible to maintain the state in which the housing 15 is attached to the insulated electric wire 3.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the coupling plate 154 is provided with a groove 1541. The groove 1541 is recessed in a rectangular shape along the thickness direction of the coupling plate 154 (the vertical direction in FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 6, with the housing 15 attached to the insulated electric wire 3, the tip of a tool (e.g., a flathead screwdriver) is inserted into the groove 1541, and the tool is moved so that the base end (the end opposite to the tip) of the tool approaches the housing 15. This makes it possible to deform the tip of the coupling plate 154 in a direction away from the housing 15 (upward in FIG. 6), and the first divided housing 151 is rotated relative to the second divided housing 152 with the tip of the coupling plate 154 deformed. As a result, it becomes possible to remove the power receiving module 1 from the insulated electric wire 3.

That is, the two divided housings 151, 152 are connected to each other so as to be able to open and close at one end (lower end in FIG. 6) in the second direction D2 that intersects with the first direction D1, which is the longitudinal direction of the insulated electric wire 3. The two divided housings 151, 152 are also joined to each other at the other end (upper end in FIG. 6) in the second direction D2.

When the housing 15 is attached to the insulated wire 3, the first recess 155 of the first divided housing 151 and the second recess 156 of the second divided housing 152 form an elliptical holding portion 150 in a plan view from the first direction D1, as shown in FIG. 6. The holding portion 150 has a shape that follows the outer shape of the insulated wire 3 (the outer shape of the sheath 33), as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the housing 15 has a holding portion 150 that follows the outer shape of the insulated wire 3. The above-mentioned multiple electrodes 11 are arranged along the opposing surfaces 1551, 1561 (see FIG. 5) of the holding portion 150 that face the insulated wire 3, as shown in FIG. 6.

(2.3) Insulated Wire The insulated wire 3 is, for example, a power supply line that supplies power to a load 101 in the facility 100. The insulated wire 3 is, for example, a VVF cable for indoor electrical wiring. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 , the insulated wire 3 includes a plurality of conductors 31 (two in the illustrated example), a plurality of insulators 32 (two in the illustrated example), and a sheath 33.

Each of the conductors 31 is, for example, a copper wire made of a single wire or a twisted wire. Each of the insulators 32 is, for example, made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and covers a corresponding one of the conductors 31. The sheath 33 is made of polyvinyl chloride, like the insulators 32, and covers the insulators 32. That is, in the insulated wire 3, the conductors 31 are covered with a double insulation (insulators 32 and sheath 33). As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cross-sectional shape of the sheath 33 is an ellipse with the major axis in the third direction D3 when viewed from the first direction D1, which is the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3. In this embodiment, an AC voltage (commercial power supply voltage) of 60 Hz and 100 V is applied between the conductors 31.

Here, the power receiving module 1 according to this embodiment further includes a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) contact members 6, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The plurality of contact members 6 are made of an elastic material such as rubber, and are arc-shaped along the shapes of the first recess 155 and the second recess 156 of the housing 15 (see Fig. 6). As shown in Fig. 6, each of the plurality of contact members 6 is provided between a corresponding electrode 11 among the plurality of electrodes 11 and the facing surface 1551 of the first recess 155 or the facing surface 1561 of the second recess 156 in the third direction D3 (the left-right direction in Fig. 6). The facing surface 1551 is a surface facing the insulated electric wire 3 in the first recess 155. The facing surface 1561 is a surface facing the insulated electric wire 3 in the second recess 156.

As shown in FIG. 6, the multiple adhesion members 6 adhere the multiple electrodes 11 to the insulated wire 3 when the housing 15 of the power receiving module 1 is attached to the insulated wire 3. This makes it possible to increase the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 generated between each electrode 11 and the corresponding conductor 31, and as a result, makes it possible to increase the power generated by the power supply circuit 12.

(3) Characteristics of the Power Receiving Module Next, the characteristics of the power receiving module 1 will be described.

As described above, in the power receiving module 1, each of the multiple electrodes 11 generates capacitances C1 and C2 between the corresponding conductors 31 among the multiple conductors 31, that is, the conductors 31 that face each other in one direction (third direction D3). Here, the resistance value of the conductors connecting the multiple conductors 31 to the power supply circuit 12 is Rc, and the voltage applied between the multiple conductors 31 is Vs. In this case, the resistance value Rc is calculated based on formula (1).

The current i1 flowing into the power supply circuit 12 is calculated based on equation (2).

When the current i1 shown in equation (2) flows through the capacitor of the power supply circuit 12, power is stored in the capacitor. Then, as described above, when the voltage across the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than the minimum operating voltage of the boost circuit, the boost circuit generates a boosted voltage with a higher voltage than the voltage across the capacitor, and the boosted voltage generated by the boost circuit is smoothed by the smoothing circuit. The power supply circuit 12 supplies the power (DC power) smoothed by the smoothing circuit to the sensor circuit 13 and the communication circuit 14.

In this way, the power supply circuit 12 generates power to be supplied to the sensor circuit 13 and the communication circuit 14 from the voltage applied between the multiple conductors 31 of the insulated wire 3 and the electrical energy generated by the capacitances C1 and C2 between each of the multiple conductors 31 and a corresponding electrode 11 among the multiple electrodes 11. In other words, the power receiving module 1 according to this embodiment is applicable to the insulated wire 3 and is capable of generating power.

In the power generating system 10 according to the present embodiment, as described above, a high-frequency voltage is superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3. This makes it possible to increase the current value of the current i1 output to the power supply circuit 12 compared to when only the commercial power supply voltage is applied to the insulated wire 3. For example, when a high-frequency voltage of 2 MHz and 1 V is superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage, it is possible to increase the current value of the current i1 by approximately 300 times. That is, in the power generating system 10 according to the present embodiment, the voltage applied between the multiple conductors 31 is a voltage that includes the above-mentioned high-frequency voltage, and more specifically, is a voltage in which the high-frequency voltage is superimposed on the commercial power supply voltage.

(4) Effects In the power generating system 10 according to the embodiment, when the power receiving module 1 is attached to the insulated wire 3, each electrode 11 faces a corresponding conductor 31 as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6. This causes capacitances C1, C2 to be generated between each electrode 11 and the corresponding conductor 31. The power supply circuit 12 generates power from the voltage Vs applied between the multiple conductors 31 and the electrical energy generated by the capacitances C1, C2. That is, the power generating system 10 according to the present embodiment is applicable to the insulated wire 3 and is capable of generating power.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to the embodiment, the power supply module 2 applies a high-frequency voltage to the insulated wire 3. This makes it possible to increase the capacitances C1 and C2 generated between each conductor 31 and the corresponding electrode 11, and as a result, it becomes possible to increase the power generated by the power supply circuit 12.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to the embodiment, the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3. This makes it possible to increase the electrostatic capacitances C1 and C2 generated between each conductor 31 and the corresponding electrode 11, and as a result, it becomes possible to increase the power generated by the power supply circuit 12.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to the embodiment, the voltage superimposing unit 21 intermittently superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the voltage superimposing unit 21.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to the embodiment, the voltage superimposing unit 21 superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage based on the phase of the commercial power supply voltage. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of the high-frequency voltage on the load 101.

In addition, in the power generation system 10 according to the embodiment, the distribution board 4 has a plurality of internal devices 40 including a main breaker 41, one or more branch breakers 42, and a power supply module 2. This makes it possible to superimpose a high-frequency voltage almost evenly on each branch circuit including the branch breaker (42).

(5) Modifications The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combination.

(5.1) Modification 1
In the above-described embodiment, the insulated wire 3 is a VVF cable, but the insulated wire 3 is not limited to a VVF cable and may be, for example, a VCTF (vinyl cabtyre) cable. As shown in Fig. 7A , the insulated wire 3 includes a plurality of conductors 31 (two in the illustrated example), a plurality of insulators 32 (two in the illustrated example), and a sheath 33. The sheath 33 is circular in plan view from the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3 (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Fig. 7A ). In this case, each of the plurality of electrodes 11 is disposed along the outer shape of the sheath 33 so as to face a corresponding conductor 31 among the plurality of conductors 31, as shown in Fig. 7A .

The insulated wire 3 may be, for example, an NNFF (chloroprene rubber insulated flat) cord. As shown in FIG. 7B, the insulated wire 3 includes a plurality of conductors 31 (two in the illustrated example) and a plurality of insulators 32 (two in the illustrated example). Each of the plurality of insulators 32 has an elliptical shape when viewed in a plan view from the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3 (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 7B). In this case, each of the plurality of electrodes 11 is arranged along the outer shape of the corresponding insulator 32 among the plurality of insulators 32 so as to face the corresponding conductor 31 among the plurality of conductors 31, as shown in FIG. 7B.

The insulated wire 3 may be, for example, a VFF (vinyl flat) cable. As shown in FIG. 7C, the insulated wire 3 includes a plurality of conductors 31 (two in the illustrated example) and a plurality of insulators 32 (two in the illustrated example). Each of the plurality of insulators 32 has an elliptical shape when viewed in a plan view from the longitudinal direction of the insulated wire 3 (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 7C). In this case, each of the plurality of electrodes 11 is arranged along the outer shape of the corresponding insulator 32 among the plurality of insulators 32 so as to face the corresponding conductor 31 among the plurality of conductors 31, as shown in FIG. 7C.

(5.2) Modification 2
In the above-described embodiment, the power supply module 2 has the voltage superimposing unit 21, which superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage to increase the power generated by the power supply circuit 12. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 8, the power supply module 2A may have a switching element 22 and a control circuit 23. Hereinafter, the power supply module 2A according to the second modification will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.

As shown in FIG. 8, the power supply module 2A according to the second modification has a switching element 22 and a control circuit 23. The switching element 22 is, for example, a semiconductor switch such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). The switching element 22 is, for example, an N-channel MOSFET, but may be a P-channel MOSFET. The switching element 22 is inserted in an electric path between the output side of the main breaker 41 and the input side of each branch breaker 42, and the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3 can be turned on and off by turning the switching element 22 on and off.

The control circuit 23 controls the on/off of the switching element 22. More specifically, the control circuit 23 controls the on/off of the switching element 22 at a switching frequency of, for example, 2 MHz. This makes it possible to make the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3 a high-frequency voltage during the period when the switching element 22 is switched at high speed. That is, the control circuit 23 controls the on/off of the switching element 22 so that the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3 becomes a high-frequency voltage. This makes it possible to increase the current value of the current i1 output to the power supply circuit 12 compared to the case where no switching operation is performed on the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3. For example, when a high-frequency voltage of 2 MHz and 100 V is applied to the insulated wire 3, it is possible to increase the current value of the current i1 by about 30,000 times.

Here, the control circuit 23 controls the on/off of the switching element 22 based on the phase of the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the control circuit 23 turns the switching element 22 on/off at a switching frequency of 2 MHz in the range where the phase of the commercial power supply voltage is 90°±10° (the range shown by hatching in FIG. 9). This makes it possible to supply power to multiple loads 101 connected to multiple branch breakers 42, while minimizing the effect of switching on the loads 101.

In the second modification, the insulated wire 3 is a power line to which a commercial power supply voltage is applied, but the insulated wire 3 may be a dedicated line. It is preferable that the end of the dedicated line is open. In this case, by attaching the power receiving module 1 to the insulated wire 3 made of a dedicated line, it becomes possible to generate electric power in the power receiving module 1.

(5.3) Other Modifications Other modifications are listed below.

In the above embodiment, the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire 3 is 60 Hz and 100 V, but the commercial power supply voltage is not limited to 60 Hz and 100 V and may be, for example, 50 Hz and 100 V. Furthermore, the commercial power supply voltage may be, for example, 50 Hz and 200 V, or 60 Hz and 200 V.

In the above embodiment, the shape of each electrode 11 is arc-shaped, but the shape of each electrode 11 is not limited to arc-shaped and may be, for example, flat. Furthermore, the number of electrodes 11 is not limited to two and may be, for example, three. In this case, it is preferable that the number of conductors 31 is also three and that the electrodes 11 and the conductors 31 correspond one-to-one.

In the above embodiment, the number of conductors 31 in the insulated wire 3 is two, but the number of conductors 31 is not limited to two and may be, for example, three. In this case, it is preferable that the number of insulators 32 is also three, and that the multiple conductors 31 and the multiple insulators 32 correspond one-to-one.

In the above embodiment, the housing 15 is rectangular, but the housing 15 is not limited to being rectangular, and may be spherical as long as it has a structure that includes a holding portion 150.

In the above embodiment, the distribution board 4 has multiple branch breakers 42 as internal equipment 40, but the distribution board 4 may have only one branch breaker 42.

In the above embodiment, the power supply module 2 is connected to an electric circuit between the output side of the main breaker 41 and the input side of each branch breaker 32. In contrast, the power supply module 2 may be connected to, for example, the output side of a branch breaker 42 to which the wiring device 102 and the load 101 are not connected.

In the above embodiment, the power generation system 10 includes a communication adapter 5, but the communication adapter 5 may be omitted. That is, the power generation system (module system) 10 according to this embodiment only needs to include a power receiving module 1 as a first module and a power supply module 2 as a second module.

(Aspects)
The present specification discloses the following aspects.

The power generation system (10) according to the first aspect includes a first module (1) and a second module (2). The first module (1) is attached to an insulated electric wire (3). The insulated electric wire (3) includes a plurality of conductors (31) and a plurality of insulators (32) that respectively cover the plurality of conductors (31). The second module (2) is connected to the insulated electric wire (3) and applies a high-frequency voltage, which is a voltage with a frequency higher than the commercial frequency, between the plurality of conductors (31). The first module (1) includes a plurality of electrodes (11) and a power supply circuit (12). The plurality of electrodes (11) are arranged so as to face the plurality of conductors (31), respectively. The power supply circuit (12) is connected to the plurality of electrodes (11). The power supply circuit (12) generates power from a voltage including the high-frequency voltage applied between the plurality of conductors (31) and electrical energy generated by the electrostatic capacitance between each of the plurality of conductors (31) and the corresponding electrode (11) among the plurality of electrodes (11).

According to this aspect, it is possible to apply the insulated electric wire (3) and generate electric power. Also, according to this aspect, it is possible to increase the electric power generated by the power supply circuit (12).

In the power generation system (10) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the second module (2) has a voltage superimposition unit (21). The voltage superimposition unit (21) superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire (3).

According to this aspect, it is possible to increase the power generated by the first module (1).

In the power generation system (10) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the voltage superimposing unit (21) intermittently superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage.

According to this aspect, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the second module (2).

In the power generation system (10) according to the fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, the voltage superimposition unit (21) superimposes a high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage based on the phase of the commercial power supply voltage.

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress the effect of high-frequency voltage on the load (101).

In the power generation system (10) according to the fifth aspect, in the first aspect, the second module (2) has a switching element (22) and a control circuit (23). The control circuit (23) controls the on/off of the switching element (22) so that the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire (3) becomes a high-frequency voltage.

According to this aspect, it is possible to increase the power generated by the first module (1).

In the power generation system (10) according to the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the control circuit (23) controls the on/off of the switching element (22) based on the phase of the commercial power supply voltage.

According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress the effect of high-frequency voltage on the load (101).

The power generation system (10) according to the seventh aspect is any one of the first to sixth aspects, and further includes a distribution board (4). The distribution board (4) has a plurality of internal devices (40) including a main breaker (41) and one or more branch breakers (42). The plurality of internal devices (40) includes a second module (2).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to superimpose the high-frequency voltage almost evenly on each branch circuit including the branch breaker (42).

The power receiving module (1) according to the eighth aspect is used as the first module (1) in the power generating system (10) according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

According to this aspect, it is possible to apply the insulated electric wire (3) and generate electric power. Also, according to this aspect, it is possible to increase the electric power generated by the power supply circuit (12).

The power supply module (2) of the ninth aspect is used as the second module (2) in the power generation system (10) of any one of the first to seventh aspects.

According to this aspect, it is possible to apply the insulated electric wire (3) and generate electric power. Also, according to this aspect, it is possible to increase the electric power generated by the power supply circuit (12).

The configurations according to the second to seventh aspects are not essential for the power generation system (10) and may be omitted as appropriate.

1. Power receiving module (first module)
2 Power supply module (second module)
Reference Signs List 3: Insulated wire 4: Distribution board 10: Power generation system 11: Electrode 12: Power supply circuit 21: Voltage superimposition unit 22: Switching element 23: Control circuit 31: Conductor 32: Insulator 40: Internal device 41: Main breaker 42: Branch breaker

Claims (9)

a first module attached to an insulated wire including a plurality of conductors and a plurality of insulations respectively covering the plurality of conductors;
a second module connected to the insulated wire and configured to apply a high-frequency voltage, which is a voltage having a frequency higher than a commercial frequency, between the plurality of conductors;
The first module is
A plurality of electrodes arranged to face the plurality of conductors, respectively;
a power supply circuit connected to the plurality of electrodes,
the power supply circuit generates power from electric energy generated by electrostatic capacitance between each of the plurality of conductors and a corresponding one of the plurality of electrodes , based on a voltage including the high-frequency voltage applied between the plurality of conductors.
Electricity generation systems. the second module has a voltage superimposing unit that superimposes the high-frequency voltage on a commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire,
The power generating system of claim 1 . the voltage superimposing unit intermittently superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage.
The power generating system of claim 2 . the voltage superimposing unit superimposes the high-frequency voltage on the commercial power supply voltage based on a phase of the commercial power supply voltage;
4. The power generating system according to claim 2 or 3. The second module is
A switching element;
a control circuit that controls on/off of the switching element so that the commercial power supply voltage applied to the insulated wire becomes the high-frequency voltage.
The power generating system of claim 1 . the control circuit controls the on/off of the switching element based on a phase of the commercial power supply voltage.
The power generating system of claim 5 . A distribution board having a plurality of internal devices including a main breaker and one or more branch breakers,
the plurality of internal devices includes the second module;
The power generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The first module is used in the power generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Power receiving module. The second module is used in the power generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Power supply module.

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