Advantages of photovoltaic remote power supply with fibre optics
Remote power supply, also known as remote transmission of power to electronic circuits and devices via fibre optics, offers the solution to a large number of connection-related problem situations. Its main application is the supply of power to sensors, actuators and associated electronic equipment in so-called “exclusion zones”.
For the sake of clarity, an exclusion zone is an area where conventional electrical power cannot be used because it is a hostile environment. A clear example includes those areas where there is an explosive atmosphere, an intense electromagnetic environment or. the unavailability of electrical energy in the place where it is needed, among many other examples.
IS FIBRE OPTIC TELE-ROUTING FEASIBLE?
To answer this question, a group of researchers from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Universidad Carlos III have analysed and published in the journal Joule a review article on remote photovoltaic power supply through optical fibre (“”Beaming power: Photovoltaic laser power converter for power by light””).
The article is part of a collaboration between the two groups, sponsored by the Community of Madrid in the framework of the project ‘Remote photovoltaic fibre optic power supply for measurement and control in extreme environments, TEFLON-CM’, within a call for synergy projects in emerging scientific fields.
As the researchers explain, in a fibre optic photovoltaic power system, “”the light source converts electrical energy (extracted from the conflict-free zone) into light energy, which is transmitted to the photovoltaic converter via the optical fibre. Both the optical fibre and the converter are located in the exclusion zone. The energy is therefore transferred in the form of light and the photovoltaic converter converts the optical power of the fibre-coupled laser directly into electrical energy in the area of use””.
In addition, these systems enable data transmission between the remote unit and the base station via fibre optics.
Other options to power remote systems
There are also other methods of powering remote systems. Some of them are as commonplace as batteries, which are much easier to use. However, they need to be replaced regularly and are expensive (labour, price of new batteries, installation time, etc.). Moreover, replacing batteries indoors can be dangerous, expensive or even impossible. Microwave energy has therefore been tried, but it has proved to be an expensive solution and its effects on health are not yet known.
For the researchers, therefore, the use of a fibre optic remote power system has many advantages over these solutions, including: electrical isolation between the system components on both sides of the fibre, resistance to electromagnetic interference, lighter weight of the fibre compared to copper cables, no batteries and no maintenance, and flexibility in the location of the sensors, as no power sockets are needed in the vicinity.
“Fibre optic photovoltaic remote power systems have countless applications in remote process measurement and control in extreme environments such as power lines, gas plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, mining facilities, aircraft fuel depots, satellites, nuclear power plants, firefighting, biomedicine, etc.,”” the researchers conclude. They indicate that the laser photovoltaic converter may become the most efficient and high-performance photovoltaic device.”
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