| Abstract |
A Wearable Power System (WPS) is a portable power source utilized primarily to power the modern soldier’s electronic
equipment. Such a system has to satisfy output power demands in the range of 20 W...200 W, specified as a 4-day mission profile and has a weight limit of 4 kg. To meet these demands, an optimization of a WPS, comprising an internal combustion (IC) engine, permanent magnetic three-phase electrical motor/generator, inverter, Li-batteries, DC-DC converters,
and controller, is performed in this paper. The mechanical energy extracted from the fuel by IC engine is transferred
to the generator that is used to recharge the battery and provide the power to the electrical output load. The main
objectives are to select the engine, fuel and battery type, to match the weight of fuel and the number of battery cells, to
find the optimal working point of engine and to minimize the system weight. To provide the second output voltage level
of 14 VDC, a separate DC-DC converter is connected between the battery and the load, and optimized for the specified
mission profile. A prototype of the WPS based on the optimization presented in the paper results in a total system weight
of 3.9 kg and fulfils the mission profile. |
