In a previous blog post, I provided a number of Energy Harvesting example designs that could be modeled and simulated in PartQuest Explore. These included electrodynamic, thermal and solar energy harvesting for Industrial IoT and Automotive applications. Subsequent to that posting, we added a rich new capability to PartQuest Explore, "Live Designs".

Solar energy systems for residential use are typically limited by code to 600V, but commercial installations can operate at higher voltages. This opens the door to more efficient energy utilization. Achieving that efficiency has been made easier with the introduction of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Devices from Rohm Semiconductor. These components offer significant performance advantages over their Silicon (Si) counterparts.

Solar Panel Load Current vs. Voltage at different irradiance levels

Performing a web search for "fuel cell model" returns an encouraging number of hits, but further investigation often results in models that aren't that useful. The model presented here is a free, open, online execution model written in VHDL-AMS. The model can be used to fit available polarization curves, so that a commercial fuel cell can be modeled without knowing the details of how it is constructed. Finally, the model can be used in arbitrary SystemVision circuit schematics, available free and online on www.SystemVision.com.

Download Energy Harvesting datasheet