As the military collects more experience using solar energy as a man-portable power source, the strengths and weaknesses of existing technologies are becoming clear. While solar power has proven itself as a viable source of power, the existing power managers - the electronics interfacing the solar panels with batteries and other loads - have several weaknesses: excessive weight, significant self-consumption, complicated operation due to unneeded operational flexibility, and fast charge times only at the expense of poor average utilization of panel power. Accordingly, the objective of the present effort is to develop a highly optimized Genasun Power Manager for a specific ubiquitous scenario: to charge a BB-2590 lithium battery from a solar panel of approximately 20W while sharing excess solar power with additional Power Managers and simultaneously powering equipment. Additionally, the Power Manager will provide a 5V USB charging output to enhance soldier quality of life and thereby hasten system acceptance and adoption.
Keywords: Solar Power, Solar Charge Controller, Mppt, Battery Charging, Mobile Power, Energy Efficiency, Energy Harvesting, Scavenging
