Patent ID: 7068017

Claim:
In a system for supplying electrical energy to a load from a direct electrical energy converter, an arrangement for optimizing converter power generation efficiency comprising: an impedance transformation circuit coupled between the energy converter and load including a power switch operative in a first state to conduct current from the energy converter to the load and operative in a second state to inhibit energy converter current from reaching the load; an energy converter output current sensor coupled to the energy converter; an energy converter output voltage sensor coupled to the energy converter; a load current sensor coupled to the load; a load voltage sensor coupled to the load; and a controller coupled to each of the sensors and the power switch, the controller operative to place the power switch in its first and second state in accordance with a desired duty cycle based on a signal from each of the sensors so as to maximize power delivered to the load, and wherein a polarity of the energy converter current delivered to the load is dependent on a product of energy efficiency of the energy converter and power transfer efficiency from the energy converter.