WO2022043642A1

WO2022043642A1 - Crank-driven power supply

Info

Publication number: WO2022043642A1
Application number: PCT/GB2020/000102
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tombari GIOKABARI; Peter James MELLING
Original assignee: Giokabari Tombari
Priority date: 2020-08-27
Filing date: 2020-11-26
Publication date: 2022-03-03
Also published as: GB2598354A; GB202013490D0

Abstract

The invention uses charged supercapacitors to store energy in a portable hand held/cranked device to electrically charge connected electronic devices such as mobile phones or tablets. Supercapacitors are charged with energy from one of three sources; a hand cranked electrical generator, integral solar cell array and/or a connection to a local mains supply. The hand cranked electrical generator is a major component in the invention as it converts kinetic energy harvested from a user's hand rotary motion into electrical power which is then electronically regulated by a microcontroller and subsequently converted into a stable power output via an electronic regulator circuit. Power from all three energy sources can be simultaneously applied to the invention. Techniques are employed in the embodiments of the invention to manage supercapacitors condition and charge rates to optimise power transfer efficiency. The invention provides a convenient, environmentally friendly, quick and stable energy source for portable devices.

Description

CRANK-DRIVEN POWER SUPPLY

With an ever-increasing use of smart phones and tablets, there is a natural increase in the demand for electrical power consumption. The more often we use our smart phones and electronic devices, the more often we need energy to charge them.

In 2018, a survey was conducted with nearly 2,000 smartphone owners asking what they really wanted out of a smart phone. Charting the top of the table with 95% was longer battery life. This is considered the most important feature when purchasing a smartphone.

This invention will allow its user the ability to store extra energy and generate power quickly so that it can be used to charge a user’s electronic device anywhere, without the need of a mains supply and at zero purchased energy cost.

What is needed is a portable, reliable energy storage device which can be charged quickly, efficiently and in a safe manner, without the need to connect the device to standard electrical points. This invention meets such a need.

However, current proprietary energy storage chargers utilise Lithium-ion batteries which have adequate capacity but can still take at least 1-2 hours to charge and in some cases 4-5 hours to fully charge from resident mains electricity or convenient 5 Volt supply. There is also safety, natural resources, transport and increasing ‘green’ issues when using Lithium battery-based chargers.

In an attempt to solve above problems, there are several crank-driven charging devices that are currently available on the market but they all follow the same principle. Electricity is generated instantaneously but it immediately stops when rotary motion ceases and little or no storage is provided. As a result, these charging devices can take hours of winding to create a useful, practical charge for a phone or tablet.

To tackle these problems, this invention has at the heart of it, a network of supercapacitors configured to store electric charge generated from either a kinetic energy source, natural radiant sources or conventional electric power. Supercapacitors are specifically chosen for their long life, increasing suitability, robustness, safety and environmental benefits.

The principal energy source in the invention is an integral hand cranked generator which enables electricity to be generated at any time. Highly efficient electronic regulator circuits under microcontroller controls are used to manage charge both into and out of the supercapacitors. The method of controlling charge to and from the supercapacitors is chosen to optimise charge time and maximise power transfer. Once sufficiently charged, energy is converted into a stable power supply that can be used to charge a suitable consumer device. Availability of power from the invention is quick and usable.

One important feature is that under microcontroller management, the invention can dynamically switch charging within the supercapacitor network between different modes of operation. Charge rate current limits are also settable. The result is, improvement in charge cycle time, pre-settable cranking torque and rapid availability of power for the connected device.

A more detail description of the invention now follows, with references to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a high-level block diagram of the whole invention,

Figure 2 shows a visualisation of the physical appearance of the invention,

Figure 3 is an impression of how the supercapacitor bank attaches to the case,

Figure 4 shows how the adjustable hand cranked generator attaches to the case,

Figure 5 shows how an optional mains power adaptor can fit to the invention,

Figure 6 shows the working principle of the invention using electronic regulators,

Figures 7a and 7b show a worked example of typical charge and discharge characteristics,

Figure 8 Capacitors in series and associated components to maximise stored energy, Figure 9 shows the Supercapacitor Bank and its integral controlling elements,

Figure 10 shows how the Supercapacitor Bank integrates with the microcontroller.

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

Referring to Figure 6, the following hypothesis using proven and recognised engineering formulae is provided to show the principle of operation of the invention.

In Figure 6, each of C1, C2, C3 and C4 may be either a single supercapacitor or several supercapacitors connected in parallel. The resultant capacitance of values of C1 to C4 are connected in series to form a capacitance network in the invention. Other embodiments of the invention are not limited to the number of supercapacitors used, or their parallel-series configuration, or their capacitance value, or their working voltage. Supercapacitors C1 to C4 form the core Charge Storage Element (604) in this hypothesis.

In Figure 6, when SW1 (602) is in position A and an appropriate source of electrical power is applied to the invention (601 ), the Input Regulator (102) charges the Charge Storage Element (604) to the maximum allowed voltage, Vc.

When the Charge Storage Element (604) is fully charged and SW1 (602) is changed to position B, the maximum energy held as electrical charge in the Charge Storage Element (604) then becomes available to the constant power Output Regulator (106). This is designed to deliver a stable output voltage into RLOAD (108).

Stored energy in the Charge Storage Element (604) is proportional to (voltage)² hence in this case using four series capacitors to increase the overall working voltage to a higher level as opposed to using just one larger supercapacitor rated at its maximum working voltage, typically 2.7 volts. While four supercapacitors of the same value connected in parallel will store the same energy at 2.7 volts, limited voltage swing to drive an Output Regulator and inefficiencies imposed by the electronic components used as regulators can significantly reduce the discharge time in practical low voltage configurations. The invention therefore uses supercapacitors connected in series.

Excluding component tolerances, the following equations are used in this analysis:-

Equation1.1

Total capacitance value of the Charge Storage Element (604) = C

Where

Equation 1.2

Operating voltage of the Charge Storage Element (604) Vc = VC1 + VC2 + VC3 + VC4

Where VC1 = VC2 = VC3 = VC4 = the maximum permissible working voltage of each capacitor

Equation 1 .3

The time 't₁' to charge the capacitor ‘C’ from a minimum voltage ‘V_min‘ to maximum voltage ‘V_max’ using a constant current source delivering ‘i’ Amps is:

In the invention, a constant current CICV Input Regulator (102) is used to charge the supercapacitor network from V_min to the maximum operating voltage Vmax when SW1 (602) is in the ‘A’ position. It then maintains that voltage level using constant voltage control until SW1 (602) changes to the ‘B’ position at which point, the discharge cycle occurs through the Output Regulator (106).

Equation 1 .4

The stored energy in capacitor ‘C’ when charged to a voltage ‘V’ is: 1/2CV² Joules

Note: 1 Joule = 0.00027778 Watt hours (to 8 decimal places)

Equation 1 .5

The theoretical discharge time t₂ of a capacitor decaying at constant power is defined by the following equation:

Where C is the supercapacitor value in Farads, Vs is the fully charged voltage; Vf is the voltage at which the Output Regulator (106) or Microcontroller (113) ends the discharge cycle, and P is the output power in Watts demanded by the resistive load, R_LOAD (108).

Scenario 1

Where C1 to C4 each equal 1 ,250F at 2.7V maximum working voltage. The series supercapacitor combination is charged from 3.2 volts to 10.8 volts via the Input Regulator (102) at a constant current of 3 Amps. It is then discharged at constant power via the Output Regulator (106) into a 2.5 Watt load, RLOAD (108) back down to 3.2 volts. The minimum voltage of 3.2 volts is the lowest voltage at which the Output Regulator (106) can sustain its output power into the load before turning off.

Using the above equations 1.1 to 1.5:

1.1.1 Total capacitance value (604) = 312.5 Farads

1.2.1 Maximum working voltage - 2.7 Volts x 4 = 10.8 volts

Note minimum operating voltage = 0.8 volts x 4 = 3.2 volts

1.3.1 Charge time

t₁ = 791 sec (13.2 mins)

1.4.1 Stored Energy:

Maximum stored energy = 1/2(312.5 x 10.8²) = 18,225 Joules

Minimum stored energy = 1/2(312.5 x 3.2²) = 1 ,600 Joules

Available energy = 16,625 Joules, or 4.6 Watt hours

1.5.1 Maximum discharge time t2 at constant power load of 2.5 Watts:

Discharge time t₂ =

t₂ = 6,650 sec (110 mins)

Scenario 2 Where C1 to C4 each equal 1 ,250F at 3.8V maximum working voltage. This series supercapacitor combination in this case is charged from 10 volts to 15.2 volts at a constant current of 3 Amps via the Input Regulator (102). It is then discharged via the Output Regulator (106) at constant power into a 2.5 Watt load, RLOAD (108) back down to 10 volts. The minimum voltage of 10 volts is the lowest voltage at which this particular series combination of C1 to C4 will operate without degradation. The minimum operating voltage of each supercapacitor in this case is 2.5 volts and their maximum working voltage is 3.8 volts.

Using the above equations 1.1 to 1.5:

1.1.2 Total capacitance value (604) = 312.5 Farads

1.2.2 Maximum working voltage - 3.8 Volts x 4 = 15.2 volts

Note minimum operating voltage = 2.5 volts x 4 = 10 volts

1.3.2 Charge time

ti = 541 sec (9 mins)

1.4.2 Stored Energy:

Maximum stored energy = 1/2(312.5 x 15.2²) = 36,100 Joules

Minimum stored energy = 1/2(312.5 x 10²) = 15,625 Joules

Available energy = 20,475 Joules, or 5.69 Watt hours

1.5.2 Maximum discharge time t2 at constant power load of 2.5Watts:

Discharge time

t₂ = 8,190 sec (136 mins)

This analysis shows that Scenario 2 is the best option for providing the highest energy density and better charge and discharge time performance. Figure 7a therefore shows the charge time characteristic under constant current for Scenario 2. Linear charging occurs through region (702) until the maximum voltage is achieved at which point, charging method changes to constant fixed voltage charging. Figure 7b is the discharge characteristic for Scenario 2. The product of voltage decay (703) and increasing current (704) is constant when operating the Output Regulator (106) in constant power output mode. In practice, when the voltage drops to approximately 10 volts, the current is at its maximum (705). At this point, charging is no longer viable. The supercapacitors are sufficiently discharged but have theoretically delivered a regulated output for RLOAD (108) for over 8,000 seconds without any further application of source energy.

In the invention, SW1 is replaced by two Electronic Switches (903 & 905) located in the Supercapacitor Module (104) which contains the Supercapacitor Bank (105). These Electronic Switches are controlled by a Microcontroller (113) and have negligible impedance when switched on.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is a handheld device designed to store electrical energy and make it available for charging an externally Connected Device (108) that consumes but not limited to typically 2.5 Watts of power supplied at 5 volts over a period of time. Figure 1 shows a high-level electrical and electronic system diagram of the whole invention. The purpose of the invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

A detachable Energy Cartridge (202) to the Main Body (201) contains the electrical storage components of the invention. Housed in the Energy Cartridge is a Supercapacitor Module (104). It contains the Supercapacitor Bank (105) and the charge management components to sense, monitor and switch charge within the electronic system. The Supercapacitor Module (104) is controlled by a Microcontroller (113) via the Charge Control Interface (111) and connects to an Input Regulator (102) and an Output Regulator (106) that manage transfer of system power.

Energy Cartridges (202) of different capacities can be fitted to the invention. This creates the ability to store more or less energy depending on how the user wishes to use the invention. Embodiments of the Energy Cartridge capacities include (83.3 Farads), medium (150 Farads), and large (312.5 Farads) but capacities are not limited to these three embodiments. The Energy Cartridge can be unclipped from the Main Body (201 ) of the invention and in other embodiments, replaced by an upgraded unit containing different supercapacitor values or configurations to suit the invention’s performance specification.

Although Figure 1 shows only one for simplicity, there may without limitation be more than one Supercapacitor Bank (105) existent inside the Supercapacitor Module (104). For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the Supercapacitor Module (104) may contain two low capacity supercapacitor banks forming a supercapacitor network that operates in a back-to-back ‘dual bank mode’ fashion.

In this mode of operation, one bank can be charged while the other is discharging into the Output Regulator (106) that supplies the Connected Device (108). When the discharge cycle becomes exhausted in one bank, the Microcontroller (113) reverses the switching, and the other charged bank is made available to the Output Regulator (106). The discharged bank will start replenishment at that point. The cycle toggles between banks and so on with the power output to the Connected Device (108) being uninterrupted throughout.

Allowing the Microcontroller (113) to monitor and alternate charge control between two supercapacitor banks will result in charge being made more rapidly available for the Connected Device (108) and with potentially less applied cranking effort and longer availability of charge time.

An embodiment of the physical enclosure design of the invention is illustrated in Figure 2. Other embodiments of the physical enclosure design can exist but the electronic system (Figure 1 ) is unchanged in the invention.

Figure 3 illustrates how the detachable Energy Cartridge (202) is fitted to the Main Body (201). Connection to electronics located in the main body (201) is made with Electrical Contacts (302). The Energy Cartridge (202) is latched into place with a mechanical locking arrangement (301 ).

The invention uses an attachable Generator Unit (401 ) that connects to the Main Body via a latching Electromechanical Arrangement (203). In one embodiment, a permanent magnet brushless DC generator (BLDC Generator) (117) is fitted inside the Generator Unit (401 ). This is the primary source of energy to power the invention and capable of supplying appropriate charge current at a maximum voltage of 24 volts. The user cranks the Lever

(403) with the Handle (402) and their rotational kinetic energy is converted to electrical power by the BLDC Generator (117). Power generated by this action is rectified by a 3-phase Bridge Rectifier (118) into a suitable DC voltage and fed through the Input Manager (101 ) into the Input Regulator (102) which charges the supercapacitors in the invention. The Input Manager circuitry arbitrates between energy sources and enables the most appropriate source to supply the invention with power.

A lever arrangement (402 and 403) is mechanically connected to a gearbox inside the Generator Unit (401 ) and coupled through gears to increase the angular velocity of the rotor in the BLDC Generator (117). Gearbox ratio is chosen to optimise the output power of the BLDC generator when cranking the handle at 150 revolutions per minute. To assist the user during cranking, the invention incorporates a variable length arm for the crank. This can be adjusted

(404) by the user to match their anthropometries and applied cranking torque.

Further ease of use is achieved by the Microcontroller (113) electronically limiting input current in discrete steps and hence controlled limiting of the torque a user applies to the Generator Unit (401 ). This programmable torque control of the hand cranked Generator (117) is one embodiment of the invention. The Microcontroller (113) switches in pre-set levels of current limit in the Input Regulator (102) to restrict current drawn from the BLDC Generator, hence torque control. Levels are set by firmware during a set up mode and stored in non-volatile memory within the microcontroller (113).

An integrated Solar Array (103) located in the upper surface of the Main Body (201) provides supplementary low-level electrical power to charge the invention when placed under sufficient light. At any time in good sunlight conditions, the invention should be capable of generating power to fully charge an energy cartridge of 83 Farads in as little as 3 hours without any user intervention.

The invention may also receive power from an ancillary AC- DC Adaptor (119) that can be optionally plugged into a Socket (502) located on the Generator Unit (401 ) using Plug (501 ). A LED Indicator (503) acknowledges a connection to local mains power which enables rapid charging when available.

The trickle charge from the Solar Array (103) will always be available to add supplementary charge to the Supercapacitor Bank (105) at a small rate compared to the much higher power generated by either hand cranking the BLDC Generator (117) or supplied by the mains powered AC-DC Adaptor (119).

The Main Body (201 ) of the invention is a plastic enclosure designed to be water and dust resistant to the recognised IP65 ingress specification. With the exception of the detachable Energy Cartridge (202); the Generator Unit (401) and the Connected Device (108), the entire electronic system depicted in Figure 1 is housed in the Main Body (201 ) of the invention.

Figure 8 shows how the supercapacitors are connected to create a Supercapacitor Bank (105). This is formed by connecting ‘n’ supercapacitors (802) in series (C1 + C2 + . Cn). Several supercapacitors may further be connected in a parallel-series configuration to create sufficient capacitance and increase the working voltage of the Supercapacitor Bank. The combined capacitance (803) is used to store charge in the invention. When charged to within a workable voltage range (VCAP), electrical energy is switched to the Output Regulator (106) via switch (905).

In a typical embodiment of the invention, n = 4 for four supercapacitors connected in series where each series supercapacitor may comprise of one or more additional supercapacitors connected in parallel. To overcome the imbalance of tolerance and leakage variations between series connected supercapacitors, active electronic Balancing Circuits (801 ) are introduced. Balancing keeps the voltage (V1 , V2 .... Vn) across each Supercapacitor (802) within specification and avoids premature component failure caused by ageing and out of specification voltage excursions throughout the operating temperature range.

The Supercapacitor Bank (105) also contains circuitry (804) to monitor and protect against under-voltage and overvoltage conditions that might degrade the supercapacitors in the event of a system failure. Status and control of this circuitry (804) can be overridden by the Microcontroller (113) via the Charge Control Interface (111 ). Temperature monitoring (807) and Supercapacitor Bank size and type (806) sensors provide decision information to the firmware of the Microcontroller (113).

Figure 9 is a schematic of the Supercapacitor Module (104). Input charge flowing into the supercapacitor bank (105) is controlled by the electronic Switch A (903). The discharge cycle is enabled by electronic Switch B (905). Control of Switch A (903) and Switch B (905) is normally mutually exclusive such that both switches cannot be on at the same time although in other embodiments, this may be over ridden in enhanced operating modes.

With Switch A (903) closed, the charge cycle takes place when input energy is applied to the invention and Switch B (905) is set to open. Conversely, when the microcontroller senses that sufficient charge exists, it will open Switch A (903) and close Switch B (905). The Output Regulator (106) then operates to provide a stabilised voltage supply to the Connected Device (108) throughout significant voltage excursions of the discharge cycle of the supercapacitors. The resulting discharge time is illustrated throughout the operating voltage region shown in Figure 7b.

Included within the Supercapacitor Module (104) are circuits to enable the microcontroller to manage the functionality of the invention. Circuit D (907) causes the Supercapacitor Bank (105) to gracefully discharge (DisCAP) under storage, disconnection or fault conditions. An analogue Sensor Circuit C (906) measures the voltage level (CAPgood) of the supercapacitor bank and is used to control Switch B (905).

To ensure the voltage on the supercapacitors is kept within working limits, under-voltage and over-voltage monitoring hardware (804) will automatically isolate the Supercapacitor Bank (105) by turning the isolation switch (805) off until charge is reapplied. The Microcontroller (113) tracks this via the ‘CTRL’ signal and can override the hardware putting the invention into a ‘hibernate’ mode until charge is applied by the user.

A circuit in the Supercapacitor Bank (105) senses what size and type (CAP type) of detachable Energy Cartridge (202) is connected to the Main Body (201). The firmware in the Microcontroller (113) will recognise the Energy Cartridge (206) type and uses these signals to make charge control decisions. The invention incorporates two electronic circuits configured as regulators. The regulator circuits are used to set the voltage and current levels of the charging and discharging cycles of the Supercapacitor Module (104).

The Input Regulator (102) circuit contains ‘step-down’ functionality and converts power from the energy source providing controlled charge to the Supercapacitor Bank (105) during the charging cycle. It is operated in a ‘constant current - constant voltage’ mode to charge the supercapacitors in the most efficient manner as long as sufficient power is applied to the invention. Constant current charging technique used by the Input Regulator

(102) minimises capacitor charging time compared to exponentially charging the supercapacitors, so the invention has adopted a constant-current, constant-voltage (CICV) method of charging the Supercapacitor Bank (105).

Schottky Diode (902) protects the Input Regulator (102) from reverse voltage damage while Schottky Diode (904) provide an OR function for charging with the solar array

(103).

When the Supercapacitor Bank (105) is fully charged, the Input Regulator (102) automatically switches to a constant voltage mode to maintain the maximum working peak voltage on the Supercapacitor Bank (105) under no-load conditions. This characteristic is illustrated in Figure 7a. In this condition, the Supercapacitor Bank (105) is fully charged (ref 702).

During the charge cycle, the Microcontroller (113) monitors supercapacitor charge and decides at which level the output can be switched on or if charging is still required. Status and Control (114) of the Input Regulator is handled by the Microcontroller.

The Output Regulator (106) circuit with ‘step-up-step-down’ functionality converts charge stored in the Supercapacitor Bank (105) to a stable voltage during the discharge cycle. The Output Regulator (106) is configured in a constant power mode to deliver power into a Connected Device (108) with a regulated output voltage of 5 volts. In one embodiment of the invention, the power output is, but not limited to, 2.5 Watts. The Output Regulator (106) is configured to maintain a stable output throughout the entire window of the decay cycle of the Supercapacitor Bank (105) whether or not the Supercapacitor Bank is being charged or not. This is illustrated across the ‘step-up’ and ‘stepdown’ regions on Figure 7b. The point at which the Output Regulator (106) ceases to regulate electronically is determined by the electronic design and at that point, the output will switch off and await further charging of the invention from the power source (103, 117 or 119). Status and Control (114) of the Output Regulator is handled by the Microcontroller (113).

An Input Manager circuit (101 ) acts as an OR function such that the power source can come from either the Generator Unit (401 ) or an AC mains powered AC-DC Adaptor (502). The resulting power is then made available to the Input Regulator (102).

In practice, switching losses and component power dissipation will reduce the efficiency of the invention with maximum losses of around 8% being anticipated.

The user may choose to apply effort to crank the BLDC Generator (117) at any point during the discharge cycle. This will immediately start to top-up the charge because it is constantly being managed by the Microcontroller (113). Figure 10 illustrates that a microcontroller (113) is fundamental to the invention because it monitors the charge status of the supercapacitor bank (105), manages both regulators (102 and 106) and controls the supercapacitor module (104).

A decision is made by firmware when to charge the supercapacitor module (104), or maintain the power output to the charge device (108). It will occur when sufficient accumulated charge in the Supercapacitor Bank (105) can provide output power for a period of several minutes and still have the ability to be topped up. This period of time facilitates charge accumulation and enables a useful amount of power to the Connected Device (108). The point to start charging the connected device (108) is set by the firmware in the microcontroller (113).

A Control Bus (111 ) acts as a ‘Charge Control Interface' and is provided to both connect the detachable Energy Cartridge (206) to the Main Body (207) and be an expansion bus for future enhancements or implementing the ‘dual bank’ functionality. Ambient and supercapacitor temperature sensing to protect the invention in extreme environments is transmitted over this Control Bus (111 ). Integral within the Main Body (201 ) is a liquid crystal display (LCD Screen) (109) that alerts the user of the charge condition of the Supercapacitor Module (104) and other status messages. An on/off Button (204) on the Control Switches interface panel (115) activates the invention and issues an audio alert. It also duplicates to invoke a selfdiagnostic function. Power output from the invention to the Connected Device (108) is made via a USB Interface (107) that also enables diagnostic control of firmware in the invention from an associated software App.

An internal Auxiliary Power Supply (116) provides standby power for the electronics in the invention and needs minimal charge from any one of the energy sources to initiate the Microcontroller (113) when an energy source is present and the invention requires to be controlled. That power is held in a separate circuit to the Supercapacitor Bank (105) and can be maintained for a considerable period of time. It is topped up by any of the three energy sources applied to the invention.

The Microcontroller (113) is a very low power device and is capable of wake-up calls from energy applied to the invention. The microcontroller (113) and its associated electronics are booted up immediately when power is applied to the invention and presents the invention’s current status on the LCD Display (109). A reset facility is included for the microcontroller (113) enabling a cold-start of the controlling firmware from a zero-charge condition.

A Flash Interface (112) is provided for firmware updates and can be programmed via the USB Charging Connector (107) using special commands from a software App. Diagnostic status and setup of the invention is also available via this USB Charging Connector (107). Spare non-volatile memory in the Microcontroller (113) is used to store charge cycle data and customisation, and firmware algorithms can make use of this information to shape charging profiles of the user.

While the present invention has been described in generic terms, those skilled in the art will recognise that the present invention is not limited to the cases described, but can be practised with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The Description and Figures are thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting.

Claims

CLAIMS Apparatus and method of providing electrical charging power to at least one portable battery-operated device using mainly harvested kinetic energy where: the apparatus consists of a means of generating electrical energy and a method of managing and storing said electrical energy in supercapacitors to provide electrical charging for an externally connected device; an input mechanism that is the source of electrical energy; primary electronic regulator circuitry that manages said electrical energy used to charge supercapacitors configured as a reservoir to hold said electrical energy; a secondary electronic regulator circuitry converting said electrical energy by discharging supercapacitors into stable output power sufficient to charge a connected device; microcontroller control and associated electronic circuitry to manage the energy conversion and transfer process in an efficient, safe and timely manner; a method using software functionality to optimise the charging and discharging cycles of said supercapacitors to a point where stored energy can be retained for future use or made immediately available to achieve the desired output power from the apparatus. Apparatus and method as in claim 1 , wherein the input mechanism is based on but not limited to a cranked DC voltage generator; an electrical solar array, a mains electric power supply, or a hybridised combination of those energy sources. Apparatus and method as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said supercapacitors connected in series configuration to form a supercapacitor bank having sufficient working voltage and charge capacity to store the desired electrical energy. Apparatus and method as in claim 3, further comprising a plurality of said supercapacitor bank connected in parallel configuration forming a supercapacitor module having sufficient working voltage and charge capacity to store the desired electrical energy. Apparatus and method as in claim 3, including without limitation two supercapacitor banks charged alternately in a manner that one supercapacitor bank receives charge from the input mechanism while the other supercapacitor bank supplies the power demand of the connected device. Apparatus and method as in Claim 5 consisting of a microcontroller which controls the energy supply to the supercapacitor banks enabling energy supply to toggle backward and forward, charging and discharging alternately but sustaining availability of power to the connected device without disruption. Apparatus and method as in claim 4, wherein the supercapacitor module is an embodiment of the apparatus including without limitation two supercapacitor banks that are charged in sequence such that when one supercapacitor bank has received its desired charge, charging is invoked in the next sequential supercapacitor bank, and so on. Apparatus and method according to claim 7, in which under microcontroller control, the supercapacitor banks will be switched on and off in sequence, charging and discharging sequentially adopting a ‘bucket brigade principle’ while sustaining power to the connected device without disruption. Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, wherein the means of controlling the rate of charge of the supercapacitor bank includes a technique in electronic circuitry to limit the magnitude of constant charge current. Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, wherein the control of the user’s applied torque is limited when the input mechanism in the cranked DC voltage generator is achieved by microcontroller controlling the maximum constant current and in turn charge rate by selection of components in the electronic circuitry. Apparatus and method as in claim 3, wherein charge rate of the supercapacitor bank is achieved by microcontroller limiting the maximum charging current level by its selection of components in the electronic circuitry. Apparatus and method as in claim 10, further comprising electronic regulator circuitry in discrete or integrated form configured in a constant current/constant voltage mode with current limit and maximum output voltage functionality set to match the said supercapacitor bank. Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, wherein the means of releasing energy from the supercapacitor bank makes use of a constant power discharging technique that is controlled by microcontroller thus maintaining a stable electrical supply to charge the connected device and meeting the desired performance specification of the apparatus. 4. Apparatus and method as in claim 12, further comprising electronic regulator circuitry in discrete or integrated form configured as a constant power regulator with a programmable fixed output voltage maintaining significant voltage discharge excursions throughout the said supercapacitor bank. 5. Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, wherein the electronic circuitry is controlled by a microcontroller firmware including but not limited to charge/discharge characteristics, power management, enablement of output to charge the connected device, user notifications, set up and safety functions. 6. Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, where the connected device which may be a mobile phone, mobile tablet, media player, electrical equipment and/or other personal and/or domestic and/or consumer device requires a means to recharge its battery. /.Apparatus and method as in any previous claim, where components of the entire apparatus are mounted in a hand-held enclosure or similar physical device.