Multi-source energy storage system and energy management and control method

• US 10,056,755 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Li, Fei, Zhu, Pengcheng, Kang, Pengju
• Primary Examiner(s): Skibinski, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/086,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 307 82, 307 43, 180 651, 318 3
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A multi-source energy storage system, it includes a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system, and a second DC/DC converter and controller and a method for supplying power to an electrical load from multiple energy storage systems. The first energy storage system can be coupled to an electrical load. The second DC/DC converter and controller can be coupled between at least one of the following: a second energy storage system and a first energy storage system or electrical load. The controller settings control the first and second energy storage systems and the second DC/DC converter runs in both precharge mode and normal mode. In the precharge mode, the first energy storage system charges the second energy storage system via the second DC/DC converter. In normal mode, the second energy storage is coupled to the electrical load via the second DC/DC converter.

Claims

1. A multi-source energy storage system, comprising:

a first energy storage system selectively coupled to an electric load via a first DC-to-DC converter;

a by-pass coupled to the first energy storage system and the electric load;

a second energy storage system selectively coupled to the first energy storage system and the electric load via a second DC-to-DC converter;

a first switch device coupled between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter;

a second switch device coupled between the second energy storage system and the second DC-to-DC converter; and

a controller configured to operate the multi-source energy storage system in;

a pre-charge mode to pre-charge the second energy storage system with the first energy storage system through the second DC-to-DC converter, wherein the first switch device is opened and the second switch device is closed; and

a normal operation mode to couple the second energy storage system to the electric load via the second DC-to-DC converter, wherein the first switch device and second switch device are closed.

2. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second point between both the first and second DC-to-DC converters and the electric load.

3. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the by-pass comprises a third switch device.

4. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 3, wherein, in the pre-charge mode, the third switch device is closed, and in the normal operation mode, the third switch device is opened.

5. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate an input current of the second DC-to-DC converter based on an output load of the second DC-to-DC converter in the pre-charge mode.

6. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate a bus voltage of the first energy storage system to maintain the bus voltage substantially constant in the normal operation mode.

7. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery and an engine generator.

8. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.

9. The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1, further comprising a third energy storage system selectively coupled to the electric load through a third DC-to-DC converter.

10. A method for operating a multi-source energy storage system, including a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system, a first DC-to-DC converter, a second DC-to-DC converter, a by-pass, a first switch device, and a second switch device, the method comprising:

operating in a pre-charge mode to pre-charge the second energy storage system with the first energy storage system through the second DC-to-DC converter, wherein the first switch device is opened and the second switch device is closed; and

operating in a normal operation mode to couple the second energy storage system to an electric load via the second DC-to-DC converter, wherein the first switch device and second switch device are closed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein operating the multi-source energy storage system in the normal operation mode further comprises powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through the first DC-to-DC converter.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein operating the multi-source energy storage system in the pre-charge mode further comprises powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through the by-pass.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second point between the first DC-to-DC converter and the electric load.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the by-pass comprises a switch device.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising, upon detecting a fault in at least one of the second energy storage system, the first DC-to-DC converter, and the second DC-to-DC converter, powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through the bypass and decoupling the second energy storage system from the electric load.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising regulating an input current of the second DC-to-DC converter based on an output load of the second DC-to-DC converter in the pre-charge mode.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising regulating a bus voltage of the first energy storage system to maintain the bus voltage substantially constant in the normal operation mode.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery and an engine generator, and the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.