Storage battery equipment

• US 10,084,314 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Toan
• Application Number:
  US14/874,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20160126741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 307 82
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/46 Controlling of the sharing of output between the generators, converters, or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/14 District level solutions, i.e. local energy networks

Abstract

A storage battery equipment includes a converter, a system interconnection inverter, and a controller. The converter extracts direct current power from a storage battery, then converts a voltage of the direct current power and outputs the direct current power. The system interconnection inverter converts the direct current power outputted from the converter into an alternating current power. The controller controls the system interconnection inverter such that an amount of power output from the system interconnection inverter to a load matches a preset target discharge amount.

Claims

1. A storage battery equipment for supplying electric power stored in a plurality of storage batteries to a building, comprising:

a plurality of converters that extract direct current power from the storage batteries, convert a voltage of the direct current power, and output the direct current power;

an inverter that converts the direct current power outputted from the converters into an alternating current power, and supplies the alternating current power to the building; and

a controller that includes;

a high level controller that controls the inverter such that an amount of power outputted from the inverter to the building matches a preset target discharge amount, and

a plurality of low level controllers that control operation of the converters, the low level controllers corresponding to respective ones of the storage batteries, wherein

the low level controllers are configured to control the converters by managing a directionality of power passing through the converters, without controlling a value of power passing through the converters to match a particular target value,

one of the lower level controllers is a master controller, and

only the master controller among the lower level controllers is configured to communicate with the high level controller.

2. The storage battery equipment of claim 1, wherein

the controller sets the target discharge amount each time a predetermined calculation period elapses, and

the controller sets a subsequent one of the target discharge amount based on an amount of power stored in the storage battery when the predetermined calculation period elapses.

3. The storage battery equipment of claim 1, wherein

the inverter is configured to receive power from an external source, and

the controller controls the inverter during a charging operation, in which the power received from the external source is used to charge the storage battery, such that an amount of power drawn by the inverter from the external source matches a preset target charge amount.

4. The storage battery equipment of claim 3, wherein

the controller sets the target charge amount each time a predetermined calculation period elapses, and

the controller sets a subsequent one of the target charge amount based on an amount of power stored in the storage battery when the predetermined calculation period elapses.

5. The storage battery equipment of claim 1, wherein

the storage battery and the converter include a plurality of sets of storage batteries and converters.