Automated robotic battery tug

• US 10,272,567 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2015
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluence Energy LLC (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AES Corporation
• Inventors: Shelton, John C., Galura, Brett, Geinzer, Jay, Jefferson, Isaiah, Peruse, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US14/721,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A method of selecting and connecting power subsystems, the method including: locating, by a mobile robot including a processor and a motor, at least one of a first storage subsystem, a first power subsystem, or a first control subsystem; attaching, by the mobile robot, to the at least one of the first storage subsystem, the first power subsystem, or the first control subsystem; moving, by the mobile robot, the at least one of the first storage subsystem, the first power subsystem, or the first control subsystem to another location; and connecting, by the mobile robot, the at least one of the first storage subsystem, the first power subsystem, or the first control subsystem to at least one of a second storage subsystem, a second power subsystem, or a second control subsystem located at the other location.

Claims

1. A method of selecting and connecting power subsystems, the method comprising:

locating, by a mobile robot including a processor and a motor, at least one first storage subsystem that includes one or more batteries and a second processor that is configured to control charging and discharging of at least one battery among the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more batteries are configured to supply power to a power grid that is external to the at least one first storage subsystem;

attaching, by the mobile robot, to the at least one first storage subsystem;

moving, by the mobile robot, the at least one first storage subsystem to another location; and

connecting, by the mobile robot, the at least one first storage subsystem, to at least one of a second storage subsystem, a second power subsystem, or a second control subsystem located at the other location,

wherein the second storage subsystem includes one or more batteries, and a third processor that is configured to control charging and discharging of at least one battery among the one or more batteries of the second storage subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first storage subsystem to be connected to the second storage subsystem located at the other location by the mobile robot in order to achieve a collective battery characteristic for the one or more batteries of the first storage subsystem and the one or more batteries of the second storage subsystem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first power subsystem is configured to be connected to a power line, and the first power subsystem includes a power converter which is configured to convert AC power to DC power when the at least one battery of the first storage subsystem is being charged, and is configured to convert DC power to AC power when the at least one battery of the first storage subsystem is being discharged, and

a first control subsystem is configured to be connected to the first storage subsystem and is configured to be connected to the first power subsystem, the first control subsystem includes a fourth processor, and the fourth processor is configured to control transferring of power between the first storage subsystem and the first power subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage subsystem is held in a container.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the container is a storage rack.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage subsystem includes at least two batteries.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage subsystem has a casing that includes the one or more batteries and the second processor.

8. A power system, comprising:

a storage subsystem having a casing that includes;

a) one or more batteries configured to supply power to a power grid that is external to the storage subsystem, and

b) a processor that is configured to control charging and discharging of at least one battery among the one or more batteries; and

a mobile robot that includes a second processor, a motor, and a battery, and the mobile robot is configured to connect, remove, replace, or configure at least one of the one or more batteries in the storage subsystem.

9. The power system of claim 8, further comprising:

a power subsystem configured to be connected to a power line, and the power subsystem includes a power converter which is configured to convert AC power to DC power when the at least one battery is being charged, and is configured to convert DC power to AC power when at least one battery of the one or more batteries is being discharged; and

a control subsystem configured to be connected to the storage subsystem and configured to be connected to the power subsystem, the control subsystem includes a third processor, and the third processor is configured to control transferring of power between the storage subsystem and the power subsystem,

wherein the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, and the control subsystem are located at a first location.

10. The power system of claim 9, wherein the mobile robot is configured to:

locate at least one of a storage subsystem, a power subsystem, or a control subsystem from a different location than the first location,

attach to the at least one of the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem at the different location, and

move the at least one of the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem to the first location.

11. The power system of claim 9, wherein the mobile robot is configured to:

locate at least one of the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem at the first location,

attach to the at least one of the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem at the first location, and

remove the at least one of the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem from the first location.

12. The power system of claim 11, wherein the mobile robot is further configured to move the removed storage subsystem, the power subsystem, or the control subsystem to a location different from the first location.

13. The power system of claim 12, wherein the first location is a container configured to hold the storage subsystem, the power subsystem, and the control subsystem.

14. The power system of claim 8, wherein the mobile robot is configured to move the storage subsystem.

15. The power system of claim 8, wherein the storage subsystem includes at least two batteries.

16. A method of selecting and connecting power subsystems, the method comprising:

locating, by a mobile robot including a first processor and a motor, a first storage subsystem having a second processor configured to control transfer of power to/from the first storage subsystem;

attaching, by the mobile robot, to the first storage subsystem;

moving, by the mobile robot, the first storage subsystem to another location;

connecting, by the mobile robot, the first storage subsystem to a second storage subsystem having a third processor configured to control transfer of power to/from the second storage subsystem and located at the other location; and

selecting the first storage subsystem to be connected to the second storage subsystem located at the other location by the mobile robot in order to achieve a collective battery characteristic for one or more batteries of the first storage subsystem and one or more batteries of the second storage subsystem.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first storage subsystem includes at least two batteries.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first storage subsystem has a casing that includes the one or more batteries and a second processor.

19. A method of selecting and connecting power subsystems, the method comprising:

locating, by a mobile robot including a processor and a motor, at least one first storage subsystem that includes one or more batteries and a second processor that is configured to control charging and discharging of at least one battery among the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more batteries are configured to supply power to a power grid;

attaching, by the mobile robot, to the at least one first storage subsystem;

moving, by the mobile robot, the at least one first storage subsystem to another location; and

connecting, by the mobile robot, the at least one first storage subsystem, to at least one of a second storage subsystem, a second power subsystem, or a second control subsystem located at the other location,

wherein the second storage subsystem includes one or more batteries, and a third processor that is configured to control charging and discharging of at least one battery among the one or more batteries of the second storage subsystem, and

wherein a first power subsystem is configured to be connected to a power line, and the first power subsystem includes a power converter which is configured to convert AC power to DC power when the at least one battery of the first storage subsystem is being charged, and is configured to convert DC power to AC power when the at least one battery of the first storage subsystem is being discharged.