Elevator system having battery and energy storage device

• US 10,343,872 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Otis Elevator Company (Otis Worldwide Corp.)
• Inventors: Agirman, Ismail, Mezzadri, Carlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Salata, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US14/888,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20160083220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 187247, 187289, 187290, 187293, 187296, 187391, 187393, 307 66, 307 68, 318139, 318799-815
• CPC Class Codes: B66B 1/302 for energy saving
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/30 Nickel accumulators H01M10/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/00 Batteries for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2207/05 Synchronous machines, e.g. with permanent magnets or DC excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/12 by short-circuit or resistive braking
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/14 by regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 50/00 Energy efficient technologies in elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system for an elevator includes at least one battery and an energy exchanger coupled to the at least one battery and configured to let a DC bus float between a first voltage and a second voltage. An energy storage device is coupled to the energy exchanger. The energy storage device is configured to recapture energy that is not recaptured by the at least one battery during a run of the elevator. The energy storage device is also configured to provide energy to the elevator when demand for energy by the elevator exceeds a threshold.

Claims

1. A system for an elevator, comprising:

at least one battery; and

an energy exchanger coupled to the at least one battery;

an energy storage device coupled to the energy exchanger;

wherein the energy storage device is configured to recapture energy that is not recaptured by the at least one battery during regenerative operation of the elevator, and

wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide energy to the elevator when demand for energy by the elevator exceeds a threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one battery comprises a first battery coupled to a second battery, and wherein the first and second batteries are center grounded.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one of:

a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, and an ultra-capacitor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the energy storage device comprises an ultra-capacitor,

wherein the ultra-capacitor is configured to supply substantially all the power required by a drive-motor of the elevator,

wherein the ultra-capacitor is configured to recapture substantially all the power generated by the elevator during regenerative operation of the elevator.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a charger coupled to the at least one battery,

wherein the charger is configured to charge the at least one battery.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a rectifier circuit coupled to the ultra-capacitor,

wherein the rectifier circuit, in combination with the energy exchanger, charges the at least one battery.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one of a photovoltaic panel and a wind generator coupled to the energy exchanger.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a power diode having an anode coupled to a positive terminal of the at least one battery and a cathode coupled to a DC link connected to the ultra-capacitor.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second energy exchanger coupled to the energy exchanger,

wherein the energy exchanger and the second energy exchanger are arranged in a cascade architecture, and

wherein at least one of the at least one battery and an ultra-capacitor resides in between the energy exchanger and the second energy exchanger in the cascade architecture.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy exchanger comprises a plurality of inputs, and wherein a first of the plurality of inputs is coupled to the at least one battery, and wherein a second of the plurality of inputs is coupled to an ultra-capacitor.