Method of charge utilization from an ultra-capacitor

• US 10,618,480 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Duty, Mark J, King, Daniel R
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Joel
• Application Number:
  US15/840,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20190176728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

A method of utilizing charge from an ultra-capacitor in a vehicle electrical system having a voltage bus and having one or more voltage tolerant devices, includes when one of the voltage tolerant devices is turned on, electrically isolating that voltage tolerant device from the voltage bus, electrically isolating the ultra-capacitor from the voltage bus and electrically coupling the voltage tolerant device directly to the ultra-capacitor. In an aspect, the method includes electrically isolating the voltage tolerant device and the ultra-capacitor from the voltage bus and electrically coupling the voltage tolerant device directly to the ultra-capacitor when the ultra-capacitor has discharged to a nominal depletion voltage level.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing charge from an ultra-capacitor in a vehicle electrical system having a voltage bus and having one or more voltage tolerant devices, comprising:

when one of the voltage tolerant devices is turned on, electrically isolating that voltage tolerant device from the voltage bus, electrically isolating the ultra-capacitor from the voltage bus, electrically coupling the voltage tolerant device directly to the ultra-capacitor, and powering the voltage tolerant device directly from the ultra-capacitor including after the ultra-capacitor has discharged below a nominal voltage of the voltage bus.

2. The method of claim 1 further including waiting until the ultra-capacitor has discharged to a nominal depletion voltage level to electrically isolate the voltage tolerant device and the ultra-capacitor from the voltage bus and electrically couple the voltage tolerant device directly to the ultra-capacitor and when the ultra-capacitor has discharged to the nominal depletion level, then electrically isolating the voltage tolerant device and the ultra-capacitor from the voltage bus and electrically coupling the voltage tolerant device directly to the ultra-capacitor.

3. The method of claim 1 including powering the voltage tolerant device directly from the ultra-capacitor until the ultra-capacitor has discharged to a minimum operating voltage level of the voltage tolerant device and once the ultra-capacitor has discharged to the minimum operating voltage level of the voltage tolerant device, then electrically re-coupling the voltage tolerant device to the voltage bus.