Charge management system

• US 10,644,523 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindsay, Bruce J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US16/272,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20190190295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 320128, 320134, 320135, 320159, 320164
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/56 using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/00 Emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltage without disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/002 limiting inrush current on switching on of inductive loads subjected to remanence, e.g. transformers
• 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: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

A charge management system including a power distribution bus circuit for distributing energy from a power source to a load, and an intermediate energy storage circuit operably connected to a power distribution bus circuit for aiding in distribution of energy to the load. A charge management system controller may be configured to control the discharge of energy between the intermediate storage circuit and the power distribution bus circuit during one or more modes. Such a charge management system may enable the power distribution bus circuit to receive energy from the intermediate energy storage circuit before the power bus voltage drops in response to load demand, which may enable the power source to respond to perturbations in the power bus voltage and minimize inrush current from the power source. The system also may be used to soft-start high-power equipment, or absorb energy spikes associated with shut-down.

Claims

1. A method of operating a charge management system for distributing power from a power source to a load, comprising:

(i) providing the charge management system, wherein the charge management system comprises a power distribution bus circuit operably connected to the power source and the load, and an intermediate energy storage circuit operably connected to the power distribution bus circuit, wherein the power distribution bus circuit includes at least one power relay switch that operably connects the power source to the load when activated, and operably disconnects the power source from the load when deactivated;

(ii) charging at least one energy storage capacitor in the intermediate energy storage circuit;

(iii) activating a discharge switch to operably connect the at least one energy storage capacitor to at least one power bus capacitor in the power distribution bus circuit while the at least one power relay switch is deactivated, thereby discharging at least some energy stored in the energy storage capacitor to charge the at least one power bus capacitor;

(iv) deactivating the discharge switch to operably disconnect the at least one energy storage capacitor from the at least one power bus capacitor; and

(v) determining whether voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is within a predetermined range;

wherein, when voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is not within the predetermined range during the determining, then repeating steps (i) through (iv); and

wherein, when voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is within the predetermined range during the determining, then activating the at least one power relay switch to operably connect the power source to the load.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deactivating the discharge switch is based upon a determination that the at least one energy storage capacitor and the at least one power bus capacitor are within a predetermined range.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor is charged by activating an energy storage capacitor charge switch to operably connect the at least one energy storage capacitor to at least one energy source that is different from the power source.

4. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the charging the at least one energy storage capacitor includes charging to a predetermined level;

and

after charging the at least one energy storage capacitor to the predetermined level, deactivating the energy storage capacitor charge switch to operably disconnect the at least one energy storage capacitor from the at least one energy source.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one energy source is operably coupled to the power source to receive energy from the power source.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein activation of the at least one power relay switch operably connects the at least one power bus capacitor to the power source thereby reducing inrush current from the power source to the load.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor is charged by activating an energy storage capacitor charge switch to operably connect the at least one energy storage capacitor to at least one energy source that is different from the power source;

and

wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor charge switch and the at least one power relay switch are operable independently of each other.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor includes a first energy storage capacitor, a second energy storage capacitor, and a third energy storage capacitor, the second and third energy storage capacitors being operably connected in series with each other, and the first energy storage capacitor being operably connected in parallel with the second and third energy storage capacitors.

9. A charge management system for distributing power from a power source to a load, the charge management system comprising:

a power distribution bus circuit configured to be operably connected to the power source and the load, the power distribution bus circuit having at least one power bus capacitor and at least one power relay switch, the at least one power relay switch being configured to operably connect the power source to the load when activated, and to operably disconnect the power source from the load when deactivated;

an intermediate energy storage circuit configured to be operably coupled to at least one energy source, the intermediate energy storage circuit being operably connected to the power distribution bus circuit, the intermediate energy storage circuit having at least one energy storage capacitor, and at least one discharge switch configured to operably connect or disconnect the at least one energy storage capacitor to or from the at least one power bus capacitor of the power distribution bus circuit; and

a controller operably connected to the power bus distribution circuit and the intermediate energy storage circuit;

wherein, the controller is configured to;

(i) activate an energy storage capacitor charge switch to operably connect the at least one energy storage capacitor to the at least one energy source, thereby enabling charging of the at least one energy storage capacitor;

(ii) activate a discharge switch to operably connect the at least one energy storage capacitor to the at least one power bus capacitor while the at least one power relay switch is deactivated, thereby enabling discharging of at least some energy stored in the energy storage capacitor to charge the at least one power bus capacitor;

(iii) deactivate the discharge switch to operably disconnect the at least one energy storage capacitor from the at least one power bus capacitor; and

(iv) determine whether the voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is within a predetermined range, such that, (a) based upon a determination that the voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is not within the predetermined range, the controller is configured to repeat steps (i) through (iv), and (b) based upon a determination that the voltage across the at least one power bus capacitor is within the predetermined range during the determining, the controller is configured to activate the at least one power relay switch of the power bus distribution circuit to operably connect the power source to the load.

10. The charge management system according to claim 9, wherein the deactivating the discharge switch is based upon a determination that the at least one energy storage capacitor and the at least one power bus capacitor are within a predetermined range.

11. The charge management system according to claim 9,

wherein the charging the at least one energy storage capacitor includes charging to a predetermined level;

and

after charging the at least one energy storage capacitor to the predetermined level, the controller is configured to deactivate the energy storage capacitor charge switch to operably disconnect the at least one energy storage capacitor from the at least one energy source.

12. The charge management system according to claim 9 in combination with the at least one energy source and the power source wherein the at least one energy source is different from the power source.

13. The charge management system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one energy source is operably coupled to the power source to receive energy from the power source.

14. The charge management system according to claim 9, wherein activation of the at least one power relay switch operably connects the at least one power bus capacitor to the power source to thereby reduce inrush current from the power source to the load.

15. The charge management system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor charge switch and the at least one power relay switch are operable independently of each other.

16. The charge management system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one energy storage capacitor includes a first energy storage capacitor, a second energy storage capacitor, and a third energy storage capacitor, the second and third energy storage capacitors being operably connected in series with each other, and the first energy storage capacitor being operably connected in parallel with the second and third energy storage capacitors.