Power supply device

• US 20050112420A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shen, Sheng-Yong, Chou, Yuh-Fwu, Lai, Chiou-Chu
• Application Number:
  US10/990,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20050112420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/432
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0488 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04888 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04895 Current
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A power supply device comprises a secondary cell group and a fuel cell group. The secondary cell group has an operative voltage range and may receive a voltage converted from a voltage converter that coupled to the fuel cell group. The fuel cell group is characterized with a maximum output power and a corresponding voltage. The corresponding voltage is not higher than the upper limit of the operative voltage range.

Claims

1. A power supply method comprising:

providing a secondary cell group comprising an operative voltage range;

providing a fuel cell group comprising a maximal output power and a corresponding voltage; and

adjusting the fuel cell group to maintain the corresponding voltage not higher than the upper limit of the operative voltage range.

2. The power supply method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising converting a first output voltage from the fuel cell group to a first voltage within the operative voltage range when the first output voltage exceeds the operative voltage range.

3. A power supply device, comprising:

a secondary cell group comprising an operative voltage range;

a fuel cell group comprising a fuel cell voltage and

a control unit coupled between the fuel cell group and secondary cell group, outputting a first voltage within the operative voltage range to the secondary cell group when the fuel cell voltage is outside the operative voltage range, wherein the control unit outputs a first output voltage from the fuel cell group to the secondary cell group when the first output voltage is within the operative voltage range.

4. A power supply device, comprising:

a secondary cell group comprising an operative voltage range; and

a fuel cell group comprising a maximal output power and a corresponding voltage not higher than the upper limit of the operative voltage range.

5. The power supply device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a control unit coupled between the secondary cell group and the fuel cell group, outputting a first voltage within the operative voltage range to the secondary cell group.

6. The power supply device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit is a current sink device clamping a first output voltage from the fuel cell group within the operative voltage range.

7. The power supply device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the current sink device is a zener diode.

8. The power supply device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the current sink device comprises:

a detector outputting an adjustment signal when the first output voltage exceeds a maximum voltage of the operative voltage range; and

a controllable current sinker maintaining output current from the fuel cell group and clamping the first output voltage to within the operative voltage, range according to the adjustment signal, wherein the secondary cell group receives the first output voltage when is within the operative voltage range.

9. The power supply device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detector comprises a zener diode and the controllable current sinker an npn transistor.

10. The power supply device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the detector comprises a zener diode and the controllable current sinker a pnp transistor.

11. The power supply device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit is a step-down DC/DC converter.

12. The power supply device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step-down DC converter is a linear DC voltage regulator circuit.

13. The power supply device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step-down DC converter is an DC switching power supply circuit.

14. The power supply device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises:

a switch circuit coupled between the fuel cell group and the secondary cell group; and

a detection circuit detecting a second voltage output from the secondary cell group, wherein the detection circuit turns on the switch circuit to directly connect the fuel cell group and the secondary cell group when the second output voltage is less than a first preset voltage of the operative voltage range and the detection circuit turns off the switch circuit to disconnect the fuel cell group and the secondary cell group when the second output voltage exceeds a second preset voltage of the operative voltage range.

15. The power supply device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control unit further comprises a voltage converter connected with the switch circuit in parallel, outputting the first voltage.

16. The power supply device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the switch circuit is a transistor or a relay.

17. The power supply device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the voltage converter is a step-down DC converter.

18. The power supply device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control unit comprises:

a switch circuit coupled between the fuel cell group and the secondary cell group;

a voltage converter connected with the switch circuit in parallel converting the first output voltage to the first voltage; and

a detection circuit detecting the first output voltage, wherein the detection circuit turns on the switch circuit to directly provide the first output voltage to the secondary cell group when the first output voltage is less than a third preset value of the operative voltage range and the detection circuit turns off the switch circuit providing the first voltage to the secondary cell group when the first output voltage exceeds a fourth preset value of the operative voltage range.

19. The power supply device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the switch circuit is a transistor or a relay.

20. The power supply device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the voltage converter is a step-down DC converter.

21. The power supply device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the buck DC converter is a linear DC voltage regulator circuit.

22. The power supply device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the step-down DC converter is a switching power supply.

23. The power supply device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the secondary cell group comprises lithium ion secondary, nickel hydrogen, or lead acid batteries, or the combination thereof.

24. The power supply device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fuel cell group comprises direct methanol fuel cells.