System and method for precharging and discharging a high power ultracapacitor pack
First Claim
1. A system for precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
- an ultracapacitor pack, a high power DC bus, an electro-magnetic braking regeneration system, and a breaking resistor to dissipate power from the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
means for switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack;
means for switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor, with the high power DC bus;
means for determining when to disconnect the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connect the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus;
means for disconnecting the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connecting the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention is a system and a method that uses the braking resistor, commonly used and available in electrically or hybrid-electrically propelled vehicles, to limit the precharge current during the startup of a high power ultracapacitor pack energy storage device and/or safely and rapidly discharge an ultracapacitor pack for maintenance work or storage to lengthen the life of the individual ultracapacitor cells and, correspondingly, the whole pack. The use of the braking resistor for precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage pack is an effective and less expensive method compared to other methods such as a separate DC-to-DC converter. This method includes the control logic sequence to activate and deactivate switching devices that perform the connections for the charging and discharging current paths.
27 Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A system for precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
-
an ultracapacitor pack, a high power DC bus, an electro-magnetic braking regeneration system, and a breaking resistor to dissipate power from the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
means for switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack;
means for switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor, with the high power DC bus;
means for determining when to disconnect the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connect the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus;
means for disconnecting the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connecting the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
8. The system of clam 1, further including a timing system to determine when an ultracapacitor pack precharge is complete.
-
27. A method of precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
-
providing a drive system including an ultracapacitor pack, a high power DC bus, an electro-magnetic braking regeneration system, and a breaking resistor to dissipate power from the electromagnetic braking regeneration system;
switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack;
switching the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor, with the high power DC bus;
determining when to disconnect the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connect the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus;
disconnecting the braking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack and connecting the ultracapacitor pack directly with the high power DC bus. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A method of precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
-
providing a drive system including an ultracapacitor pack, an electromagnetic braking regeneration system, and a breaking resistor to dissipate power from the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
providing the breaking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack during start-up of the drive system;
while limiting precharge current into the ultracapacitor pack with the breaking resistor, precharging the ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack.
-
-
39. A method of precharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
-
providing a drive system including an ultracapacitor pack, an electro-magnetic braking regeneration system, and a breaking resistor to dissipate power from the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
providing the breaking resistor in series with the ultacapacitor pack and the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
while limiting precharge current into the ultracapacitor pack with the breaking resistor, precharging the ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack with the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system.
-
-
40. A method of discharging an ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack, comprising:
-
providing a drive system including an ultracapacitor pack, an electro-magnetic braking regeneration system, and a braking resistor to dissipate power from the electro-magnetic braking regeneration system;
providing the breaking resistor in series with the ultracapacitor pack;
discharging the ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack through the breaking resistor. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
-
-
43. (canceled)
Specification