METHOD AND SYSTEM OF MANAGING POWER DISTRIBUTION IN SWITCH BASED CIRCUITS

• US 20070075677A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Alvarez-Troncoso, Ignacio
• Granted Patent: US 7,560,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

Method and systems of managing power distribution in switch based circuits. The method and system including a number of switches for controlling power distribution. The method and system further including a number of voltage elevators associated with each switch to facilitate the activation thereof.

Claims

1. A system of managing power distribution in a hybrid electric vehicle having an a number of switches for controlling energy flow between an alternator, ultracapacitor, battery, and electric motor, the system comprising:

a sufficient number of switches associated with each of the ultracapacitor and battery to manage separately flowing energy between the alternator and motor, alternator and ultracapacitor, alternator and battery, ultracapacitor and battery, ultracapacitor and motor, battery and ultracapacitor, and battery and motor;

a voltage elevator associated with each switch and configured for outputting a voltage (VEout) to activate the associated switch; and

a controller for controlling the separate energy flow between the alternator, ultracapacitor, battery, and electric motor by controlling activation of the voltage elevators, and thereby, the associated switches.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the voltage elevators output the voltage (VEout) as a function of an inputted reference voltage (Vref) boosted according to a fixed elevator voltage (VEfixed).

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) is associated with an activation threshold voltage (Vt) of the switches.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) is further associated with a voltage of the associated ultracapacitor (Vcap) or battery (Vbat).

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the switches are transistors and the fixed voltage (VEfixed) corresponds with a desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) of the transistors associated with the activation thereof.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) equals the desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) if the inputted reference voltage (Vref) equals a source voltage (Vs) of the associated transistor.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein three switches are associated with each of the ultracapacitor and battery to control the separate energy flow between the alternator, ultracapacitor, battery, and electric motor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the three voltage elevators associated with the switches of the ultracapacitor are configured to activate the associated switch as a function of a fixed voltage boost to a reference voltage associated with the ultracapacitor and wherein the three voltage elevators associated with the switches of the battery are configured to activate the associated switch as a function of a fixed voltage boost voltage to a reference voltage associated with the battery.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the voltage elevators output the voltage VEout as a function of an inputted reference voltage (Vref) boosted according to a fixed elevator voltage (VEfixed).

11. The system of claim 2 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) is associated with an activation threshold voltage (Vt) of the switches.

12. The system of claim 3 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) is further associated with a voltage of the associated ultracapacitor (Vcap) or battery (Vbat).

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the switches are transistors and the fixed voltage (VEfixed) corresponds with a desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) of the transistors associated with the activation thereof.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the fixed voltage (VEfixed) equals the desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) if the inputted reference voltage (Vref) equals a source voltage (Vs) of the associated transistor.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein three switches are associated with each of the energy storage devices to control the separate energy flow between the energy storage devices, power source, and load.

16. The system of claim 7 wherein the three voltage elevators associated with the switches of the first energy storage device are configured to bias the associated switch as a function of a fixed voltage boost to a reference voltage associated with the first energy storage device and wherein the three voltage elevators associated with the switches of the second energy storage device are configured to bias the associated switch as a function of a fixed voltage boost voltage to a reference voltage associated with the second energy storage device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the power source is an alternator and the load is an electric motor and the first and second storage devices are passive energy storage devices.

9. A system of managing power distribution in a circuit having an a number of switches for controlling energy flow between first and second energy storage devices, a power source, and a load, the system comprising:

a sufficient number of switches associated with each of the energy storage devices to manage energy flow between the energy storage devices, power source, and load;

a voltage elevator associated with each switch and configured for outputting a voltage (VEout) to activate the associated switch; and

a controller for controlling the energy flow between the energy storage devices, power source, and load by controlling activation of the voltage elevators, and thereby, the associated switches.

18. A method of managing power distribution in a hybrid electric vehicle having an a number of switches for controlling energy flow between an alternator, ultracapacitor, battery, and electric motor, the method comprising:

associating a sufficient number of switches with each of the ultracapacitor and battery to manage separately flowing energy between the alternator and motor, alternator and ultracapacitor, alternator and battery, ultracapacitor and battery, ultracapacitor and motor, battery and ultracapacitor, and battery and motor;

associating a voltage elevator with each switch and configured for outputting a voltage (VEout) to activate the associated switch; and

controlling the separate energy flow between the alternator, ultracapacitor, battery, and electric motor by controlling activation of the voltage elevators, and thereby, the associated switches.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising outputting the voltage (VEout) as a function of an inputted reference voltage (Vref) boosted according to a fixed elevator voltage (VEfixed).

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the switches are transistors and the method includes fixing fixed voltage (VEfixed) to corresponds with a desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) of the transistors associated with the activation thereof such that the fixed voltage (VEfixed) equals the desired gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) if the inputted reference voltage (Vref) equals a source voltage (Vs) of the associated transistor.