Load-lifting apparatus and method of storing energy for the same
First Claim
1. A load-lifting apparatus comprising:
- i) at least one motor for driving a mechanical load-lifting device having a load-lifting average power and a load-lifting peak power;
ii) at least one energy storage unit for storing electric energy and supplying said electric energy to the at least one motor, having an energy storage capacity and an energy storage unit output power;
iii) at least one prime power system having a prime power system rated power, being electrically connected to the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one motor for selectively providing electrical energy to the at least one energy storage unit and—
to the at least one motor;
iv) a bus electrically connecting the at least one energy storage unit, the at least one prime power system and the at least one motor; and
v) a control system for controlling the operation of the at least one prime power system and the load-lifting apparatus, and for monitoring the at least one energy storage unit, wherein the at least one motor selectively receives operational energy from the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one prime power system, the at least one motor supplies regenerative braking energy to the bus when the load-lifting device lowers a load, and wherein the ratio of the at least one prime power system rated power to the load-lifting peak power is between 0.2 and 0.7.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A load-lifting apparatus has one or more prime power sources, one or more energy storage systems and regenerative braking. Regenerative energy is recovered when the load-lifting apparatus lowers its load. The elements of the prime power sources, energy storage devices and electrical components may be distributed to provide stability for the load-lifting apparatus. The general power architecture and energy recovery method can be applied to cranes, rubber-tired gantry cranes, overhead cranes, mobile cranes, ship-to-shore cranes, container cranes, rail-mounted gantry cranes, straddle carrier cranes and elevators. In such an architecture, the energy storage system helps alleviate the power rating requirement of the prime power source with respect to the peak power requirement for lifting a load.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A load-lifting apparatus comprising:
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i) at least one motor for driving a mechanical load-lifting device having a load-lifting average power and a load-lifting peak power;
ii) at least one energy storage unit for storing electric energy and supplying said electric energy to the at least one motor, having an energy storage capacity and an energy storage unit output power;
iii) at least one prime power system having a prime power system rated power, being electrically connected to the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one motor for selectively providing electrical energy to the at least one energy storage unit and—
to the at least one motor;
iv) a bus electrically connecting the at least one energy storage unit, the at least one prime power system and the at least one motor; and
v) a control system for controlling the operation of the at least one prime power system and the load-lifting apparatus, and for monitoring the at least one energy storage unit, wherein the at least one motor selectively receives operational energy from the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one prime power system, the at least one motor supplies regenerative braking energy to the bus when the load-lifting device lowers a load, and wherein the ratio of the at least one prime power system rated power to the load-lifting peak power is between 0.2 and 0.7. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of storing energy in a load-lifting apparatus comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a load-lifting apparatus comprising;
i) at least one motor for driving a mechanical load-lifting device having a load-lifting average power and a load-lifting peak power;
ii) at least one energy storage unit for storing electric energy and supplying said electric energy to said at least one motor, having an energy storage capacity and an energy storage unit output power;
iii) at least one prime power system having a prime power system rated power, being electrically connected to the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one motor for selectively providing electrical energy to the at least one energy storage unit and to the at least one motor;
iv) a bus electrically connecting the at least one energy storage unit, the at least one prime power system and the at least one motor; and
v) a control system for controlling the operation of the at least one prime power system and the load-lifting apparatus, and for monitoring the at least one energy storage unit, b) selectively providing to the at least one motor operational energy from the at least one energy storage unit and the at least one prime power system; and
c) supplying regenerative braking energy from the at least one motor to the electrical bus when the load-lifting device lowers a load, wherein the ratio of the at least one prime power system rated power to the load-lifting peak power is between 0.2 and 0.7.
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Specification