System and method for storing energy

• US 20080074083A1
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Original Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance LLC (Battelle Memorial Institute)
• Inventors: Richardson, John G., Morrison, John, Spencer, David F., Yarger, Eric J., Christiansen, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,688,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5033 used as charging means for another battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A self-recharging battery comprising a generator and an energy storage device contained within the battery case. The generator comprises a magnetic structure configured to generate a compressed magnetic field and a coil configured to focus the compressed magnetic field in electrical conductive elements of the coil.

Claims

1. A battery, comprising:

a case;

a first generator contained within the case and configured to convert energy received by the battery into electrical energy;

a first energy storage device contained within the case;

a second energy storage device contained within the case;

a control module contained within the case, coupled to the first and second energy storage devices, and configured to control a transfer of the electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device; and

a plurality of contact terminals.

2. The battery of claim 1 wherein the first energy storage device comprises an ultracapacitor and the second energy storage device comprises a lithium cell.

3. The battery of claim 1, further comprising:

a third energy storage device.

4. The battery of claim 3 wherein the third energy storage device is coupled in series with the second energy storage device.

5. The battery of claim 3 wherein the third energy storage device is coupled in parallel with the first energy storage device.

6. The battery of claim 1, further comprising:

a connector to house the plurality of contact terminals.

7. The battery of claim 1 wherein the case and contact terminals have a configuration of a C-cell battery.

8. The battery of claim 1 wherein the first generator comprises:

a coil; and

a magnetic structure.

9. The battery of claim 8 wherein the magnetic structure is configured to generate a compressed magnetic field.

10. The battery of claim 8 wherein the coil comprises:

an electrical conductive element; and

a magnetic conductive element.

11. The battery of claim 10 wherein the magnetic structure is configured to generate a compressed magnetic field.

12. The battery of claim 1 wherein the plurality of contact terminals are electrically coupled to the control module.

13. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control module is further configured to control a transfer of energy between the second energy storage device and the contact terminals.

14. The battery of claim 13 wherein the transfer of energy between the first energy storage device and the contact terminals comprises a transfer of energy from the contact terminals to the second energy storage device.

15. The battery of claim 13 wherein the transfer of energy between the first energy storage device and the contact terminals comprises a transfer of energy from the contact terminals to the first energy storage device.

16. The battery of claim 1 wherein the control module is further configured to control a transfer of energy between the first energy storage device and the contact terminals.

17. The battery of claim 1, further comprising:

a suspension system coupled to the generator.

18. The battery of claim 17 wherein the suspension system is tuned to optimize conversion of expected patterns of movement into electrical energy.

19. The battery of claim 1 wherein the generator is configured to convert energy received through movement of the battery.

20. The battery of claim 1 wherein the generator is configured to convert energy received in a parasitic manner.

21. The battery of claim 1 wherein the case comprises a magnetic shield.

22. A battery, comprising:

a case;

a coil contained within the case;

a magnetic structure contained within the case and configured to generate a compressed magnetic field;

a first energy storage device contained within the case;

a plurality of contact terminals coupled to the case; and

a control module contained within the case and coupled to the coil and the first energy storage device.

23. The battery of claim 22 wherein the magnetic structure comprises a plurality of spaced-apart rare earth magnets configured so that like-polarity poles face each other in neighboring magnets in the plurality of rare earth magnets.

24. The battery of claim 23 wherein the magnets in the plurality of magnets are held in position with respect to one another.

25. The battery of claim 23 wherein a space between two magnets in the plurality of magnets is substantially filled with a non-magnet substance.

26. The battery of claim 25 wherein the non-magnetic substance comprises air.

27. The battery of claim 25 wherein the non-magnetic substance comprises a fluoropolymer resin.

28. The battery of claim 22 wherein the case is evacuated and hermetically sealed.

29. The battery of claim 22 further comprising:

a suspension system coupled to the magnetic structure.

30. The battery of claim 29 wherein the suspension system is tuned to optimize conversion of expected patterns of movement into electrical energy.

31. The battery of claim 29 wherein the coil comprises:

an electrical conductive element; and

a magnetic conductive element.

32. The battery of claim 31 wherein the magnetic conductive element is configured to focus magnetic flux in the electrical conductive element.

33. A battery, comprising:

a case;

a coil contained within the case and having an electrical conductive element and a magnetic conductive element;

a magnetic structure;

a first energy storage device contained within the case;

a plurality of contact terminals coupled to the case; and

a control module contained within the case and coupled to the coil and the first energy storage device.

34. The battery of claim 33 wherein the magnetic conductive element is configured to focus magnetic flux in the electrical conductive element.

35. The battery of claim 33 wherein the electrical conductive element comprises a electrical conductive wire in a multi-wire winding and the magnetic conductive element comprises a magnetic conductive wire in the multi-wire winding.

36. The battery of claim 33 wherein the electrical conductive element comprises an electrical conductive winding and the magnetic conductive element comprises a magnetic conductive winding.

37. The battery of claim 33 wherein the electrical conductive element comprises an electrical conductive trace formed on a first insulating substrate.

38. The battery of claim 37 wherein the magnetic conductive element comprises a magnetic conductive trace formed on the first insulating substrate.

39. The battery of claim 38 wherein the electrical conductive trace is formed on a first surface of the first insulating substrate and the magnetic conductive trace is formed on the first surface of the first insulating substrate.

40. The battery of claim 33, further comprising:

a plurality of insulating substrates, wherein

the electrical conductive element comprises a plurality of electrical conductive traces formed on selected substrates in the plurality of substrates; and

the magnetic conductive element comprises a plurality of magnetic conductive traces formed on selected substrates in the plurality of substrates.

41. The battery of claim 33 wherein the magnetic structure is configured to generate a compressed magnetic field.

42. The battery of claim 33 wherein a contact terminal of the plurality of contact terminals is electrically coupled to a contact terminal of an external battery.

43. A battery, comprising:

a case;

means for converting movement of the battery into an electric current;

first means for storing energy contained within the case;

second means for storing energy contained within the case;

means for controlling a transfer of energy from the means for converting movement to the first means for storing energy contained within the case; and

means for accessing energy stored in the first means for storing energy.

44. The battery of claim 43, further comprising:

third means for storing energy contained within the case.

45. The battery of claim 43 wherein the means for converting movement comprises:

means for conducting an electric current; and

means for generating a magnetic field.

46. The battery of claim 45 wherein the means for generating a magnetic field is configured to generate a compressed magnetic field.

47. The battery of claim 46, further comprising:

means for conducting magnetic flux.

48. The battery of claim 45, further comprising:

means for conducting magnetic flux.

49. The battery of claim 45, further comprising:

means for facilitating relative movement of the means for conducting an electric current with respect to the means for generating a magnetic field.

50. A method of operating a battery, the method comprising:

moving the battery;

converting energy received through the movement of the battery into an electric current; and

controlling transfers of energy to a plurality of energy storage devices contained within the battery.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the controlling transfers of energy comprises storing energy from the electric current in a first energy storage device in the plurality of energy storage devices and controlling a transfer of energy from the first energy storage device to a second energy storage device in the plurality of energy storage devices.

52. The method of claim 50 wherein the controlling transfers of energy comprises rectifying the electric current.

53. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

controlling a transfer of energy from the battery to a load.

54. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

providing an electric current to the battery; and

controlling a storage in the battery of energy from the provided electric current.

55. The method of claim 50 wherein the converting energy received through the movement of the battery into the electric current comprises:

generating a compressed magnetic field.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the converting energy received through the movement of the battery into the electric current further comprises:

focusing the compressed magnetic field in an electrical conductive winding.

57. The method of claim 55 wherein the generating the compressed magnetic field comprises holding two magnets spaced-apart with like poles facing each other at a distance closer than an ambient distance.

58. The method of claim 50 wherein the converting energy received through the movement of the battery into the electric current comprises:

focusing a magnetic field in an electrical conductive element.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the focusing the magnetic field in the electrical conductive element comprises positioning a magnetic conductive element with respect to the electrical conductive element so as to focus the magnetic field.

60. The method of claim 50 wherein the converting the energy received through the movement of the battery into the electric current comprises:

converting the energy into relative movement between an electrical conductive winding and a magnetic field.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the relative movement is generally linear.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the relative movement is generally rotational.