Battery energy reclamation apparatus and method thereby

• US 20080129253A1
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GAINIA INTELLECTUAL ASSET SERVICES, INC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Desalination Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Thomas Li, Nishikawa, Harumoto, Chen, Min-Chu, Goto, Masami, Shiue, Lih-Ren
• Application Number:
  US11/592,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129253A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

An energy-reclamation apparatus of the present invention including at least a supercapacitor element connected with a charging source and a controlled circuit. After the supercapacitor element is charged to the potential of the charging source, the supercapacitor element and the charging source will work in series to conduct a repetitive polarity reversal of the supercapacitor element through a controlled circuit. As the supercapacitor element discharges, it is reversely charged concurrently. In other words, while the voltage of the supercapacitor element is decreasing on the side, a negative potential is complementarily developing on the other side. By repeatedly reversing the polarity of the supercapacitor element, more energy from the serially connected charging source can be reclaimed and reused.

Claims

1. An energy-reclamation apparatus, comprising:

at least a charging source;

at least a supercapacitor element connected with said charging source; and

a controlled circuit connected with said charging source and said supercapacitor element;

wherein said controlled circuit including at least an inverting circuit being inverted the polarity of said supercapacitor element for driving a load.

2. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supercapacitor element is a symmetrical supercapacitor.

3. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supercapacitor element has a capacitance of 0.1 F and above.

4. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supercapacitor element further contains two identical electrodes with no polarity until they are recharged.

5. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein each of said electrodes is made of identical active materials for ion adsorption, additives and current collectors.

6. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supercapacitor element allows reverse charging.

7. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein said reverse charging proceeds concurrently with the discharge of said supercapacitor element.

8. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said inverting circuit further comprising an automatic switching circuit being selected from groups of a voltage sensor, a microcontroller, an on/off transistor switch and a relay.

9. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said inverting circuit inverting said supercapacitor element based on an absolute potential difference between a forward-discharging potential and a reverse-charging potential of said supercapacitor element.

10. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said absolute potential difference is 0.2 V and above.

11. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said charging source is a non-rechargeable battery.

12. The energy-reclamation apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said load is a non-directional load.

13. A method of energy reclamation, comprising steps of:

providing at least a charging source connected with at least a supercapacitor element;

providing a controlled circuit connected with said charging source and said supercapacitor element;

charging said supercapacitor element by said charging source; and

inverting the polarity of said supercapacitor element by said controlled circuit for driving a load.

14. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said charging source is a non-rechargeable battery.

15. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said supercapacitor element has a capacitance of 0.1 F and above.

16. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said supercapacitor element further contains two identical electrodes with no polarity until they are charged.

17. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said controlled circuit further including an automatic switching circuit being selected from groups of a voltage sensor, a microcontroller, an on/off transistor switch and a relay.

18. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said controlled circuit inverting said supercapacitor element based on an absolute potential difference between a forward-discharging potential and a reverse-charging potential of said supercapacitor element.

19. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 18, wherein said absolute potential difference is 0.2 V and above.

20. The method of energy reclamation in accordance with claim 13, wherein said load is a non-directional load.