HIGH RELIABLE SMART PARALLEL ENERGY STORAGE TANK CHARGE/DISCHARGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20090102424A1
• Filed: 11/08/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: J-Tek Incorporation
• Original Assignee: J-Tek Incorporation
• Inventors: Hong, Jan-Wu, Tien, Jenn-Yang
• Application Number:
  US11/936,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102424A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/124
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

The high reliable smart parallel energy storage tank charge/discharge system is composed of one or multiple identical Smart Energy Storage Unit. And each Smart Energy Storage Unit comprises an Energy Storage Management Module, an Energy Storage Device, a Sensor Switch Device and a Smart Identifier and Transmission Interface. All the historical records and real time information for charge/discharge condition of Smart Energy Storage Unit can upload to external connected equipment via the External Equipment Interface. To operate in coordination with an External Energy (Electric Power) Source, under any one Smart Energy Storage Unit served as the controller, this management system can carry out an effective charge/discharge management. When the Smart Energy Storage Unit which is in charged of the charge/discharge managing failed and cannot operate, the other normally operated Smart Energy Storage Units can automatically detect the situation and replace the role of charge/discharge management immediately so as to accomplish a high reliable charge/discharge management system.

Claims

1. A high reliable smart energy storage tank charge/discharge system. The system comprises multiple identical smart energy storage units, an external equipment interface and an external electric power source. Wherein the smart energy storage unit comprises an energy storage management module, an energy storage device, a sensor and switch device, a smart identifier and transmission interface.

2. The high reliable smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external equipment interface provides an interface for real time reporting the condition of energy storage device, energy storage device utilizing record data collecting and the management system maintaining.

3. The high reliable smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage management module is the dominant unit of charge/discharge managing which includes a micro control unit, a synchronization unit, a data access unit, a display unit and a communication interface.

4. The smart energy storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is especially an energy storage mechanism that requires large current to proceed to charging and to reach the optimum energy storage effect.

5. The smart energy storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor and switch device is composed of a voltage/current/temperature transforming circuit, a forward (charge) switch circuit and a backward (discharge) switch circuit.

6. The voltage/temperature/current transforming circuit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the voltage and temperature transforming circuits respectively transform the terminal voltage of positive/negative electrode of energy storage device and the temperature of energy storage device into corresponding voltages with appropriate range. The current is a measurement of the current flowing through the conducting wire in accordance with the Ampere'"'"'s right-hand rule without interfering to the charging and discharging current and expressed in corresponding voltage with appropriate range.

7. The smart energy storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smart identifier and transmission interface is the medium which each energy storage management module defines the transmission messages and control commands. Through the smart identifier circuit, a unique identification can be assigned to each completely identical smart energy storage unit and can be the basis of the smart energy storage unit to receive the command or to answer the command while communication transmitting.

8. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the micro control unit uses the analog to digital (A/D) converter input to read in the voltage values representing respectively the voltage, temperature and current mentioned in claim 6 and, after calculation, deduce the terminal voltage, current flowing in or flowing out of energy storage device and the temperature of the energy storage device whereupon continuing estimate the actual charging capacity or depth of discharge of the energy storage device.

9. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the micro control unit uses the charge/discharge states, temperature and terminal voltage of the energy storage device obtained in claim 9 to determine whether the energy storage device is suitable for continuing charging or discharging or must stop the charging/discharging. The charge/discharge controlling is achieved by controlling the charge/discharge switches mentioned in claim 7 by the digital output.

10. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the synchronization unit is a standard timekeeper and its application circuit. While system is connecting, a synchronous clock can be obtained to be the timing reference of controller data login. By means of the electric energy storage of the energy storage device, the clock can keep time counting with extremely low energy consumption and will not loss its function because of over low system power.

11. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the data access unit is a flash memory and its application circuit and serves as the storage medium for charge/discharge and abnormal messages during the operation period of an energy storage device.

12. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the display unit is the indication medium for the operation conditions of the charge/discharge management system.

13. The multiple identical smart energy storage units as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual energy storage management unit, by the way of the synchronous power supply and the unique identification given in claim 8 and through the master controller designation procedure, a unique one and only energy storage management unit is determined to be the charge/discharge control center among all energy storage management units to carry out the charge/discharge management for the whole system.

14. The multiple identical smart energy storage units as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master controller designation procedure, when the master controller previously determined cannot normally carry out the charge/discharge management, the other normal operating energy storage management units can automatically detect the abnormity and then start up the master controller designation procedure to generate a new master controller to take over and carry on the charge/discharge management.

15. The multiple identical smart energy storage units as claimed in claim 1, when external equipment sends out a command via the external equipment interface of any one smart energy storage unit, the smart energy storage unit which connected to that external equipment can acquire the communication master control right via the control transfer request procedure and take over to carry on the charge/discharge management.

16. The charge/discharge control center as claimed in claim 14 schemes out the optimal charging plan according to the charging characteristics of energy storage device and the output power of external power source whereupon makes the energy storage device which turned on its charging switch obtaining the most appropriate charging energy so as to hold the charging efficiency and energy storage ability of energy storage device and effectively utilize the output power of external power source.

17. The charging plan as claimed in claim 16 is using part of the smart energy storage units to proceed to charging and makes the other smart energy storage units to turn off their charging switches to enter a phase of relaxation. By the timing management, all energy storage devices obtained charging in turn so as to achieve the pulsed charging effect.

18. The pulsed charging control as claimed in claim 17, whereupon, according to the terminal voltage and the charging current of smart energy storage unit in charging, the charge/discharge control center dynamically adjusts the number of smart energy storage unit for being charged at the same time during the in turn charging switching progress so as to achieve the purpose of effectively utilizing the output power of external power source.

19. The pulsed charging control as claimed in claim 18, whereupon, for the smart energy storage unit which completed its charge or been decided to be failed, the charge/discharge control center will not bring it into the charge list in the next cycle for the plan of charging the smart energy storage units so as to shorten the charging period and improve the charging efficiency.

20. The pulsed charging control as claimed in claim 18, whereupon, when the capacity of an energy storage device rose up to a certain level, the charging current will lowering down gradually, and therefore the charge/discharge control center will increase the number of smart energy storage unit which being charged simultaneously and then all energy storage devices are charged and completed the charging process simultaneously.

21. The smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, by way of reading out and transforming by the micro control unit, the sensor switch device utilizes natural laws of the Ohm'"'"'s law and Ampere'"'"'s right-hand rule, etc. to obtain the information of voltage, current and temperature, etc. for energy storage devices or external electric power source.

22. The smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, while an abnormal condition occurred, the central control unit can store the related abnormal information and login time in the data access unit so as to be the reference message for abnormal causes diagnosing and performance improving.

23. The smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, after the charging process completed, the central control unit accumulates the discharge capacity for which discharged by each energy storage device so as to determine the energy storage ability of the energy storage device and issue a warning message for the capacity difference reached and above a certain level differ from other energy storage devices.

24. The smart energy storage tank charge/discharge management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at the moment when charging process completed, the central control unit accumulates the charge capacity and adjust the energy storage ability for each energy storage device so as to provide a reference basis for exchanging a new energy storage device.

25. The energy storage management module as claimed in claim 3, after lost the connection with the central control unit, can hold the original function for protecting the charging and discharging of energy storage device by standalone management way.