High-Power Ultracapacitor Energy Storage Pack and Method of Use
First Claim
1. An ultracapacitor energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the ultracapacitor energy storage pack comprising:
- an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of parallel ultracapacitors and balancing resistors in series, each balancing resistor in parallel with each ultracapacitor and configured to automatically discharge each ultracapacitor over time, thereby balancing the ultracapacitors of the ultracapacitor assembly;
an enclosure configured to enclose and protect the ultracapacitor assembly;
a pack voltage sensor configured to monitor voltage of the ultracapacitor assembly;
one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor temperature of the ultracapacitor assembly;
a ground fault sensor configured to monitor for a ground fault condition between the ultracapacitor assembly and the hybrid electric vehicle;
an on/off relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and an on/off relay control input, the on/off relay activated during normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly and deactivated by the on/off relay control input to terminate normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly; and
,a cooling system configured to cool the ultracapacitor assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultracapacitor energy storage cell pack includes an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of parallel ultracapacitors and balancing resistors in series; an enclosure for the ultracapacitor assembly; a controller; one or more temperature sensors; a pack voltage sensor; a GFI sensor; one or more cooling fans carried by the enclosure; an on/off relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, the on/off relay activated by the controller during normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly and deactivated by the controller when the GFI sensor detects a ground fault interrupt condition, the one or more temperature sensors detect an over-temperature condition, or the pack voltage sensor detects an over-voltage condition; and a pre-charge resistor and a pre-charge relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and the controller, and activated by the controller to cause the pre-charge resistor to limit pack charge current until the ultracapacitor assembly reaches a minimum voltage.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An ultracapacitor energy storage pack specially adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle, the ultracapacitor energy storage pack comprising:
-
an ultracapacitor assembly including a plurality of parallel ultracapacitors and balancing resistors in series, each balancing resistor in parallel with each ultracapacitor and configured to automatically discharge each ultracapacitor over time, thereby balancing the ultracapacitors of the ultracapacitor assembly; an enclosure configured to enclose and protect the ultracapacitor assembly; a pack voltage sensor configured to monitor voltage of the ultracapacitor assembly; one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor temperature of the ultracapacitor assembly; a ground fault sensor configured to monitor for a ground fault condition between the ultracapacitor assembly and the hybrid electric vehicle; an on/off relay coupled to the ultracapacitor assembly and an on/off relay control input, the on/off relay activated during normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly and deactivated by the on/off relay control input to terminate normal operation of the ultracapacitor assembly; and
,a cooling system configured to cool the ultracapacitor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification