SERIES ELECTRIC DOUBLE-LAYER CAPACITOR DEVICE

• US 20100141220A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National University Corporation Saitama University
• Original Assignee: National University Corporation Saitama University
• Inventors: Abe, Shigeru
• Application Number:
  US11/997,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/167
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/14 Arrangements or processes for adjusting or protecting hybrid or EDL capacitors emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for capacitors, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions H02H7/16; emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltages without disconnection H02H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33573 Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

[Problems] To provide a series electric double-layer capacitor device having a simple structure eliminating nonuniform voltages induced among electric double-layer capacitors (C1 to C6).

[Means for Solving Problems] A series electric double-layer capacitor device comprises 2n capacitors (C1 to C6), 2n diodes (D1 to D6), a transformer (T1), and an inverter (31). Secondary wirings (N1 to N3) of the transformer supply the induced voltages to a capacitor module (30) composed of sets of two capacitors and two diodes. The capacitors are charged when the diodes included in the capacitor module are conductive. The series electric double-layer capacitor device further comprises voltage adjusting means (32) for changing the DC voltage level between terminals (1, 2), and the inverter converts the voltage-changed DC voltage into an AC voltage. A voltage for canceling the forward voltage drops of the diodes is added to the induced voltages of the secondary wirings by the operation of the voltage adjusting means. The influence of the diodes of when the capacitors are charged is eliminated, and the voltages among capacitors are made uniform.

Claims

1. A series electric double-layer capacitor device comprising:

2n (n being 1 or larger integer) electric double-layer capacitors connected in series;

2n diodes;

a transformer having a primary winding and n pieces of secondary windings; and

an AC voltage generation means for generating an AC voltages from a DC voltage for supplying to the primary winding of the transformer, each of the secondary windings of the transformer supplying the induced voltage to each capacitor module comprising a pair of electric double-layer capacitors and a pair of diodes in such a manner that the electric double-layer capacitors included in one capacitor module are charged when each of the diodes included in the capacitor module is conducting,

further comprising a voltage adjusting means for converting the voltage level in the DC voltage outputted from the series electric double-layer capacitor device so that the AC voltage generation means converts the DC voltage converted in the voltage level by the voltage adjusting means into an AC voltage.

2. A series electric double-layer capacitor device of claim 1, wherein the voltage adjusting means adjusts the voltage level of the DC voltage to be outputted to the AC voltage generation means so that the voltage developed in each of the secondary windings of the transformer is equal to VF+V/(2n), where V is the output voltage of the series electric double-layer capacitor device and VF is the forward voltage drop of the diodes.

3. A series electric double-layer capacitor device of claim 2, wherein the winding ratio of the primary winding and each of the secondary windings of the transformer is set to 2n:

1 so that the voltage adjusting means outputs to the AC voltage generation means by adding a constant voltage of 2n×

VF to the output voltage V of the series electric double-layer capacitor device.

4. A series electric double-layer capacitor device of claim 2, wherein the voltage adjusting means converts the voltage level of the output voltage V by switching the voltage output from the series electric double-layer capacitor device and the switching frequency is set higher than the switching frequency of the AC voltage generation means.