Method and Apparatus for Controlling a Hybrid Power System
First Claim
1. A power control system for managing energy transfer, the power control system comprising:
- a common DC bus;
a plurality of energy storage devices; and
a plurality of energy regulators, each energy regulator having a first connection electrically coupled to at least one of the energy storage devices and a second connection electrically coupled to the common DC bus, wherein each energy regulator further comprises;
a plurality of switches, each switch selectively energized according to a switching signal, wherein the plurality of switches control energy transfer between the first and the second connections;
a voltage signal corresponding to an amplitude of a DC voltage present on the DC bus;
a memory device storing at least a control program, a low voltage setpoint, and a high voltage setpoint; and
a processor executing the control program to generate the switching signals for each of the plurality of switches as a function of the voltage signal, the low voltage setpoint, and the high voltage setpoint, wherein energy is transferred from the common DC bus to the energy storage devices if the voltage signal is greater than the high voltage setpoint and energy is transferred from the energy storage devices to the common DC bus if the voltage signal is less than the low voltage setpoint.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a simplified method of controlling power among the various sources and loads in a power system. Power generating sources are each connected to a common DC bus through a converter. The converter selectively transfers energy to the DC bus at a maximum rate or at a reduced rate according to the level of the DC voltage present on the DC bus. At least one storage device is preferably connected to the common DC bus through a power regulator. The power regulator selectively transfers energy to or from the DC bus as a function of DC voltage level present on the DC bus. Further, an inverter may be provided to bidirectionally convert between the DC voltage and an AC voltage for connection to a customer load or the utility grid. Each power conversion device is independently controlled to provide a modular and simplified power control system.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power control system for managing energy transfer, the power control system comprising:
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a common DC bus; a plurality of energy storage devices; and a plurality of energy regulators, each energy regulator having a first connection electrically coupled to at least one of the energy storage devices and a second connection electrically coupled to the common DC bus, wherein each energy regulator further comprises; a plurality of switches, each switch selectively energized according to a switching signal, wherein the plurality of switches control energy transfer between the first and the second connections; a voltage signal corresponding to an amplitude of a DC voltage present on the DC bus; a memory device storing at least a control program, a low voltage setpoint, and a high voltage setpoint; and a processor executing the control program to generate the switching signals for each of the plurality of switches as a function of the voltage signal, the low voltage setpoint, and the high voltage setpoint, wherein energy is transferred from the common DC bus to the energy storage devices if the voltage signal is greater than the high voltage setpoint and energy is transferred from the energy storage devices to the common DC bus if the voltage signal is less than the low voltage setpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for managing energy transfer between a plurality of energy storage devices connected by a common DC bus, comprising the steps of:
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connecting a plurality of energy regulators to the common DC bus, each energy regulator having a first connection electrically coupled to at least one of the energy storage devices and a second connection electrically coupled to the common DC bus; receiving a signal corresponding to an amplitude of a DC voltage present on the common DC bus at a processor executing in each energy regulator; at each energy regulator, comparing the DC voltage signal to a low voltage setpoint and a high voltage setpoint, each of the low voltage setpoint and the high voltage setpoint being stored in a memory device in the energy regulator; transferring energy between each energy regulator and the DC bus independently of the other energy regulators, wherein each energy regulator transfers energy from the common DC bus to the connected energy storage device if the DC voltage signal is greater than the high voltage setpoint and each energy regulator transfers energy from the connected energy storage device to the common DC bus if the voltage signal is less than the low voltage setpoint. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A power control system for managing energy transfer between at least one energy source and at least one load, the power control system comprising:
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a common DC bus; at least one energy converter further comprising; an input electrically coupled to one of the energy sources, an output electrically coupled to the common DC bus, and a voltage signal corresponding to an amplitude of the voltage present on the common DC bus, wherein each energy converter is configured to transfer energy from the energy source to the common DC bus as a function of the voltage signal; and an inverter further comprising; a first connection electrically coupled to the common DC bus, a second connection connected to a utility grid, and a voltage signal corresponding to an amplitude of the voltage present on the common DC bus, wherein the inverter is configured to selectively transfer energy bidirectionally between the common DC bus and the utility grid as a function of the voltage signal, a high voltage setpoint, and a low voltage setpoint. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification