POWER STORAGE APPARATUS

• US 20120293137A1
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: SONE, Mitsuo, KIHARA, Nobuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,829,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/166
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

A power storage apparatus provided with a capacitor module and a power storage control circuit is connected between a generator and an electrical load. The capacitor module includes a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of switching devices which are connected in series with the capacitors, respectively, the capacitors and the switching devices together constituting a plurality of series circuits which are connected parallel to each other. When starting up the generator, the power storage control circuit controls only the specified switching device to become ON in order to quickly charge the capacitor which is connected in series with the switching device so that a voltage of the capacitor module is increased and a power source for starting up the generator is produced as high speed.

Claims

1. A power storage apparatus connected between a generator and an electrical load, said power storage apparatus comprising:

a capacitor module including a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of switching devices which are connected in series with the capacitors, respectively, the capacitors and the switching devices together constituting a plurality of series circuits which are connected parallel to each other; and

a power storage control circuit which controllably drives the individual switching devices according to a voltage of said capacitor module and controls said capacitor module to store electric power.

2. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a particular one of the switching devices is designated as a startup switching device and, if the voltage of said capacitor module is lower than a specific voltage at startup of said generator, said power storage control circuit controls the startup switching device to become ON and the other switching devices to become OFF, whereby said electrical load first charges the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device with priority given to the capacitor, among the plurality of capacitors, to produce a startup power source for said generator.

3. The power storage apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising resistor elements which are connected parallel to the other switching devices than the startup switching device among the plurality of switching devices, respectively.

4. The power storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said power storage control circuit switches the switching device used as the startup switching device from one of the switching devices to another at specific time intervals.

5. The power storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein capacitance of the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device, among the plurality of capacitors, is made smaller than capacitances of the other capacitors.

6. The power storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said power storage control circuit controls the startup switching device to become OFF and the other switching devices to become ON, among the plurality of switching devices, when said generator is stopped, thereby causing the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device to retain electric power.

7. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a particular one of the switching devices is designated as a startup switching device, said power storage apparatus further comprising a low-resistance resistor element which is connected parallel to the startup switching device and high-resistance resistor elements which are connected parallel to the other switching devices, respectively.

8. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the voltage of said capacitor module is equal to or higher than a specific voltage at startup of said generator, said power storage control circuit controls the plurality of switching devices to become ON, thereby causing the capacitors of said capacitor module to perform charging and discharging operations.

9. The power storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generator is a rotary electric machine used also as a driving motor and is installed on a vehicle.

10. The power storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein if the voltage of said capacitor module is lower than a specific voltage at startup of said generator, said power storage control circuit controls the plurality of switching devices to become OFF, whereby said electrical load first charges the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device with priority given to the capacitor, among the plurality of capacitors, to produce a startup power source for said generator.

11. The power storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein capacitance of the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device, among the plurality of capacitors, is made smaller than capacitances of the other capacitors.

12. The power storage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said power storage control circuit controls the startup switching device to become OFF and the other switching devices to become ON, among the plurality of switching devices, when said generator is stopped, thereby causing the capacitor which is connected in series with the startup switching device to retain electric power.