SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EQUIVALENT RAPID CHARGING WITH DIFFERENT ENERGY STORAGE CONFIGURATIONS

• US 20130229153A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proterra Powered LLC
• Original Assignee: Proterra AG
• Inventors: Sarkar, Reuben, Finnern, Michael Alan, McGrath, Seamus
• Granted Patent: US 9,496,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/130
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/667 Precipitation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 : in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 : Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 : involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 : Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 : Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 : Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 : Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 : of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 : by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 : Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 : Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 : Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The invention provides for an energy storage system that has a first plurality of battery cells that each are capable of a first C-rate. The plurality of battery cells can be charged at an equivalent rate on a kWh/minute basis as a second plurality of battery cells that each are capable of second C-rate, with the second C-rate being higher than the first C-rate. The first plurality of battery cells may have an energy storage capacity which is approximately twice the energy storage capacity for the second plurality of cells.

Claims

1. An energy storage system, the system comprising:

a first plurality of battery cells each having a first C-rate capability;

wherein the first plurality of battery cells can be charged at an equivalent rate on a kWh/min basis as a second plurality of battery cells each having a second C-rate capability which is higher than the first C-rate capability.

2. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the charging of the first plurality of battery cells at the equivalent rate is performed without damaging the first plurality of battery cells.

3. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of battery cells have an first energy storage capacity greater than a second energy storage capacity for the second plurality of cells.

4. The energy storage system of claim 2 wherein the first energy storage capacity is approximately double that of the second energy storage capacity.

5. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of battery cells have a lithium iron phosphate or nickel cobalt manganese oxide/hard carbon chemistry.

6. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the first C-rate capability is 3 C.

7. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of battery cells have a lithium titanate oxide chemistry.

8. The energy storage system of claim 1 wherein the second C-rate capability is 6 C.

9. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein a group of battery cells form a battery module, and a group of battery modules form a battery pack, and a group of battery packs form a string, and a variable number of strings are included in the energy storage system.

10. The energy storage system of claim 9, wherein the energy storage system includes at least two strings.

11. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage system is for an electric vehicle.

12. The energy storage system of claim 1, wherein the equivalent rate is greater than 5 kWh/min.

13. A method of rapid charging an energy storage system, the method comprising:

providing a first energy storage system, the first energy storage system comprising a first plurality of battery cells having a first C-rate capability; and

charging the first energy storage system at an equivalent rate to a second energy storage system comprising a second plurality of battery cells having a second C-rate capability which is higher than the first C-rate capability.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of charging the first energy storage system is completed in ten minutes of less.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first energy storage system has an first energy storage capacity greater than a second energy storage capacity for the second energy storage system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the process of charging the first energy storage system charges the first energy storage system to approximately the same energy storage level that would result from charging the second energy storage system for an equivalent period and equivalent rate.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising discharging and recharging the first energy storage system to cycle the energy storage level within a range between zero and half of the first energy storage capacity.

18. A method of selectively charging an energy storage system, the method comprising:

providing an energy storage system and a charging apparatus;

receiving information relating to one or more factors affecting charging parameters for the energy storage system; and

charging the energy storage system with the charging apparatus, the charging apparatus using the information relating to one or more factors affecting charging conditions for the energy storage system, wherein the factors affecting charging conditions for the energy storage system includes at least one of the following;

the time of day for operation of the energy storage system;

the forecasted weather for the area of operation of the energy storage system;

the demand rate of electricity supplied to the charging apparatus;

the load on the utility grid coupled to the charging apparatus;

the remaining level of charge within the energy storage system;

or

the predicted consumption of the energy storage system before the step of charging the energy storage system may be repeated.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of charging the energy storage system determines how much charge will be added to the energy storage system and what charging rate should be used.

20. A method of charging an energy storage system comprising:

electrically connecting an energy storage system to a charging station;

charging the energy storage system at a first rate;

stopping the charging of the energy storage system at a first rate;

expending an amount of charge within the energy storage system during a drop-down period; and

charging the energy storage system at a second rate,

wherein the process of expending an amount of charge within the energy storage system during a drop-down period is performed by at least one of the following;

operating one or more devices coupled to the energy storage system;

transferring the charge to an alternate energy storage device;

transferring the charge back through the charging station;

or

operating the charger as a charge sink.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the first and second rate are the same.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the process of expending an amount of charge within the energy storage system resets the depth of discharge point of reference.