ULTRACAPACITOR AND BATTERY COMBINATION WITH ELECTRONIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130264875A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UCAP Power, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maxwell Technologies Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaminsky, Ilya, Lynds, Robert Shaw, Setterberg, Mikael, Bendale, Priya, Dougherty, Thomas J., Hung, Ha Q., Miller, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,627,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/08 Structural combinations, e.g. assembly or connection, of hybrid or EDL capacitors with other electric components, at least one hybrid or EDL capacitor being the main component
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/28 Structural combinations of electrolytic capacitors, rectifiers, detectors, switching devices with other electric components not covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/253 adapted for specific cells, e.g. electrochemical cells operating at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/435 Solid dielectric type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a combined battery/capacitor energy storage device. The device includes a first device terminal, a second device terminal, a battery connected between the first terminal and the second terminal, and a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery. In one aspect, a rectifier is connected between the first terminal and the capacitor, the rectifier configured to allow substantially unidirectional current flow from the first terminal to the capacitor. In another aspect, a switch is between the capacitor and the first terminal. In another aspect, a current limiter extends between the first terminal and the capacitor.

Claims

1. An energy storage device, comprising:

a first device terminal and a second device terminal;

a battery connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery; and

a rectifier connected between the first terminal and the capacitor, the rectifier configured to allow substantially unidirectional current flow from the first terminal to the capacitor.

2. The energy storage device of claim 1, wherein the rectifier comprises a diode.

3. The energy storage device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal is a positive terminal configured to receive power from a power source, and the second terminal is a negative or ground terminal, further comprising a third terminal between the rectifier and the capacitor, the third terminal configured to provide power from the capacitor to an external load.

4. The energy storage device of claim 3, further comprising a current limiter connected in series between the rectifier and the capacitor.

5. The energy storage device of claim 4, wherein the current limiter comprises a positive-temperature-coefficient resistor.

6. The energy storage device of claim 3, further comprising a DC/DC converter connected between the first terminal and the third terminal, the DC/DC converter comprising:

the rectifier;

a switch connected between the second terminal and the rectifier;

a boost controller configured to control the switch; and

an inductor connected in series with the rectifier between the first terminal and the rectifier.

7. The energy storage device of claim 6, wherein the rectifier comprises a first rectifier, further comprising a second rectifier connected between the first terminal and the third terminal, and in parallel with the first rectifier and the inductor.

8. The energy storage device of claim 6, wherein the inductor comprises a saturable inductor.

9. An energy storage device, comprising:

a first device terminal and a second device terminal;

a battery connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery; and

a first switch between the capacitor and the first terminal, the first switch configured to selectively control electrical communication between the capacitor and the first terminal.

10. The energy storage device of claim 9, further comprising a rectifier connected between the first terminal and the capacitor, the rectifier configured to allow substantially unidirectional current flow from the first terminal to the capacitor.

11. The energy storage device of claim 10, wherein the rectifier comprises a diode.

12. The energy storage device of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to open the first switch when an output voltage of the battery drops below a detected amount.

13. The energy storage device of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to close the first switch in response to detection of a loss of external power to the first terminal.

14. The energy storage device of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to open the first switch after the first switch has been closed for a predetermined period of time.

15. The energy storage device of claim 9, further comprising a second switch between the battery and the first terminal, the second switch configured to selectively control electrical communication between the battery and the first terminal.

16. The energy storage device of claim 15, further comprising a controller configured to close the first switch and open the second switch when a voltage of the first terminal increases above a detected amount.

17. The energy storage device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to close the second switch when an output voltage of the capacitor is above a detected amount.

18. The energy storage device of claim 9, wherein the first switch is parallel with the rectifier.

19. The energy storage device of claim 18, further comprising:

a third terminal between the rectifier and the capacitor;

wherein the first switch is positioned between the first terminal and the third terminal.

20. An energy storage device, comprising:

a first device terminal and a second device terminal;

a capacitor connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a first battery connected in parallel with the capacitor;

a second battery connected in parallel with and between the first battery and the capacitor;

a first rectifier connected in parallel with and between the first battery and the second battery;

a second rectifier connected between the second terminal and the first rectifier; and

a third rectifier connected between the first rectifier and the first terminal.

21. An energy storage device, comprising:

a first positive device terminal configured to receive power from a power source;

a second device terminal comprising a negative or ground terminal;

a battery connected between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a capacitor connected in parallel with the battery; and

a current limiter extending between the first terminal and the capacitor, the current limiter configured to reduce current draw from the battery when the capacitor powers an external device.

22. The energy storage device of claim 21, further comprising a third terminal configured to provide power from the capacitor to an external device, wherein the current limiter extends between the first terminal and the third terminal.

23. The energy storage device of claim 21, wherein the current limiter comprises at least one of a positive-temperature-coefficient resistor and a resistive bridge.

24. A self-balancing combined battery/capacitor energy storage device, comprising:

a first positive device terminal configured to receive power from a power source;

a second device terminal comprising a negative or ground terminal;

a battery bank comprising two or more batteries connected in series between the first terminal and the second terminal;

a capacitor bank comprising two or more capacitors connected in series, the capacitor bank connected in parallel with the battery bank; and

one or more interconnects extending between the battery bank and the capacitor bank, wherein each interconnect includes a first end connected to a node between a corresponding adjacent pair of capacitors in the capacitor bank, and a second end connected to a node between a corresponding adjacent pair of batteries.

25. The self-balancing combined battery/capacitor energy storage device of claim 24, wherein the number of batteries in the battery bank and the number of capacitors in the capacitor bank are the same.

26. The self-balancing combined battery/capacitor energy storage device of claim 25, wherein the interconnect comprises a wire without other electrical components extending between the adjacent capacitors and batteries.