ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE, POWER MANAGEMENT DEVICE, MOBILE TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20140049886A1
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: LEE, Seungyong, MOON, Heesoo, PARK, Jaehyuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,490,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00001 characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 : Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 : Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/40 : Display of information, e.g. of data or controls
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/12 : Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/242 : Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 : using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

An energy storage device, a power management device, a mobile terminal, and a method for operating the same are discussed. The energy storage device includes a battery pack, a communication module to transmit power-on information or energy storage amount information to a power management device and to receive a charge command or discharge command from the power management device, a connector to receive AC power from the internal power network based on the charge command or to output AC power to the internal power network based on the discharge command, and a power converter to, when the charge command is received from the power management device, convert the AC power from the internal power network into DC power based on the charge command, or, when the discharge command is received from the power management device, convert DC power in the battery pack into AC power based on the discharge command.

Claims

1. An energy storage device comprising:

at least one battery pack;

a communication module configured to transmit power-on information or energy storage amount information to a power management device and to receive a charge command or discharge command from the power management device;

a connector configured to receive alternating current (AC) power, supplied to an internal power network through a photovoltaic module, from the internal power network based on the charge command or to output AC power to the internal power network based on the discharge command; and

a power converter configured to, when the charge command is received from the power management device, convert the AC power from the internal power network into direct current (DC) power based on the charge command, or, when the discharge command is received from the power management device, convert DC power stored in the at least one battery pack into AC power based on the discharge command.

2. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the communication module controls the at least one battery pack and the power converter.

3. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power converter comprises a bidirectional converter configured to convert the AC power from the internal power network into DC power or to convert the DC power stored in the at least one battery pack into AC power.

4. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power converter converts the DC power stored in the at least one battery pack into AC power when supply of commercial AC power to the internal power network is interrupted, and

wherein the connector outputs the converted AC power to the internal power network.

5. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a pluggable socket.

6. The energy storage device according to claim 5, wherein the socket is connected with a plug of another energy storage device to change a DC power storage capacity of the energy storage device.

7. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the communication module transmits a pairing request signal to the power management device when the energy storage device is powered on, and then receives a pairing response signal from the power management device.

8. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the communication module receives the charge command or discharge command over a radio channel different from that of another energy storage device.

9. A power management device comprising:

a communication module configured to receive information about solar power generated by a photovoltaic module, information about commercial power supplied to an internal power network, information about load power consumed in the internal power network, and information about an energy storage amount of at least one energy storage device; and

a processor configured to generate a charge command for charging of alternating current (AC) power from the internal power network to the at least one energy storage device or a discharge command for discharging of AC power from the at least one energy storage device to the internal power network based on at least one of the load power information, the commercial power information, the solar power information and the energy storage amount information,

wherein the communication module transmits the generated charge command or discharge command to the at least one energy storage device.

10. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the processor generates the charge command for the charging of the AC power from the internal power network to the at least one energy storage device when the solar power is supplied to the internal power network.

11. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the processor monitors power information of at least one load electrically connected to the internal power network or the at least one energy storage device electrically connected to the internal power network.

12. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the processor, when a power monitoring request for the internal power network is received, performs a control operation to transmit monitored information for the power information in the internal power network externally through the communication module.

13. The power management device according to claim 12, wherein:

the charge command or discharge command is transmitted to the at least one energy storage device in a first communication scheme; and

the monitored information is externally transmitted in a second communication scheme, the second communication scheme being different from the first communication scheme.

14. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the communication module receives the solar power information from a junction box, the junction box being electrically connected to the photovoltaic module.

15. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the processor performs a control operation to allocate different radio channels to a plurality of energy storage devices including the at least one energy storage device, and

wherein the communication module transmits the charge command or discharge command to each of the plurality of energy storage devices over a corresponding one of the different radio channels.

16. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the communication module receives the information about the commercial power supplied to the internal power network and the information about the load power consumed in the internal power network from a power distributor, the power distributor distributing the commercial power to the internal power network.

17. The power management device according to claim 9, wherein the processor generates the discharge command when supply of commercial AC power to the internal power network is interrupted, and

wherein the communication module transmits the generated discharge command to the at least one energy storage device.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

a display;

a wireless communication unit configured to exchange data with a power management device; and

a controller configured to, when a power monitoring mode for an internal power network is entered, perform a control operation to transmit a power monitoring request to the power management device, and, when monitored information for power information in the internal power network is received from the power management device, perform a control operation to display the monitored information on the display.

19. A method for operating an energy storage device, the method comprising:

converting alternating current (AC) power from an internal power network into direct current (DC) power based on a charge command when the charge command is received from a power management device;

storing the converted DC power in a battery pack;

converting the DC power stored in the battery pack into AC power based on a discharge command when the discharge command is received from the power management device; and

outputting the converted AC power to the internal power network.

20. A method for operating a power management device, the method comprising:

receiving information about solar power generated by a photovoltaic module and then supplied to an internal power network;

receiving information about load power consumed in the internal power network and information about commercial power supplied to the internal power network;

generating a charge command for charging of alternating current (AC) power from the internal power network to at least one energy storage device or a discharge command for discharging of AC power from the energy storage device to the internal power network based on at least one of the load power information, the commercial power information, the solar power information and information about an energy storage amount of the energy storage device; and

transmitting the generated charge command or discharge command to the energy storage device.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting monitored information for the power information externally when a power monitoring request for the internal power network is received.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein:

the charge command or discharge command is transmitted to the energy storage device in a first communication scheme; and

the monitored information is externally transmitted in a second communication scheme, the second communication scheme being different from the first communication scheme.

23. A method for operating a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

entering a power monitoring mode for an internal power network;

transmitting a power monitoring request to a power management device in the power monitoring mode;

receiving monitored information for power information in the internal power network from the power management device; and

displaying the monitored information on a display.