RESERVE POWER SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

• US 20150108831A1
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cummins Incorporated
• Inventors: Harshbarger, Daniel R., Meyer, William D., Gonzalez, Miguel A. Jr., Milvert, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,725,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electrical power management system for an internal combustion engine system with a power consumption device includes a battery and a supercapacitor. The battery is coupleable in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device. The supercapacitor is coupleable in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device.

Claims

1. An electrical power management system for an internal combustion engine system that has a power consumption device, comprising:

a battery coupleable in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device; and

a supercapacitor coupleable in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device.

2. The electrical power management system of claim 1, further comprising a power arbitration module receiving electrical power from the battery and the supercapacitor, and providing electrical power to the power consumption device.

3. The electrical power management system of claim 2, wherein the power arbitration module is configured to selectively provide electrical power to the power consumption device from one or both of the battery and supercapacitor.

4. The electrical power management system of claim 3, wherein the power arbitration module selectively provides electrical power to the power consumption device from only the supercapacitor based on a condition of the battery.

5. The electrical power management system of claim 3, further comprising a battery disconnect switch, wherein the power arbitration module selectively provides electrical power to the power consumption device from only the supercapacitor when the battery disconnect switch is activated.

6. The electrical power management system of claim 3, wherein the power arbitration module selectively provides electrical power to the power consumption device from only the supercapacitor during an engine cranking event of the internal combustion engine.

7. The electrical power management system of claim 3, wherein the power arbitration module selectively provides electrical power to the power consumption device from both the battery and the supercapacitor during an engine cranking event of the internal combustion engine.

8. The electrical power management system of claim 1, further comprising a recharger that selectively provides electrical power to the supercapacitor, the recharger being separate from the battery.

9. The electrical power management system of claim 1, wherein the power consumption device comprises an engine control module.

10. The electrical power management system of claim 9, further comprising a switch module that receives power from the supercapacitor and a power condition module that receives power from the battery, the switch module is configured to selectively transmit power from the supercapacitor to the engine control module based on a condition of the battery determined by the power condition module.

11. The electrical power management system of claim 10, wherein the power condition module is configured to selectively transmit power from the battery to the engine control module.

12. The electrical power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery is non-selectively coupled in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device, and the supercapacitor is selectively coupled in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device.

13. The electrical power management system of claim 12, wherein the power consumption device comprises a starter motor, and wherein the supercapacitor is selectively coupled in electrical power providing communication with the starter motor during an engine cranking event of the internal combustion engine.

14. The electrical power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery and supercapacitor are in parallel.

15. The electrical power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery is not in electrical power receiving communication with another component of the internal combustion engine system.

16. An internal combustion engine system, comprising:

an internal combustion engine;

a power consumption device coupled to the internal combustion engine;

a battery selectively or non-selectively electrically coupled to the power consumption device; and

a supercapacitor selectively electrically coupled to the power consumption device, the supercapacitor being in parallel with the battery.

17. The internal combustion engine system of claim 16, further comprising a switch module, the supercapacitor being selectively electrically coupled to the power consumption device via the switch module, wherein the switch module electrically couples the supercapacitor to the power consumption device during a power loss event and electrically decouples the supercapacitor from the power consumption device when a power loss event is not occurring.

18. The internal combustion engine system of claim 16, further comprising an arbitration module, the battery and supercapacitor being selectively electrically coupled to the power consumption device via the arbitration module, wherein the arbitration module selectively electrically couples the battery, supercapacitor, or both in electrical power providing communication with the power consumption device based on predetermined data.

19. A method for managing the electrical power within an internal combustion engine system, comprising:

providing electrical power to a power consumption device of the internal combustion engine system via a battery; and

selectively providing electrical power to the power consumption device of the internal combustion engine system via a supercapacitor in parallel with the battery.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising selectively switching between providing electrical power to the power consumption device of the internal combustion engine system via the battery and providing electrical power to the power consumption device of the internal combustion engine system via the supercapacitor based on an operating condition of the internal combustion engine system.