POWER COMBINER SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20170104328A1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cence Power Inc.
• Original Assignee: Argentum Electronics, Inc. (Cence Power Inc.)
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Bolis, Zhyhinas, Oleh, Wyszynski, Kamil Aleksander
• Granted Patent: US 10,374,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/12 Parallel operation of dc generators with converters, e.g. with mercury-arc rectifier

Abstract

Power combiner systems and methods for combining power from a number of power sources, which can differ in output power level, to at least one output. A controller monitors energy storage elements and controls a switch network to dynamically charge and discharge the energy storage elements while matching a desired output level. The controller can dynamically direct the switch network to alter inputs and outputs, thereby changing the frequency and order in which energy storage elements are connected.

Claims

1. A system for combining electrical power from a plurality of power sources, the system comprising:

a plurality of energy storage elements arranged in a plurality of sets, each of the plurality of sets corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of power sources;

a plurality of voltage sensors coupled respectively to each of the plurality of energy storage elements;

a plurality of output switches corresponding respectively to each of the plurality of energy storage elements;

a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of voltage sensors and the plurality of output switches, and configured to;

determine a respective state for each selected element of the plurality of energy storage elements;

based on the respective state of each of the plurality of energy storage elements, determining at least one output element from the plurality of energy storage elements; and

direct at least one of the plurality of output switches to couple the output element to at least one output.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of input switches corresponding respectively to each of the plurality of energy storage elements, each of the plurality of input switches coupling a respective energy storage element to a respective power source, wherein the controller is further configured to decouple the output element from its respective power source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to direct at least one of the output switches to decouple a previous output element from the output, and to direct at least one of the input switches to recouple the previous output element to its respective power source.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to periodically repeat the determining, the decoupling the output element, the decoupling the previous output element, the recoupling and the coupling to selectively switch between the plurality of energy storage elements.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive from the plurality of voltage sensors a plurality of node voltages corresponding respectively to the plurality of energy storage elements, and determine that a selected node voltage corresponding to the output element is closest to the respective peak charging voltage of the output element.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plurality of energy levels corresponding respectively to the plurality of energy storage elements, wherein the selecting is based on the plurality of energy levels.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to enforce a minimum or maximum output power when selecting the output element.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to enforce a minimum or maximum output voltage when selecting the output element.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dynamic load, wherein the output element is coupled to the output via a dynamic load.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the dynamic load is a DC-DC converter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a period of the periodic repeating is determined based on a discharge time of the plurality of storage elements.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the respective state is a peak voltage.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the respective state is a peak charging voltage that corresponds to a highest charging rate for the selected element.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one output comprises a plurality of outputs.

15. A method of combining electrical power from a plurality of power sources, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of energy storage elements arranged in a plurality of sets, each of the plurality of sets corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of power sources;

determining a respective state for each selected element of the plurality of energy storage elements;

based on the respective state of each of the plurality of energy storage elements, determining at least one output element from the plurality of energy storage elements; and

coupling the at least one output element to an electrical network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein coupling the at least one output element to the electrical network further comprises decoupling the output element from its respective power source.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein coupling the at least one output element to the electrical network comprises decoupling a previous output element from the output and recoupling the previous output element to its respective power source.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising periodically repeating the determining, the decoupling the output element, the decoupling the previous output element, the recoupling and the coupling to selectively switch between the plurality of energy storage elements.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining comprises measuring a plurality of node voltages corresponding respectively to the plurality of energy storage elements, and determining that a selected node voltage corresponding to the output element is closest to the respective peak charging voltage of the output element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the determining further comprises determining a plurality of energy levels corresponding respectively to the plurality of energy storage elements, wherein the determining is based on the plurality of energy levels.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining further comprises enforcing a minimum or maximum output power.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining further comprises enforcing a minimum or maximum output voltage.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the output element is coupled to the output via a dynamic load.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the dynamic load is a DC-DC converter.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein a period of the periodic repeating is determined based on a discharge time of the plurality of storage elements.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the respective state is a peak voltage.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the respective state is a peak charging voltage that corresponds to a highest charging rate for the selected element.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one output comprises a plurality of outputs.