SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POWER STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION

• US 20180351399A1
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Frey, James Walter, Samstad, Jeffrey B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,873,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies

Abstract

According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a power system comprising an input power distribution circuit including a plurality of power connections, a first power supply coupled to a first power connection of the plurality of power connections, a scalable battery bank including at least a first battery module coupled to a second power connection of the plurality of power connections, the first battery module including a first battery and a first battery charger, the first battery charger and the first power supply being removable and interchangeable, and an output power distribution circuit coupled to the first power supply and the first battery and configured to provide output power derived from at least one of the first power supply and the first battery.

Claims

1. A power system comprising:

an input power distribution circuit including a plurality of power connections;

a first power supply coupled to a first power connection of the plurality of power connections;

a scalable battery bank including at least a first battery module coupled to a second power connection of the plurality of power connections, the first battery module including a first battery and a first battery charger, wherein the first battery charger and the first power supply are removable and interchangeable; and

an output power distribution circuit coupled to the first power supply and the first battery and configured to provide output power derived from at least one of the first power supply and the first battery.

2. The power system of claim 1, wherein the output power distribution circuit further includes a common DC (direct current) bus line, wherein the first power supply is coupled to and configured to provide a first DC voltage to the common DC bus line during a first mode of operation, and wherein the first battery is coupled to and configured to provide a second DC voltage to the common DC bus line during a second mode of operation.

3. The power system of claim 2, wherein the first battery charger is further coupled to the common DC bus line and configured to provide a third DC voltage to the common DC bus line during a third mode of operation.

4. The power system of claim 2, wherein the output power distribution circuit further includes at least a first output option card coupled to the common DC bus line and configured to provide a first adjustable output to a first load.

5. The power system of claim 4, wherein the output power distribution circuit further includes at least a second output option card coupled to the common DC bus line and configured to provide a second adjustable output to a second load, the second adjustable output having a different output power configuration than the first adjustable output.

6. The power system of claim 5, wherein the output power distribution circuit further includes a cloud-enabled control circuit configured to monitor at least the first output option card and the second output option card.

7. The power system of claim 5, wherein the first output option card further includes a Power over Ethernet injector.

8. The power system of claim 1, further comprising a second power supply coupled to a third power connection of the plurality of power connections, wherein the second power supply is coupled in parallel with the first power supply.

9. The power system of claim 1, wherein the scalable battery bank further includes a second battery module coupled to a fourth power connection of the plurality of power connections, the second battery module including a second battery and a second battery charger, and wherein the second battery charger, the first battery charger, and the first power supply are removable and interchangeable.

10. The power system of claim 1, wherein the first battery module further includes a direct connection configured to receive input power from an alternate power source when the first battery module is removed from the power system.

11. The power system of claim 1, wherein the first battery charger includes a Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) circuit.

12. The power system of claim 1, wherein the output power distribution circuit further includes a power quality monitor configured to measure a power quality of input power received at the input power distribution circuit.

13. A method for power distribution, the method comprising:

receiving input power at an input power distribution circuit coupled to at least a first power supply and a first battery module of a scalable battery bank;

distributing the input power to at least the first power supply and a first battery charger of the first battery module, wherein the first battery charger and the first power supply are removable and interchangeable;

providing a first DC (direct current) voltage to a common DC bus line from the first power supply during a first mode of operation;

providing a second DC voltage to the common DC bus line from a first battery of the first battery module during a second mode of operation; and

providing output power derived from at least one of the first power supply and the first battery.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a third DC voltage to the common DC bus line from the first battery charger during a third mode of operation.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a first adjustable output to a first load from a first output option card coupled to the common DC bus line.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing a second adjustable output to a second load from a second output option card coupled to the common DC bus line, wherein the second adjustable output has a different output power configuration than the first adjustable output.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising assigning a priority to the first load and the second load, the first adjustable output and the second adjustable output being provided according to the assigned priority.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the input power at the input power distribution circuit includes receiving the input power from a solar panel power source.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring a power quality of the input power; and

switching between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation based at least in part on the monitored power quality.

20. A power system comprising:

an input power distribution circuit coupled to a power source to receive input power;

a plurality of power supplies coupled to the input power distribution circuit to receive the input power;

a scalable battery bank including a plurality of battery modules, each battery module including a battery and a battery charger, and each battery charger being interchangeable with at least one of the plurality of power supplies, wherein each battery module is coupled to the input power distribution circuit to receive the input power;

an output power distribution circuit coupled to a plurality of loads, the output power distribution circuit being configured to deliver adjustable output power derived from at least one of the plurality of power supplies or at least one of the plurality of battery modules to each load of the plurality of loads; and

an exterior enclosure positioned to encase the power system.