Electric apparatus with a power supply including an electric double layer capacitor

• US 5,604,426 A
• Filed: 06/27/1994
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Power Systems Incorporated (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited (AGC, Inc.), Okamura Laboratory Inc., ELNA Company Limited (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Takeshi, Hiratsuka, Kazuya, Okamura, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hecker, Stuart N.
• Application Number:
  US08/266,460
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 323/282, 320/1
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/10 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode H02M3/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles

Abstract

An electric apparatus with a power supply including a electric double layer capacitor capable of being charged in a short time and supplying a constant electric power with a high power efficiency, and in a peak load type electric apparatus such as an electric automobile, a long time small power output and a short time large power output can be derived as required. For a constant load type electric apparatus, electric power is supplied from an electric double layer capacitor of a power supply, and is stabilized to a constant voltage by a switching regulator, and for a peak load type electric apparatus, a power supply is made by connecting a first electric double layer capacitor of a high energy density type to a second electric double layer capacitor of a high power density type via a current output type switching regulator, and the second capacitor is charged with electric power in the first capacitor through the switching regulator. The output power is always derived from the second capacitor of high power density.

Claims

1. In an electric apparatus consuming continuously a relatively constant electric power, said electric apparatus being characterized by comprising a power supply including an electric double layer capacitor and a switching regulator for transforming variant voltage electric power from the capacitor to a relatively constant voltage electric power.

2. A constant load type electric apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the electric apparatus is used continuously for a short time, and said electric double layer capacitor in the power supply having a relatively low internal resistance or being a combination of electric double layer capacitors in which a plurality of electric double layer capacitors are connected in parallel so as to reduce an equivalent internal resistance.

3. In an electric apparatus consuming intermittently a relatively large electric power, said electric apparatus being characterized by comprising a power supply including a first electric double layer capacitor of a high energy density type, a second electric double layer capacitor of a high power density type and a current output type switching regulator wherein the first capacitor is connected to the second capacitor by interposing the switching regulator so that the second capacitor is charged by the first capacitor via the switching regulator, whereby a long time small power output and a short time large power output can be derived as required.

4. In an electric apparatus consuming intermittently a relatively large electric power during operation and being capable of efficient regenerative braking at the time of braking, said electric apparatus being characterized by comprising a power supply including a first electric double layer capacitor of a high energy density type, a second electric double layer capacitor of a high power density type, a first switching regulator of a current output type between the first and the second capacitors which usually charges the second capacitor with electric power from the first capacitor and a second switching regulator of a current output type which returns an extra output power of regenerative braking of the electric apparatus via the second capacitor to the first capacitor, whereby a long time small power output and a short time large power output can be derived as required, and the extra output power of the regenerative braking supplied to the second capacitor is stored in the first capacitor of a large capacity via the second switching regulator.

5. The electric apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a bi-directional switching regulator is used for the first and the second switching regulators.

6. The electric apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a switching regulator is used for the first and the second switching regulators, whereby in a normal operation, an input terminal of the switching regulator is connected to the first capacitor and an output terminal of the switching regulator is connected to the second capacitor, and during regenerative braking, the input terminal of the switching regulator is connected to the second capacitor and the output terminal is connected to the first capacitor by changing the connections.