Storage capacitor power supply

• US 5,783,928 A
• Filed: 04/02/1993
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nantong Jianghai Capacitor Company Limited, Okamura Laboratory Inc.
• Original Assignee: JEOL Limited
• Inventors: Okamura, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/041,543
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 320/1, 320/56, 320/7, 320/16, 320/30, 320/39, 320/18, 320/118, 320/120, 320/122, 320/127, 320/132, 320/166, 320/167
• US Class Current: 320/122
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A long-lived, lightweight, and quickly and precisely charged storage capacitor power supply capable of stably supplying electric power to a load. The power supply has a capacitor block consisting of capacitors connected in series, in parallel or in any combination of series and parallel. The power supply further includes a charging circuit for charging the block, a charging power supply connected with the block via the charging circuit, and a charge-limiting circuit. This charge-limiting circuit detects the voltage across the terminals of the block and limits charging of the block if the voltage reaches a given value. One embodiment of the invention further includes a charge-limiting circuit, a full charge-detecting circuit, and a residual electricity-detecting circuit connected in parallel with the block. The charge-limiting circuit senses that the voltage across the terminals of the block exceeds the given value and causes the charging current to bypass the block. The full charge-detecting circuit senses that the charge-limiting circuit is operated and determines that full charge is attained. The residual electricity-detecting circuit finds the residual electric power from the voltage across the terminals of the block. Another embodiment has a first and a second capacitor block. The voltage across the terminals of the first block is detected. The first block is charged from the second block until the detected voltage reaches a given voltage. The first block supplies electric power directly to the load.

Claims

1. A storage capacitor power supply adapted to store electricity in a capacitor block consisting of a plurality of capacitors connected to supply electric power to a load, said power supply comprising:

a charge-limiting circuit connected in parallel with each capacitor and causing the charging current to bypass the capacitor by sensing that the voltage across any capacitor has reached a given value;

a full charge-detecting circuit which detects operation of the charge-limiting circuit and makes a decision to see if a fully charged condition has occurred, wherein said full charge-detecting circuit performs a logical operation on the output signals from the charge-limiting circuits; and

a means for superimposing an AC waveform to the charging currents, wherein said full charge-detecting circuit monitors the amplitude of the AC waveform.

2. A storage capacitor power supply adapted to store electricity in a capacitor block consisting of a plurality of electric double layer capacitors connected to supply electric power to a load, said power supply comprising:

a charge-limiting circuit having a transistor connected in parallel with each of the electric double layer capacitors and causing the charging current to bypass each of the electric double layer capacitors by sensing that the voltage across any capacitor has reached a given value;

a full charge-detecting circuit which monitors the operation of the charge-limiting circuit in order to make a decision whether or not a fully charged condition has occurred; and

a means for superimposing an AC waveform on the charging currents, wherein said full charge-detecting circuit monitors the amplitude of the AC waveform.

3. A storage capacitor power supply adapted to store electricity in a capacitor block consisting of a plurality of capacitors connected to supply electric power to a load, said power supply comprising:

a charge-limiting circuit connected in parallel with each capacitor and causing the charging current to bypass the capacitor by sensing that the voltage across any capacitor has reached a given value; and

a full charge-detecting circuit which detects operation of the charge-limiting circuit and makes a decision to see if a fully charged condition has occurred, wherein there is further provided a means for superimposing an AC waveform to the charging currents and wherein said full charge-detecting circuit monitors the amplitude of the AC waveform.

4. A storage capacitor power supply adapted to store electricity in a capacitor block consisting of a plurality of electric double layer capacitors connected to supply electric power to a load, said power supply comprising:

a charge-limiting circuit connected in parallel with each of the electric double layer capacitors and causing the charging current to bypass each of the electric double layer capacitors by sensing that the voltage across any capacitor has reached a given value; and

a full charge-detecting circuit which detects operation of the charge-limiting circuit and makes a decision to see if a fully charged condition has occurred, wherein there is further provided a means for superimposing an AC waveform to the charging currents and wherein said full charge-detecting circuit monitors the amplitude of the AC waveform.