Storage battery auxiliary charging system with surveillance functions

• US 5,966,000 A
• Filed: 05/29/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tai-Her Yang
• Original Assignee: Tai-Her Yang
• Inventors: Yang, Tai-Her
• Primary Examiner(s): PONOMARENKO, NICHOLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/864,918
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40 C, 290/40 A, 290/50, 322/14, 322/15, 322/16, 322/23, 320/123, 180/65.8
• US Class Current: 322/23
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/066 characterised by the use of dynamo-electric machines H02J9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

Abstract

An auxiliary power supply for a battery power system includes an engine-driven dynamo which provides auxiliary charging and power supply functions for maintaining optimal performance under a variety of conditions.

Claims

1. A storage battery auxiliary charging system with surveillance functions, comprising:

a secondary battery capable of repeated charging/discharging recycling operations;

a storage status tester arranged to detect charging, discharging, or static loading errors during said repeated charging/discharging recycling operations;

a generator arranged to charge said secondary battery;

a current detector connected in series to an output terminal of said generator, and arranged to control an output of the generator;

an engine;

an engine speed detector arranged to detect angular displacements of the engine and thereby regulate a supply of fuel from a servomechanism to the engine;

a starter motor arranged to generate rotational power to start the engine;

a fuel supply servo device arranged to control the fuel supply to engine and thereby regulate engine rotation speed and torque;

a drive controller arranged to drive said starter motor;

a load motor capable at least of forward rotation, reverse rotation, speed regulation, and stopping functions;

a drive controller arranged to drive said load motor;

an auxiliary power supply arranged to supply power to a central control unit, a manual control unit, said drive controller, and other auxiliary devices and detectors;

a central control unit arranged to respond to instructions from a manual control device and to feedback signals so as to govern interactions between said generator, secondary battery, load motor, or other loads in the control system, as well as other associated devices;

a harmful gas detector arranged to detect a concentration of harmful gases, in a surrounding environment when charging is in progress, and connected to the engine to stop operation thereof whether in manual control mode or in an automatic mode of activation, so that operation is stopped whenever the detected concentration of harmful gases exceeds a safety margin, but allowed to continue when a reading from the detector falls within tolerance; and

an ambient temperature detector arranged to automatically detect ambient temperatures, with the output transmitted to the central control unit so that charging is suspended, and other forms of operation stopped, when the ambient temperature exceeds a given threshold value, and so that continued system operation is allowed where the ambient temperature is found to be within rated working temperature ranges,

wherein said system not only charges and initiates motor and engine operation and charges the battery exclusively through the generator when, by testing the battery saturation state, the battery storage level is confirmed to have fallen down to preset level, but also is arranged to;

(i) deliver power to the load motor or other loads and to said secondary battery based on the result of testing said secondary battery saturation state and comparing it with modes of operation programmed in the central control unit, followed by output of rated or ratable power, or of fixed current or controlled current, by correspondent control of the generator so that the loading factor is matched, or through proportionate apportioning of currents supplied to both the load and said secondary battery, and further switching automatically to effect relative control of the generator when the aggregate load has exceeded the generator'"'"'s capacity, while switching back to the prime operating regime when the load drops to a level below the generator capacity,

(ii) effect a relative control of the generator for a fixed or controlled current output, for a fixed power factor, or a controlled power factor output, based on the current storage condition of said secondary battery, so as to apportion loads, in a controlled manner, to the generator and the battery based on the generator power factor and loading factor, or on both currents, so that the generator and storage battery will jointly drive the load motor or other loads, and eventually to switch to said function (i) when the load has been reduced with the loading factor downgraded to a level below the generator power factor, but reverting to its prime function when the load power consumption reaches a level that is greater than the generator capacity,

(iii) verify load current status of the load motor when driven by the battery alone, such that once the power factor of the load motor or other load rises to a level beyond a set value or beyond a set time, the engine and generator are automatically driven and the modes of operation programmed in the central control unit function to bring about operation under a fixed or controlled current, or a fixed or controlled power rate, in order to drive the load jointly with said secondary battery, the operation of the generator also being stopped, followed by continued supply of power from said secondary battery to the load motor or other load, once the load motor or other load power factor resumes a normal rating after the set time has elapsed,

(iv) drive the engine and generator in response to manipulation of the manual control so that the generator with its output may singly drive the load motor or another load, and so that when the load on the load motor increases, the power stored in the battery may jointly drive the load together with the generator produced power, and further so that, once the motor load returns to normal, the battery will stop outputting power, at which time the load is driven instead by power coming from the generator,

(v) accept manipulation from the manual control unit so as to initiate engine and generator operation for a fixed or controlled current, or a fixed power rate, or to control power rate generation so as to drive the load motor and charge said secondary battery in a manner proportional to the matched generation power rate and the load rate or, alternatively, to match the current supplied in both cases,

(vi) accept manipulation from the manual control unit so as to initiate engine and generator operation for fixed current, controlled current, or a fixed power rate, or controlled power rate generation so as to cause the generator and battery to jointly drive the load motor or other load based on generated power, loading power, or current with proportional distribution, to return operation to charge the battery when the load is reduced and the loading power is less than the generation power, and to revert to its prime function mode when the load power exceeds the generation power rate.

(vii) accept manipulation from the manual control unit so as to cause the engine and generator to selectively charge the battery,

(viii) accept manipulation from the manual control unit so as to cause the engine and generator to charge the battery for individually programmed charging times, to limit charging currents to the battery, power factor to the battery, and to trigger suspension of charging by the generator, with control of charging time in this connection including control of supplemental or saturation charging, or emergency charging,

(ix) stop operation of the engine and generator as the battery reaches a predetermined saturation, as determined in the course of operation under aforementioned functions (ii), (vii), or (ix),

(x) stop charging with respect to the battery without affecting power being output from the generator to the load motor either through manipulation of the manual control unit or by means of the central control unit once the battery reaches a predetermined saturation point, verified in the course of operations run under above-described functions (i) or (v),

(xi) stop operation of the generator so that the power output is delivered to the load motor away from the battery through manipulation either of the manual control unit or the central control unit once the battery reaches a predetermined saturation point, verified in the course of operations run under functions (i) or (vi).

(xii) enable the generator to continue operation concurrently with the battery by shifting from a charging status to jointly deliver input power with the generator to the load motor either through manipulation of the manual control unit or by means of the central control unit once the battery reaches a predetermined saturation point, verified in the course of operations run under function (i) or (vi),

(xiii) relatively regulate the generator'"'"'s power generation rate based on a charging current signal generated based on testing conducted when the generator solely charges the battery or concurrently delivers power to the load motor while charging the battery at the same time, during operation charging of the battery through the generator when battery storage level is confirmed to have fallen down to a preset level and under functions (i), (v), (vi), (vii), or (viii),

(xiv) provide for surveillance of peripheral harmful gases by testing a concentration of peripheral harmful gases so that, once a critical value is exceeded, charging and other functional operations are stopped, and only restarted once the reading of harmful gases has dropped to a level below the critical one, the testing being conducted when charging is run under automatic or manual control, or alternatively when other functional operations are in progress, by means of the harmful gas detector,

(xv) provide for surveillance of ambient temperature, with the output of the ambient temperature detector being used to stop charging or other operations when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value while allowing other modes of operation within the normal temperature range, and by causing the engine and generator to be shifted automatically to a shutdown status when the temperature drops too low, so as to maintain a sustaining charge for the battery such that the latter is maintained in readiness to serve condition in all eventualities.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generator is arranged to provide an electrical output only after a predetermined time has elapsed following starting of the engine.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that, when the system has been running continuously, the engine is maintained in a warmed-up condition by running the engine at idle speed in preparation for generator operation.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that, when the system stops power generation completely, peripheral cooling devices continue to perform heat dissipation to avoid engine heat accumulation, and upon completion of heat dissipation, engine operation is automatically stopped.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that, during system operation, the engine and generator are controlled by a temperature detector arranged to reduce power output if the temperature exceeds a predetermined limit.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine is arranged to be intermittently operated to maintain a temperature set by said central control unit.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manual control unit is arranged to enable programming of charging times, maximum charging currents, and charging current power factor.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system is arranged such that once a critical value of harmful gases is exceeded, charging and other functional operations are stopped, and only restarted once the reading of harmful gases has dropped to a level below the critical one, the testing being conducted when charging is run under both automatic and manual control, or alternatively when other functional operations are in progress, by means of the harmful gas detector.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system is arranged such that output of the ambient temperature detector is used to stop charging or other operations when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value while allowing other modes of operation within the normal temperature range, and by causing the engine and generator to be shifted automatically to a shutdown status when the temperature drops too low, so as to maintain a sustaining charge for the battery.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control circuit, said control circuit including a blocking diode connected in series between said battery and said generator, and an impedance connected in parallel with said blocking diode for restricting charging currents from the generator to the battery.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a regulator arranged to receive control signals from said central control unit to control an output of said generator based on an output of said current detector, said regulator being connected in parallel across ends of a forward series blocking diode connected to an output terminal of the battery.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blocking diode is connected in parallel with a two-way switch for pulse modulating currents from the generator to the battery.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a switch device connected in series between the generator and a voltage regulation device selected from the group consisting of a voltage regulator, impedance, or switch, said switch being connected between said blocking diode and said regulator.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a one-way transmission clutch connected between the engine and the generator, and a one-way transmission clutch connected between the generator and the load motor, wherein the engine idles when running in one direction, and wherein the load motor is capable of driving the generator to obtain power during a braking action.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising clutches connected between said engine and generator, and between said generator and load motor, wherein once the clutches are disengaged, said engine and load motor run in an idle status, and wherein once said clutches are closed, said engine or said load motor can drive said generator.