Adaptive algorithm to control and characterize super-capacitor performance

• US 6,947,855 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Frisch, Damon R., Verbrugge, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/637,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702 60- 65, 702/117, 702/118, 702/124, 702/126, 702183-188, 320/132, 320/136, 324/428, 324/433, 324/426, 324/427, 324/430, 324/410, 324/148, 324/149, 324/167, 706/2
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables

Abstract

A method for determining a state of charge (SOC) of a super-capacitor (SC) system includes modeling the SC system with an equivalent circuit having first and second parameters. The method further includes estimating a value of the first and second parameters based on a measured voltage and determining the SOC based on the first and second parameters.

Claims

1. A method of managing power in a vehicle system incorporating a super-capacitor (SC) energy storage device, comprising:

modeling said SC energy storage device with an equivalent circuit having first and second parameters;

estimating a value of said first and second parameters based on a measured voltage; and

determining an available instantaneous power of said SC energy storage device based on said measured voltage and said estimated first and second parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a state of charge (SOC) of said SC energy storage device based on said first and second parameters.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of determining said SOC comprises:

calculating a voltage-based component of said SOC based on said first and second parameters;

calculating a current-based component of said SOC based on said second parameter; and

determining said SOC based on a combination of said voltage-based component and said current-based component.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of determining said SOC is based on an average of said voltage-based component and said current-based component.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first parameter is a resistance, and said second parameter is a capacitance.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said resistance represents ohmic resistance within said SC energy storage device and said capacitance represents dynamics within said SC energy storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising measuring a current of said SC energy storage device, wherein said available instantaneous power is further based on said measured current.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an available future power based on said first and second parameters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of estimating said first and second parameters comprises:

providing a recursive linear relationship to determine a predicted voltage based on prior estimates of said first and second parameters; and

minimizing an error between said measured voltage and said predicted voltage by updating said first and second parameters.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a state of health (SOH) of said SC energy storage device based on said first and second parameters.

11. A vehicle power management system, comprising:

an energy storage device including a super-capacitor;

a voltage measuring device that determines a measured voltage; and

a controller that estimates a value of first and second parameters based on an equivalent circuit of said energy storage device and said measured voltage and that determines an available instantaneous power of said energy storage device based on said measured voltage and said estimated first and second parameters.

12. The vehicle power management system of claim 11 wherein said controller determines a state of charge (SOC) of said energy storage device based on said first and second parameters.

13. The vehicle power management system of claim 12 wherein said controller determines said SOC by:

calculating a voltage-based component of said SOC based on said first and second parameters;

calculating a current-based component of said SOC based on said second parameter; and

determining said SOC based on a combination of said voltage-based component and said current-based component.

14. The vehicle power management system of claim 13 wherein said SOC is based on an average of said voltage-based component and said current-based component.

15. The vehicle power management system of claim 11 wherein said first parameter is a resistance and said second parameter is a capacitance.

16. The vehicle power management system of claim 15 wherein said resistance represents ohmic resistance within said SC system and said capacitance represents dynamics within said SC energy storage device.

17. The vehicle power management system of claim 11 further comprising a current measuring device that measures a current of said energy storage device, wherein said available instantaneous power is further based on said measured current.

18. The vehicle power management system of claim 11 wherein said controller determines an available future power based on said available instantaneous power.

19. The vehicle power management system of claim 11 wherein said controller estimates said first and second parameters by:

providing a recursive linear relationship to determine a predicted voltage based on prior estimates of said first and second parameters; and

minimizing an error between said measured voltage and said predicted voltage by updating said first and second parameters.

20. A method for determining a state of charge (SOC) of a super-capacitor (SC) system, comprising:

modeling said SC system with an equivalent circuit having first and second parameters;

estimating a value of said first and second parameters based on a measured voltage;

calculating a voltage-based component of said SOC based on said estimated first and second parameters and minimum and maximum voltages of said SC system under a zero current condition;

calculating a current-based component of said SOC based on said second parameter; and

determining said SOC based on said voltage-based component of said SOC and said current-based component of said SOC.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said first parameter is a resistance and said second parameter is a capacitance.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said resistance represents ohmic resistance within said SC system and said capacitance represents dynamics within said SC system.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of determining said SOC is based on an average of said voltage-based SOC component and said current-based SOC component.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of estimating said first and second parameters comprises:

providing a recursive linear relationship to determine a predicted voltage based on prior estimates of said first and second parameters; and

minimizing an error between said measured voltage and said predicted voltage by updating said first and second parameters.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining a state of health (SOH) of said SC system based on said first and second parameters.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining a power capability of the SC system for charge and discharge based on the first and second parameters and allowable voltages of the SC system.