Method for supplying power in an electrical power supply system having a supercapacitor

• US 7,038,427 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Spijker, Engbert, Kok, Daniel, Gaedt, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/674,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 320/167, 320/104, 320/103, 307/10.1, 307/9.1, 323/222, 429/12
• US Class Current: 320/167
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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

The invention relates to a regulation system for voltage regulation in the electrical power supply system for a motor vehicle, which contains a supercapacitor. In a short-term standby mode (ST), the voltage (U) of the supercapacitor is regulated such that a voltage window (ΔU) is maintained, thus ensuring a minimum energy content in the supercapacitor (4). During a long-term standby mode (LT), the supercapacitor (4) is charged to a voltage (U_h) only when an activation signal (t_A) occurs. The energy for charging is drawn from a second energy store, in particular a battery.

Claims

1. A method for voltage regulation in an electrical power supply system having a supercapacitor, wherein in a short-term standby mode (ST), an energy supply for the supercapacitor is refreshed as required in order to maintain a minimum energy supply in the supercapacitor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply for the supercapacitor is refreshed in the short-term standby mode (ST) when a voltage across the supercapacitor has fallen below a predetermined minimum value (U₁).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein in a long-term standby mode (LT), the energy supply for the supercapacitor is refreshed as a reaction to an activation signal, in order to produce a minimum energy supply in the supercapacitor.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the activation signal is triggered periodically in time after detection of a predetermined event, in particular the opening of a door of a motor vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a refreshing process for the energy supply in the short-term standby mode (ST) or in the long-term standby mode (LT) is ended when the voltage across the supercapacitor exceeds a predetermined maximum value (U_h).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the energy supply for the supercapacitor is refreshed by transferring energy from a battery in the electrical power supply system.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein at the start of the short-term standby mode (ST) or the long-term standby mode (LT), the supercapacitor is discharged down to a predetermined discharge voltage (U_h), with the energy which is withdrawn from the supercapacitor preferably being transferred to a battery in the electrical power supply system.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the short-term standby mode (ST) preferably changes to the long-term standby mode (LT) after a time period of one minute to two months, preferably after about 24 hours.

9. An electrical power supply system comprising a supercapacitor and a monitoring unit, which is coupled to the supercapacitor and is designed to assist with voltage regulation including the ability to enter a short-term standby mode (ST), wherein the energy supply for the supercapacitor is refreshed as needed in order to maintain a minimum energy supply in the supercapacitor.

10. The electrical power supply system according to claim 9, wherein loads having a high dynamic load component are connected to the supercapacitor.