Power management system for vehicles

• US 7,057,376 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Alexander, Isurin, Alexander, Irwin, Philip Warwick
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US11/035,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20050151517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 323/205, 323/207, 323/9.1, 307/9.1, 307/52, 290/52, 290/40.B, 290/40.R
• US Class Current: 323/207
• 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 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

A power management system for a vehicle. The system may be flexibly configured using various arrangements of DC to AC inverters, DC to DC converters AC to DC converters, DC to AC converters and AC to AC converters, one or more batteries, and a control portion to provide an AC bus, a primary DC bus and a secondary DC bus. The control portion monitors the status of the buses, inverters and converters and controls the operation of the inverters and converters to supply and regulate the power supplied by the buses. The inverters and converters may be bidirectional, allowing power to be transferred between buses.

Claims

1. A power management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first DC bus;

a DC to AC inverter connected between the first DC bus and an AC bus;

a first DC to DC converter connected between the first DC bus and a battery, wherein the first DC to DC converter and the battery are further directly connected to a second DC bus;

a second DC to DC converter connected between the second DC bus and a third DC bus; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is responsive to the status of at least one of the first DC bus, DC to AC inverter, AC bus, first DC to DC converter, battery, second DC bus, second DC to DC converter and third DC bus to control the operation of at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter to at least one of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and third DC bus.

2. The power management system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter are bidirectional.

3. The power management system of claim 2 wherein at least one of the AC bus, second DC bus, third DC bus and a shore power connection are used to supply power to the power management system in cooperation with at least one of the DC to AC converter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter.

4. The power management system of claim 1 wherein the first DC to DC converter and the second DC to DC converter are portions of a single converter assembly.

5. The power management system of claim 4 wherein the converter assembly further includes a plurality of converter bus modules coupled together by a common transformer, and wherein each bus module further includes an inductor and a plurality of electronic switches to at least one of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and third DC bus.

6. The power management system of claim 1 wherein components of at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter are arranged in an enclosure to generally evenly distribute heat generated by the components between a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the components in the first portion and second portion are arranged such that one portion can continue to at least partially function if the other portion should fail or be removed from the system.

7. A power management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first DC bus;

a DC to AC inverter connected between the first DC bus and an AC bus;

a first DC to DC converter connected between the first DC bus and a first battery, wherein the first DC to DC converter and the first battery are further directly connected to a second DC bus;

a second DC to DC converter connected between the second DC bus and a second battery, wherein the second DC to DC converter and the second battery are further directly connected to a third DC bus; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is responsive to the status of at least one of the first DC bus, DC to AC inverter, AC bus, first DC to DC converter, first battery, second DC bus, second DC to DC converter, second battery and third DC bus to control the operation of at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter to at leastone of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and third DC bus.

10. The power management system of claim 7 wherein the first DC to DC converter and the second DC to DC converter are portions of a single converter assembly.

11. The power management system of claim 10 wherein the converter assembly further includes a plurality of converter bus modules coupled together by a common transformer, and wherein each bus module further includes an inductor and a plurality of electronic switches to at least one of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and third DC bus.

12. The power management system of claim 7 wherein components of at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter are arranged in an enclosure to generally evenly distribute heat generated by the components between a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the components in the first portion and second portion are arranged such that one portion can continue to at least partially function if the other portion should fail or be removed from the system.

8. The power management system of 7 wherein at least one of the DC to AC inverter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter are bidirectional.

9. The power management system of claim 8 wherein at least one of the AC bus, second DC bus, third DC bus and a shore power connection are used to supply power to the power management system in cooperation with at least one of the DC to AC converter, first DC to DC converter and second DC to DC converter.

13. A power management system for a vehicle, comprising:

an AC to AC converter connected between an AC power source and an AC bus;

an AC to DC converter connected between the AC bus and a first battery, wherein the AC to DC converter and the first battery are further directly connected to a first DC bus;

a DC to DC converter connected between the first DC bus and a second battery, wherein the DC to DC converter and the second battery are further directly connected to a second DC bus; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is responsive to the status of at least one of the AC power source, AC to AC converter, AC bus, AC to DC converter, first battery, first DC bus, DC to DC converter, second battery, and second DC bus to control the operation of at least one of the AC to AC converter, AC to DC converter, and DC to DC converter to at least one of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus and second DC bus.

14. The power management system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the AC to AC converter, AC to DC converter, and DC to DC converter are bidirectional.

15. The power management system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and a shore power connection are used to supply power to the power management system in cooperation with at least one of the AC to AC converter, AC to DC converter and DC to DC converter.

16. The power management system of claim 13 wherein components of at least one of the AC to AC converter, AC to DC converter and DC to DC converter are arranged in an enclosure to generally evenly distribute heat generated by the components between a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the components in the first portion and second portion are arranged such that one portion can continue to at least partially function if the other portion should fail or be removed from the system.

17. A power management system for a vehicle, comprising:

a DC to AC inverter connected between a DC power source and an AC bus;

a first battery connected to the DC power source, wherein the first battery is further directly connected to a first DC bus;

a DC to DC converter connected between the first DC bus and a second battery, wherein the DC to DC converter and the second battery are further directly connected to a second DC bus; and

a control portion,

wherein the control portion is responsive to the status of at least one of the DC power source, DC to AC inverter, AC bus, first battery, first DC bus, DC to DC converter, second battery and second DC bus to control the operation of at least one of the DC to AC inverter and the DC to DC converter to at least one of supply and regulate at least one of the voltage and current of at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus and second DC bus.

18. The power management system of claim 17 wherein at least one of the DC to AC inverter and the DC to DC conVerter are bidirectional.

19. The power management system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the AC bus, first DC bus, second DC bus and a shore power connection are used to supply power to the power management system in cooperation with at least one of the DC to AC converter and the DC to DC converter.

20. The power management system of claim 17 wherein components of at least one of the DC to AC inverter and DC to DC converter are arranged in an enclosure to generally evenly distribute heat generated by the components between a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the components in the first portion and second portion are arranged such that one portion can continue to at least partially function if the other portion should fail or be removed from the system.