Systems and methods for power storage and management from intermittent power sources

• US 7,658,247 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Carter, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/524,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 280/33.994, 280/216, 280/33.992, 340/568.5, 340/426.11, 188/111, 188/156, 188/1.12, 188/162, 429/110, 429/115, 429/116, 180/65.24, 180/65.29, 180/220
• US Class Current: 180/65.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1407 on vehicles not being driven by a motor, e.g. bicycles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1846 structurally associated with wheels or associated parts dynamos arranged in the wheel hub of cycles B62J6/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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

Abstract

A power management system is disclosed. Embodiments of the power management system may be configured for use with an electric generator that produces AC or DC voltage from an energy source, which may be intermittent or fluctuating. One embodiment of the power management system includes an energy storage reservoir configured to be electrically coupled to the electric generator. The energy storage reservoir includes at least one ultracapacitor and at least one rechargeable battery. The power management system also includes an electronic controller configured to control storage in the reservoir of energy generated by the electric generator and to control power usage from the reservoir and the generator. The electronic controller is configured to control energy storage and power usage in response to one or more control signals.

Claims

1. A power management system configured for use with an electric generator disposed in or on a non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle, the electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotational motion of a wheel of the non-self-propelled vehicle, the power management system comprising:

an energy storage reservoir configured to be electrically coupled to the electric generator disposed in or on the non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle, the electric generator configured to produce electric power from rotational motion of the wheel of the non-self-propelled vehicle, the energy storage reservoir comprising at least one ultracapacitor and at least one rechargeable battery; and

an electronic controller configured to control storage in the reservoir of energy generated by the electric generator and to control power usage from the reservoir and the generator, the electronic controller further configured to supply power to an electrical component disposed in or on the non-self-propelled vehicle;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to control energy storage and power usage in response to at least one control signal; and

wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control energy storage in the at least one rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on battery chemistry of the at least one rechargeable battery.

2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electric generator is configured to supply a bipolar voltage to the power management system.

3. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electric generator is configured to supply a fluctuating direct current (DC) voltage to the power management system.

4. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultracapacitor comprises an electric double layer capacitor.

5. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultracapacitor comprises a carbon aerogel ultracapacitor.

6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultracapacitor comprises two or more ultracapacitors.

7. The power management system of claim 6, wherein at least two of the two or more ultracapacitors are electrically connected in a series configuration.

8. The power management system of claim 7, wherein the at least two ultracapacitors are configured to be charge balanced by the power management system.

9. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery comprises a lithium vanadium pentoxide cell.

10. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one rechargeable battery comprises a manganese dioxide lithium cell.

11. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is capable of selecting between charging the at least one ultracapacitor with energy from the generator or with energy from the at least one rechargeable battery.

12. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is capable of selecting between charging the at least one rechargeable battery with energy from the generator or with energy from the at least one ultracapacitor.

13. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to provide electrical power at a regulated voltage to the electrical component.

14. The power management system of claim 13, wherein the regulated voltage is in a range from about 1 Volt to about 10 Volts.

15. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is indicative of a level of charge of the at least one ultracapacitor or a level of charge of the at least one rechargeable battery.

16. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is indicative of a level of voltage of the at least one ultracapacitor or a level of voltage of the at least one rechargeable battery.

17. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is indicative of a temperature of the energy storage reservoir.

18. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one control signal is indicative of a power requirement of a current or future electrical load.

19. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the at least one ultracapacitor comprises at least two ultracapacitors and the at least one control signal is indicative of charge balance among the at least two ultracapacitors.

20. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to modulate the energy storage in the energy storage reservoir during a portion of a generator cycle.

21. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller limits a current to the rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on the battery chemistry.

22. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller limits a voltage to the rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on the battery chemistry.

23. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to control energy storage in the at least one rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on battery capacity of the at least one rechargeable battery.

24. The power management system of claim 23, wherein the electronic controller limits a current to the rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on the battery capacity.

25. The power management system of claim 23, wherein the electronic controller limits a voltage to the rechargeable battery based, at least in part, on the battery capacity.

26. The power management system of claim 1, in combination with and electrically connected to the electric generator.

27. The power management system of claim 26, wherein the electric generator is configured to supply a bipolar voltage to the power management system.

28. The power management system of claim 26, wherein the electric generator is configured to supply a fluctuating DC voltage to the power management system.

29. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the wheel is a shopping cart wheel.

30. The power management system of claim 29, wherein the electrical component is disposed in the wheel.

31. A method for managing power from an electric generator disposed in or on a non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle, the method comprising:

generating electric power with an electric generator disposed in or on a non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle, the electric power generated from at least a portion of the mechanical energy of one or more rotating wheels of the non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle;

storing the electric power as energy in an energy storage reservoir electrically connected to the generator, the energy storage reservoir comprising a bank of one or more ultracapacitors and a bank of one or more rechargeable batteries, wherein said storing is based, at least in part, on battery chemistry in the bank of one or more rechargeable batteries;

supplying electric power from the energy storage reservoir to a load when the electric generator is not generating electric power; and

charging the ultracapacitor bank from the energy stored in the rechargeable battery bank when the generator is not generating electric power.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the electric generator supplies a bipolar voltage to the energy storage reservoir.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the electric generator supplies a fluctuating direct current (DC) voltage to the energy storage reservoir.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the ultracapacitor bank comprises at least two ultracapacitors connected in a series configuration.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least two ultracapacitors are charge balanced.

36. The method of claim 31, further comprising charging the rechargeable battery bank from the energy stored in the ultracapacitor bank.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising modulating power storage in the energy storage reservoir during a portion of a generator cycle.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising monitoring a temperature of the energy storage reservoir.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising controlling the charging of the ultracapacitor bank based, at least in part, on the temperature.

40. A power system comprising:

means for generating electrical power, the generating means disposed in or on a non-self-propelled wheeled vehicle, the generating means configured to generate electrical power from rotational motion of a wheel of the non-self-propelled vehicle;

means for storing the generated electrical power, the storing means electrically connected to the generating means, wherein the storing means comprises an ultracapacitive storage means and a rechargeable battery storage means; and

means for regulating the storage of the generated electric power in the storing means, the regulating means configured to regulate storage based, at least in part, on battery chemistry of the rechargeable battery storage means, and the regulating means further supplying the stored electrical power or the generated electrical power to an electric load.

41. The power system of claim 40, wherein the generating means comprises an electric generator.

42. The power system of claim 41, wherein the electric generator supplies a bipolar voltage to the storing means.

43. The power system of claim 41, wherein the electric generator is configured to supply a fluctuating direct current (DC) voltage to the storing means.

44. The power system of claim 40, wherein the ultracapacitive storage means comprises two or more charge balanced ultracapacitors connected in a series configuration.

45. The power system of claim 40, wherein the regulating means further regulates charging the ultracapacitive storage means from energy stored in the rechargeable battery storage means.

46. The power system of claim 40, wherein the regulating means modulates power storage in the storing means during a portion of a cycle of the generating means.