Power system and method

• US 7,880,430 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elie, Larry Dean, Tamor, Michael Alan, Gale, Allan Roy, Degner, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/780,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/109, 320/138, 320/160, 323/211, 323/214
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4225 using a non-isolated boost converter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power system may include at least one controller configured to determine a net reactive power on at least one power distribution circuit and to issue at least one request for offsetting reactive power based on the determination to reduce the net reactive power on the at least one power distribution circuit.

Claims

1. A power system including at least one power distribution circuit comprising:

at least one controller configured to determine a net reactive power on the at least one power distribution circuit and to issue at least one request for offsetting reactive power based on the determination to reduce the net reactive power on the at least one power distribution circuit.

2. The power system of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to receive information from each of a plurality of remote devices and wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices includes a capacity of the remote device to cause offsetting reactive power to be present on the at least one power distribution circuit.

3. The power system of claim 2 wherein the at least one request for offsetting reactive power is further based on the received information.

4. The power system of claim 3 wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices further includes an identifier for the remote device.

5. The power system of claim 1 wherein the at least one request for offsetting reactive power includes a magnitude for and sign of the requested offsetting reactive power.

6. The power system of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to periodically determine the net reactive power on the at least one power distribution circuit.

7. A power system for a plurality of power distribution circuits comprising:

a power source configured to issue a plurality of requests for offsetting reactive power to reduce a net reactive power on the plurality of power distribution circuits, the plurality of requests each including a magnitude for and sign of the offsetting reactive power.

8. The power system of claim 7 wherein the power source is further configured to receive information from each of a plurality of remote devices, wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices includes a capacity of the remote device to cause reactive power to be present on at least one of the plurality of power distribution circuits.

9. The power system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of requests for offsetting reactive power is based on the received information.

10. The power system of claim 9 wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices further includes an identifier for the remote device.

11. The power system of claim 7 wherein the power source is further configured to determine a net reactive power on the plurality of power distribution circuits.

12. The power system of claim 7 wherein the magnitudes and signs of the plurality of requests are the same.

13. The power system of claim 7 wherein the magnitudes and signs of some of the plurality of requests are different than the magnitudes and signs of other of the plurality of requests.

14. A method comprising:

periodically determining a net reactive power on at least one power distribution circuit; and

issuing at least one request for offsetting reactive power based on the periodic determination to reduce the net reactive power on the at least one power distribution circuit.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving information from each of a plurality of remote devices, wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices includes a capacity of the remote device to cause offsetting reactive power to be present on the at least one power distribution circuit.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one request for offsetting reactive power is further based on the received information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the received information from each of the plurality of remote devices further includes an identifier for the remote device.

18. The method claim 14 wherein the at least one request for offsetting reactive power includes a magnitude for and sign of the requested offsetting reactive power.