Intelligent energy management architecture

• US 8,049,360 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Helton, Steven B., Karimi, Kamiar J., Breit, Joseph S., Laib, Trevor M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US12/962,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/43
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2041/005 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for energy control and vehicle energy control. A vehicle energy control system includes an intelligent device that is configured to determine an energy demand of the intelligent device during an operation of a vehicle. The vehicle energy control system also includes an energy management system. The energy management system is configured to communicate with the intelligent device regarding the energy demand to coordinate scheduling of energy distribution during the operation. The energy management system is further configured to generate an energy distribution schedule to account for the energy demand and at least a second energy demand of another device.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy control system comprising:

an intelligent device that is configured to determine an energy demand of the intelligent device during an operation of a vehicle; and

an energy management system configured to;

communicate with the intelligent device regarding the energy demand to coordinate scheduling of energy distribution during the operation;

generate an energy distribution schedule to account for the energy demand and at least a second energy demand of another device; and

control distribution of energy within the vehicle based on the energy demand and the second energy demand according to the energy distribution schedule.

2. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, further comprising a supply configured to support distribution of the energy demand.

3. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the energy demand and the second energy demand includes an expected electrical demand during one or more phases of the operation.

4. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, wherein the energy distribution schedule allocates distribution of energy responsive to the energy demand and the second energy demand for one or more periods during the operation.

5. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent device is further configured to change the energy demand in response to a command from the energy management system.

6. The vehicle energy control system of claim 5, wherein the intelligent device is configured to change the energy demand by one of:

reducing the energy demand;

assuming a standby state from which the at least one intelligent device can resume operation upon being restarted by the energy management system; and

powering off.

7. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent device is further configured to reschedule a timing of the energy demand in response to a command from the energy management system.

8. The vehicle energy control system of claim 1, further comprising a controller disposed within the intelligent device, the controller configured to determine the energy demand of the intelligent device for one or more periods during a journey of the vehicle and to notify the energy management system of the energy demand for each of the one or more periods.

9. The vehicle energy control system of claim 8, wherein the energy management system is configured to automatically establish communication with the intelligent device.

10. A system comprising:

a distribution system configured to receive energy from one or more energy sources aboard a vehicle and to transfer the received energy to one or more energy receiving devices;

an energy management system configured to;

communicate with one or more of the one or more energy sources to determine a quantity of energy available from the one or more energy sources, wherein a first energy source of the one or more energy sources includes a controller that is operable, in response to an instruction from the energy management system, to change at least one of a first quantity of energy available from the first energy source and a time at which the first quantity of energy available from the first energy source is received; and

schedule distribution of the energy available to the one or more energy receiving devices.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more energy sources include a non-generator-based energy source including one or more of:

a thermoelectric device;

a photovoltaic cell;

a radio frequency (RF) energy harvester;

a vibration energy harvester;

a turbine;

a battery;

an electric double-layer capacitor;

a nuclear cell;

a fuel cell; and

a flywheel.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein a first energy receiving device of the one or more energy receiving devices includes a controller that is operable, in response to an instruction from the energy management system, to change at least one of the first quantity of energy to be transferred to the first energy receiving device and a time at which the first quantity of energy is distributed to the first energy receiving device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the energy management system communicates with the one or more energy sources and the one or more energy receiving devices via a data bus.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more energy sources includes at least one generator.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one generator includes a power-train driven generator.

16. A method comprising:

communicating with one or more intelligent devices to coordinate scheduling for energy distribution during one or more phases of operation of a vehicle, wherein the one or more intelligent devices are configured to report, for one or more phases of the operation of the vehicle, a quantity of energy available to be provided or an energy demand;

determining a total energy available to be distributed and a total energy demand for each of the one or more phases; and

determining a schedule for energy distribution based on the total energy available to be distributed and the total energy demand for each of the one or more phases.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising distributing the total energy available among the one or more energy receiving devices according to the schedule.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising communicating with the one or more intelligent devices to change the quantity of the energy available to be distributed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the communicating with the one or more intelligent devices to coordinate scheduling for energy distribution includes directing the one or more intelligent devices to change a time at which the energy demand occurs for the one or more intelligent devices.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising communicating with the one or more intelligent devices to change the energy demand of the one or more intelligent devices.