Hybrid power supply device

• US 8,227,935 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Engineering and Services Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Engineering and Services Company Limited
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/666,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 307/46, 307/10.1, 307/24
• US Class Current: 307/46
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/02 Details
• 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

To provide a hybrid power supply device capable of properly controlling an operation of an engine generator and also preventing the device from increasing in size.

The power supply device including an engine generator 11 and a capacitor 15 comprises: a DC bus La having the engine generator 11 and the capacitor 15 connected in parallel and supplying electric power to an outside; a step-up converter 13 provided between the DC bus La and the engine generator 11; and a control section 17 controlling the step-up converter 13 and regulating electric power supplied from the engine generator 11 to the DC bus La. Since both of the engine generator 11 and the capacitor 15 can supply electric power to the outside, the engine generator 11 can be downsized. If the control section 17 controls the step-up converter 13, the electric power supplied from the engine generator 11 to the DC bus La can be regulated, and therefore, a load variation of the engine generator 11 can be suppressed to a variation of electric power supplied from the power supply device to the outside.

Claims

1. A hybrid power supply device comprising an engine generator and a capacitor,

wherein that the device comprises:

a DC bus having the engine generator and the capacitor connected in parallel and supplying electric power to an outside;

a step-up converter provided between the DC bus and the engine generator and controlling a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the DC bus;

a step-up/down converter provided between the DC bus and the capacitor and controlling a voltage of the DC bus so as to be maintained at a predetermined set voltage; and

a control section controlling an operation of the step-up/down converter and the step-up converter, and

the control section controls the step-up converter so as to supply a part of a current amount supplied to the outside from the engine generator to the DC bus and controls the step-up/down converter so as to maintain the voltage of the DC bus at the predetermined set voltage higher than an output voltage of the engine generator,

wherein the engine generator has a supercharging mechanism, and

wherein the control section controls an increase rate of a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the voltage of the DC bus so that an increase rate of a current amount after exceeding a maximum current amount obtained at the time of a non-supercharging maximum power output in which the supercharging mechanism is not used in the engine generator is smaller than an increase rate of a current amount up to the maximum current amount obtained at the time of the non-supercharging maximum power output when the current amount supplied to the outside increases.

2. The hybrid power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control section determines the current amount supplied from the engine generator to the DC bus based on the current amount supplied to the outside and an amount of charge of the capacitor.

3. The hybrid power supply device according to claim 1, wherein an electrolytic capacitor is connected to the DC bus in parallel with the engine generator and the capacitor.

6. The hybrid power supply device according to claim 2, wherein an electrolytic capacitor is connected to the DC bus in parallel with the engine generator and the capacitor.

7. The hybrid power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the engine generator has a supercharging mechanism, and

the control section controls an increase rate of a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the voltage of the DC bus so that an increase rate of a current amount after exceeding a maximum current amount obtained at the time of a non-supercharging maximum power output in which the supercharging mechanism is not used in the engine generator is smaller than an increase rate of a current amount up to the maximum current amount obtained at the time of the non-supercharging maximum power output when the current amount supplied to the outside increases.

4. A control method for a hybrid power supply device comprising an engine generator and a capacitor, wherein the device comprises:

a DC bus having the engine generator and the capacitor connected in parallel and supplying electric power to an outside;

a step-up converter provided between the DC bus and the engine generator and controlling a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the DC bus;

a step-up/down converter provided between the DC bus and the capacitor and controlling a voltage of the DC bus so as to be maintained at a predetermined set voltage; and

a control section controlling an operation of the step-up/down converter and the step-up converter, and

the method comprises the step of;

controlling the step-up converter by the control section so as to supply a part of a current amount supplied to the outside from the engine generator to the DC bus; and

controlling the step-up/down converter by the control section so as to maintain the voltage of the DC bus at the predetermined set voltage higher than an output voltage of the engine generator,

wherein the engine generator has a supercharging mechanism, and the method further comprises the step of;

controlling an increase rate of a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the voltage of the DC bus so that an increase rate of a current amount after exceeding a maximum current amount obtained at the time of a non-supercharging maximum power output in which the supercharging mechanism is not used in the engine generator is smaller than an increase rate of a current amount up to the maximum current amount obtained at the time of the non-supercharging maximum power output when the current amount supplied to the outside increases.

5. The control method for a hybrid power supply device according to claim 4, wherein the method comprises the step of:

determining the current amount supplied from the engine generator to the DC bus based on the current amount supplied to the outside and an amount of charge of the capacitor.

8. The control method for a hybrid power supply device according to claim 5, wherein the engine generator has a supercharging mechanism, and

the method comprises the step of:

controlling an increase rate of a current amount supplied from the engine generator to the voltage of the DC bus so that an increase rate of a current amount after exceeding a maximum current amount obtained at the time of a non-supercharging maximum power output in which the supercharging mechanism is not used in the engine generator is smaller than an increase rate of a current amount up to the maximum current amount obtained at the time of the non-supercharging maximum power output when the current amount supplied to the outside increases.