Charge redistribution circuit

• US 8,324,862 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies Germany GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Ridder, Matthias, Malik, Manfred, Schwendinger, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/793,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20080197806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 320/118, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle

Abstract

A charge redistribution circuit (2) for an energy storage unit (1) with several storage elements (4) which are connected in series comprises several charge redistribution control units (5) for monitoring and redistributing the load, each of which is assigned an energy storage sub-group (3) of storage elements (4). The charge redistribution control units (5) take the energy used for their own supply in each case from the sub-group (3) assigned to them, and are thus supplied with a voltage which is higher than the voltage of the individual storage element (4) and lower than the voltage of the energy storage unit (1). The charge redistribution circuit (2) is established in such a manner that a monitoring and—when necessary a charge redistribution is achieved for each individual storage element (4).

Claims

1. A charge redistribution circuit for an energy storage unit (1) with several storage elements (4) which are connected in series, the circuit comprising:

two or more charge redistribution control units (5) for monitoring a voltage and redistributing a charge, and each control unit is assigned an energy sub-group (3) of a plurality of storage elements (4), wherein each of the charge redistribution control units use energy from the assigned sub-group as an energy supply, and are supplied with a voltage which is higher than the voltage of an individual storage element (4) and lower than the voltage of the energy storage unit (1), and the charge redistribution circuit (2) is established in such a manner that a voltage monitoring and—

when necessary—

a charge redistribution is achieved between individual storage elements (4) within the energy sub-group and wherein in order to distribute the charge among the storage elements (4), the charge redistribution control units (5) are equipped with voltage converters, internal to the sub-groups, which are assigned to the individual storage elements (4), and with a voltage converter (8) which is assigned in each case to one of the sub-groups (3) in order to redistribute the charge among the sub-groups to each other, wherein the charge redistribution is achieved in such a manner that the charge is distributed between the storage elements (4) which belong to a sub-group (3), and the charge is distributed among the energy storing sub-groups (3).

2. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 1, wherein the voltage that supplies a charge redistribution control unit (5) is a total of the voltages of the storage elements (4) assigned to it.

3. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 1, wherein which the supply of the charge redistribution control unit (5) is achieved by boosting or reducing the supplying voltage.

4. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 1, wherein the charge redistribution is achieved in such a way that the voltages of the energy storage sub-groups (3) and the storage elements (4) are symmetrised.

5. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 4, wherein energy is removed from energy storage sub-groups (3) and the storage elements (4) of which the voltage is relatively high.

6. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 5, wherein the energy removed from an energy storage sub-group (3) for voltage symmeterisation of the energy storage unit (1) is fed to the other sub-group(s) (3).

7. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 5, wherein the energy removed from one storage element (4) of a sub-group (3) for voltage symmeterisation of the sub-group (3) is fed to the other storage element(s) (4) of the sub-group (3).

8. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 1, wherein the storage elements (4) are Ultracap capacitors.

9. The charge redistribution circuit of claim 1, wherein the energy storage sub-groups (3) each comprise two storage elements (4).

10. An energy storing unit comprising:

an energy storage unit (1) with several storage elements (4) which are connected in series; and

a charge redistribution circuit having two or more charge redistribution control units (5) for monitoring a voltage and redistributing a charge, and each control unit is assigned an energy sub-group (3) of a plurality of storage elements (4), wherein each of the charge redistribution control units use energy from the assigned sub-group as an energy supply, and are supplied with a voltage which is higher than the voltage of an individual storage element (4) and lower than the voltage of the energy storage unit (1), and the charge redistribution circuit (2) is established in such a manner that a voltage monitoring and—

when necessary—

a charge redistribution is achieved between individual storage elements (4) within the energy sub-group and wherein in order to distribute the charge among the storage elements (4), the charge redistribution control units (5) are equipped with voltage converters, internal to the sub-groups, which are assigned to the individual storage elements (4), and with a voltage converter (8) which is assigned in each case to one of the sub-groups (3) in order to redistribute the charge among the sub-groups to each other, wherein the charge redistribution is achieved in such a manner that the charge is distributed between the storage elements (4) which belong to a sub-group (3), and the charge is distributed among the energy storing sub-groups (3).

11. The energy storing unit of claim 10, wherein the energy storage sub-groups (3) each comprise two storage elements (4);

wherein the storage elements (4) comprise current connections (21, 22) on opposite sides, the two storage elements (4) which form a sub-group (3) are compiled in a twin arrangement (20) with opposite orientation with regard to the polarity of the current connections (21, 22), and the two current connections (21, 22) of the twin arrangement (20) are electrically through-connected on one side, the current connections (21,22) of the twin arrangement on the other side form the connection terminals (24, 25) of the sub-group (3), and are connected in series with corresponding current connections of the other sub-group(s) (3), and the charge redistribution control units (5) are in each case electrically connected with the connection terminals (24, 25) to the twin arrangement (20) and the through-connected current connections (21, 22).

12. A drive system for a vehicle comprising:

a combustion engine (121); and

an electric machine (124), wherein in order to supply the electric machine (124) is equipped with an energy storage unit (1) with a charge redistribution circuit (2) having two or more charge redistribution control units (5) for monitoring a voltage and redistributing a charge, and each control unit is assigned an energy sub-group (3) of a plurality of storage elements (4), wherein each of the charge redistribution control units use energy from the assigned sub-group as an energy supply, and are supplied with a voltage which is higher than the voltage of an individual storage element (4) and lower than the voltage of the energy storage unit (1), and the charge redistribution circuit (2) is established in such a manner that a voltage monitoring and—

when necessary—

a charge redistribution is achieved between individual storage elements (4) within the energy sub-group and wherein in order to distribute the charge among the storage elements (4), the charge redistribution control units (5) are equipped with voltage converters, internal to the sub-groups, which are assigned to the individual storage elements (4), and with a voltage converter (8) which is assigned in each case to one of the sub-groups (3) in order to redistribute the charge among the sub-groups to each other, wherein the charge redistribution is achieved in such a manner that the charge is distributed between the storage elements (4) which belong to a sub-group (3), and the charge is distributed among the energy storing sub-groups (3).