System and method for managing a power system with multiple power components

• US 8,698,351 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motiv Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motiv Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Castelaz, Jim Michael, Riley, Jessica, Diamond, Steven, Chang, Sam, Parikh, Vishal, Tsai, Benson
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TOAN T
• Application Number:
  US12/908,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20110089760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 307/31
• US Class Current: 307/25
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/106 for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system for managing a power system with a plurality of power components that includes power source components and power consumption components includes a central power bus, a plurality of adaptable connectors that each electrically couple to a power component and to the central power bus, and a control processor that receives the state of each power component from the respective adaptable connector and is configured to balance the voltage and current output from each power source component to provide a desired power to a power consumption component based on the received states.

Claims

1. A system for managing a plurality of power components, comprising:

a central power bus;

a plurality of adaptable connectors that each electrically couples to a power component and to the central power bus, wherein at least two of the adaptable connectors control a voltage of the central power bus, and wherein each adaptable connector comprises;

a power bus connector that electrically interfaces with the central power bus;

a power component connector that interfaces with the power component;

a processor that determines a state of the power component and communicates the state of the power component to the central power bus, wherein the state of the power component is taken from the group consisting of;

a State of Health (SoH) of the power component, a State of Charge (SoC) of the power component, and a temperature state of the power component; and

a power controller that regulates a current flow between the central power bus and the power component; and

a control processor that;

(1) receives the state of each power component from the respective adaptable connector via the central power bus, (2) determines an amount of power at least one of the power components is to supply to another one of the power components based in part on the received states of the power components, and (3) balances the current flow between each of the power components based on the amount of power determined in (2).

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control processor is configured to communicate instructions to each of the adaptable connectors to balance the current flow in (3) between each of the power components.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power bus connector is substantially integrated into the power controller and the processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power components interchangeably receive power and provide power.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the power components is a motor, and wherein at least one of the power components is a battery.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the power bus connector of an adaptable connector is substantially identical to the power bus connector of another adaptable connector.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the adaptable connectors further comprises:

a sensor that is coupled to the processor of the adaptable connector and is used to determine the state of the power component.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a voltage sensor, a temperature sensor, and a current sensor.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the power controller of each of the adaptable connectors includes a variable voltage direct current link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control processor is coupled to the central power bus and communicates with each of the adaptable connectors through the central power bus to receive the state of each of the power components and to communicate the desired current output from each power source component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control processor is distributed among a plurality of the processors of the adaptable connectors and wherein the plurality of processors of the adaptable connectors cooperate to balance the current between the power component that provides power and the power component that receives power based on the received states of the power components.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the central power bus is an Alternating Current (AC) power bus.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the processors detects a fault condition of one of the power components, and wherein the control processor determines the amount of power in (2) based in part on the fault condition.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the power bus is an Alternating Current (AC) power bus, and wherein at least two of the adaptable connectors control a voltage of the AC power bus.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the value indicative of the state of the first battery pack is a first temperature, wherein the value indicative of the state of the second battery pack is a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature, and wherein the processor balances in (3) by increasing the first current flow and decreasing the second current flow based on the second temperature being greater than the first temperature.

12. A method for managing a power system with a central power bus and a plurality of power components, comprising:

electrically interfacing each of the power components to the central power bus through an adaptable connector that communicates with both the central power bus and the power component and monitors the state of the power component, wherein the state of the power component is taken from the group consisting of;

a State of Health (SoH) of the power component, a State of Charge (SoC) of the power component, and a temperature state of the power component;

balancing current output from a power component that provides power to provide a desired power to another power component that receives power;

receiving the state of each power component from the respective adaptable connector; and

adjusting the balance of current flow to and from each power component based in part on the received states of each power component from the plurality of adaptable connectors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the power components interchangeably receive power and provide power, and wherein the steps of adjusting the balance of current flow includes adjusting the balance of current flow when a power component switches from receiving power to providing power and when a power component switches from providing power to receiving power.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of balancing includes decreasing at least one of the current outputs from a power component that provides power based in part on the state of the power component and increasing at least one of the current outputs from another power component that provides power to provide the desired power to the power component that receives power.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the state of the power component includes a calibration state, and wherein the step of decreasing at least one of the current outputs from a power component that provides power based on the state includes decreasing at least one of the current outputs when the state is the calibration state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the power component that provides power is a battery pack, and wherein the step of decreasing at least one of the current outputs when the state is in the calibration state includes decreasing the power output of the battery pack to substantially zero and recalibrating a state of charge measurement for the battery pack.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of decreasing at least one of the current outputs when the state is in the calibration state includes decreasing and increasing the power output of the power component in a predetermined pattern to recalibrate the state determination of the power component.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of receiving the state of each power component includes receiving the state of each power component at a central controller that adjusts the current flow to and from each power component based on the states received.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of receiving the state of each power component includes receiving the state of each power component at each adaptable connector, and wherein the adaptable connectors adjust the current flow to and from each power component based on the states received.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the central power bus is an Alternating Current (AC) power bus, and wherein at least two adaptable connectors control a voltage of the AC power bus.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the adaptable connectors detects a fault condition of one of the power components, and wherein the adjusting of the balance of current flow to and from each power component is based in part on detecting the fault condition.

24. A system comprising:

a power bus;

a first adaptable connector that couples a first power component to the power bus, wherein the first power component is a battery pack, and wherein the first adaptable connector comprises;

a switching power converter;

a processor that determines a value indicative of a state of the first battery pack, wherein the state is taken from the group consisting of;

a State of Health (SoH) of the first battery pack, a State of Charge (SoC) of the first battery pack, and a temperature state of the first battery pack; and

a power controller that regulates a first current flow between the first battery pack and the power bus;

a second adaptable connector that couples a second power component to the power bus, wherein the second power component is a second battery pack, and wherein the second adaptable connector comprises;

a switching power converter;

a processor that determines a value indicative of a state of the second battery pack, wherein the state is taken from the group consisting of;

a SoH of the second battery pack, a SoC of the second battery pack, and a temperature state of the second battery pack; and

a power controller that regulates a second current flow between the second battery pack and the power bus;

a third adaptable connector that couples a third power component to the power bus, wherein the third power component is a motor, and wherein the third adaptable connector comprises;

a switching power converter;

a processor that determines a value indicative of a state of the motor, wherein the state is taken from the group consisting of;

a SoH of the motor, and a temperature state of the motor; and

a power controller that regulates a third current flow between the motor and the power bus; and

a control processor that;

(1) receives the values indicative of the state of each power component, (2) determines an amount of power at least one of the power components is to supply to another one of the power components based in part on the received values, and (3) balances the current flow between each of the power components based on the amount of power determined in (2).