Construction machine and industrial vehicle having power supply system

• US 8,831,805 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Izumi, Shiho, Kaneko, Satoru, Ikimi, Takashi, Masano, Nobuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): KERRIGAN, MICHAEL V
• Application Number:
  US13/202,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 701/50, 701/55, 701/58
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/20 Energy regeneration from auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/16 for vehicles comprising converters between the power source and the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2091 Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 3/14 by regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A construction machine or industrial vehicle having a power supply system which includes a chargeable and dischargeable capacitor and a feeder circuit connecting a battery and the capacitor to a load capable of power running and regeneration. The capacitor is connected through a DC/DC converter which includes a controller that controls energy charged or discharged by the capacitor through the DC/DC converter to the load. The controller includes a power running/regeneration operation estimater which estimates an operation pattern including a point of change between power running and regeneration modes of the motor, or DC current supplied to an inverter, or control lever information and previously stored operation pattern information, and a capacitor target voltage calculator which controls an output command value of the DC/DC converter according to the estimated operation pattern so that a capacitor target voltage sequentially decreases in power running and sequentially increases in regeneration.

Claims

1. A construction machine or industrial vehicle comprising:

a power supply system which includes a chargeable and dischargeable capacitor and a feeder circuit connecting a chargeable and dischargeable battery and the capacitor to a load capable of power running and regeneration, feeds energy stored in the capacitor through an inverter to the load and feeds regenerative energy of the load through the inverter to the capacitor,

wherein;

the load is an electric motor;

the capacitor is connected through a DC/DC converter to the load;

the DC/DC converter includes control means that controls energy charged or discharged by the capacitor through the DC/DC converter; and

the control means includes;

power running/regeneration operation estimating means which estimates an operation pattern including a point of change between power running and regeneration modes of the motor according to previously stored operation pattern information including a point of change between power running and regeneration in repetitive work and revolution speed and torque of the motor, or DC current supplied to the inverter, or control lever information; and

capacitor target voltage calculating means which controls an output command value of the DC/DC converter according to the point of change and operation pattern estimated by the power running/regeneration operation estimating means so that a capacitor target voltage sequentially decreases in power running and sequentially increases in regeneration.

3. The construction machine or industrial vehicle provided with a power supply system according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein according to the operation pattern estimated by the power running/regeneration means, the control means issues a command to vary the capacitor target voltage by a voltage amount equivalent to energy loss between power running and regeneration in a stepwise pattern prior to the point of change between power running and regeneration by time equivalent to a response delay of the control means.

4. The construction machine or industrial vehicle provided with a power supply system according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein the control means includes battery input/output energy estimating means that estimates energy which can be received from and sent to the battery, and compares the regenerative energy estimated by the power running/regeneration energy estimating means with the energy recoverable by the capacitor as estimated by the capacitor input/output estimating means, and calculates a target voltage of the capacitor so as to feed regenerative energy to the battery when the capacitor estimated by the capacitor input/output estimating means is almost fully charged, and controls an output command value of the DC/DC converter according to the target voltage.

5. The construction machine or industrial vehicle provided with a power supply system according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein:

the construction machine or industrial vehicle includes the chargeable and dischargeable battery connected to the load; and

the control means includes battery input/output energy calculating means that calculates energy to be received from and sent to the battery according to energy estimated by power running/regeneration energy estimating means and battery voltage, and calculates a capacitor target voltage according to the energy estimated by the power running/regeneration energy estimating means and the input/output energy calculated by the battery input/output energy calculating means, and controls an output command value of the DC/DC converter according to the target voltage.

6. The construction machine or industrial vehicle provided with a power supply system according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein:

the construction machine or industrial vehicle includes the battery connected to the load; and

the control means controls power of the DC/DC converter so as to increase the capacitor voltage when regeneration operation is underway.

2. A construction machine or industrial vehicle comprising:

a power supply system which includes a chargeable and dischargeable capacitor and a feeder circuit connecting a chargeable and dischargeable battery and the capacitor to a load capable of power running and regeneration, feeds energy stored in the capacitor through an inverter to the load and feeds generative energy of the load through the inverter to the capacitor,

wherein;

the load is an electric motor;

the capacitor is connected through a DC/DC converter to the load;

the DC/DC converter includes control means that controls energy charged or discharged by the capacitor through the DC/DC converter; and

the control means includes;

power running/regeneration operation estimating means which estimates an operation pattern including a point of change between power running and regeneration modes of the motor according to previously stored operation pattern information including a point of change between power running and regeneration in repetitive work and revolution speed and torque of the motor, or DC current supplied to the inverter, or control lever information;

power running/regeneration energy estimating means that calculates power running/regeneration energy according to the operation pattern estimated by the power running/regeneration operation estimating means;

capacitor input/output energy calculating means that calculates energy to be received from and sent to the capacitor according to the energy estimated by the power running/regeneration energy estimating means and capacitor voltage; and

capacitor target voltage calculating means which controls a capacitor target voltage according to the input/output energy calculated by the capacitor input/output energy calculating means so that the capacitor target voltage sequentially decreases in power running and sequentially increases in regeneration, and controls an output command value of the DC/DC converter according to the target voltage.