Solar charged hybrid power system

• US 8,947,039 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Louch, Robert Jay, Franks, Donald Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US13/707,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/104, 320/107, 320/117, 320/118, 320/119, 320/120, 320/121, 320/124, 320/125, 320/127, 320/132, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/966 Powered by renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A solar powered hybrid power system including a solar charge collector; a charge storage system comprising at least a first charge storage device adapted to receive and store charge from said solar charge collector; wherein said charge storage system further comprises a power electronic circuit selectively connectable to at least a second charge storage device, said power electronic circuit adapted to transfer said stored charge to said at least a second charge storage device at a selectable voltage level.

Claims

1. A method for operating a solar powered hybrid power system comprising:

collecting solar charge;

providing said solar charge to a first charge storage device at a predetermined voltage level to accumulate a first predetermined stored charge level in said first charge storage device; and

,

selectively providing said stored charge from said first charge storage device to a second charge storage device at a selectable voltage level upon determining that the first charge storage device has accumulated said first predetermined charge level, said second charge storage device at a higher operating voltage level than said first charge storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively operating one of a plurality of power systems by selectively providing power from said first charge storage device to said one of said auxiliary power systems.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said plurality of power systems are selected from the group consisting of a cooling system, a ventilation system, a heating system, a defrosting system, and an auxiliary power supply system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said selectively providing charge and selectively providing power is determined by a programmable controller according to priority based decision logic.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein selectively operating one of a plurality of power systems comprises alternately providing power through a power electronic circuit to said one of said auxiliary power systems at a selectable voltage level.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said power electronic circuit comprises a voltage converter.

7. The method of claim 1, providing said solar charge to a first charge storage device at a predetermined voltage level comprises providing said charge through a power electronic circuit at a selectable voltage level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively providing charge from said first charge storage device to a second charge storage device comprises transferring said charge to said second charge storage device until a determination is made that said second charge storage device has been charged to a second predetermined charge level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively providing charge from said first charge storage device to a second charge storage device comprises providing said charge through a power electronic circuit at a selectable voltage level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said second charge storage device operates at a voltage in a range of from about 200 volts to about 400 volts DC.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first charge storage device and said, second charge storage device are selected from the group consisting of a battery and a capacitor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least a first charge storage device and said at least a second charge storage device comprises a DC battery.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively providing charge from said first charge storage device to a second charge storage device comprises operator initiated control.

14. A method for operating a solar powered hybrid power system comprising:

collecting solar charge;

providing said solar charge to a first charge storage device through a power electronic circuit at a predetermined voltage level to accumulate a first predetermined stored charge level in said first charge storage device; and

,

selectively providing said stored charge from said first charge storage device to a second charge storage device at a selectable voltage level through said power electronic circuit upon determining that the first charge storage device has accumulated said first predetermined charge level, said Second charge storage device at a higher operating voltage level than said first charge storage device.