Energy management system
First Claim
1. A method for controlling an energy management system that couples a system load to a first energy source and a second energy source, the system load being connected in parallel with the first energy source, the first energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
- the energy management system comprising an inductor extending from a first end to a second end, a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor, and a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor;
the method comprising;
evaluating conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source;
determining the direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load;
determining, based on the direction of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load, which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow destination;
selecting whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination;
the two switch state closing either the first and fourth switches, the second and third switches or none of the switches at any one time;
the one switch state closing only one of the switches or none of the switches at any one time;
selecting whether to use a synchronous mode or an asynchronous mode to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and
controlling the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches to transfer energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination through the inductor using the selected one of the two-switch state or the one switch state, and of the synchronous mode or the asynchronous mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An energy management system and method connecting a load to multiple energy sources. The system includes a load connection, source connections for each energy source, a control unit and at least one energy management module having an inductor and four switches. The first source is in parallel with the load. The first switch couples the first source positive terminal to the first inductor end, second switch couples the first source negative terminal to the first inductor end, third switch couples the second source positive terminal to the second inductor end, and fourth switch couples the second source negative terminal to the second inductor end. The control unit controls the four switches of each module to transfer energy between the energy sources through the module inductor. The system can have more than two sources. Modes including one or two switch, synchronous or asynchronous, and buck or boost can be used.
64 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for controlling an energy management system that couples a system load to a first energy source and a second energy source, the system load being connected in parallel with the first energy source, the first energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
- the energy management system comprising an inductor extending from a first end to a second end, a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor, and a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor;
the method comprising;evaluating conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source; determining the direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load; determining, based on the direction of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load, which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow destination; selecting whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination;
the two switch state closing either the first and fourth switches, the second and third switches or none of the switches at any one time;
the one switch state closing only one of the switches or none of the switches at any one time;selecting whether to use a synchronous mode or an asynchronous mode to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and controlling the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches to transfer energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination through the inductor using the selected one of the two-switch state or the one switch state, and of the synchronous mode or the asynchronous mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- the energy management system comprising an inductor extending from a first end to a second end, a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor, a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor, and a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor;
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5. A method for controlling an energy management system that couples a system load to a first energy source and a second energy source, the system load being connected in parallel with the first energy source, the first energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
- the energy management system comprising a plurality of energy management modules;
each of the plurality of energy management modules comprising an inductor extending from a first end to a second end;
a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor;
a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor;
a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor; and
a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor, the method comprising;evaluating conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source; determining whether to control the energy management system using a manual mode or an automatic mode; and when controlling the energy management system using the manual mode; receiving user input parameters defining the direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load; controlling the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches of each of the plurality of energy management modules to transfer energy in accordance with the user input parameters; determining, based on the direction of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load, which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow destination; apportioning the energy flow between each of the plurality of energy management modules in accordance with the user input parameters; for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selecting whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state to move the apportioned amount of energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selecting whether to use a synchronous mode or an asynchronous mode to move the apportioned amount of energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and controlling the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches of each of the plurality of energy management modules to transfer energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination through the respective inductor using the selected one of the two-switch state or the one switch state, and of the synchronous mode or the asynchronous mode. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- the energy management system comprising a plurality of energy management modules;
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12. A method for controlling an energy management system that couples a system load to a first energy source and a second energy source, the system load being connected in parallel with the first energy source, the first energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second energy source having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
- the energy management system comprising a plurality of energy management modules;
each of the plurality of energy management modules comprising an inductor extending from a first end to a second end;
a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor;
a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source to the first end of the inductor;
a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor; and
a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source to the second end of the inductor, the method comprising;evaluating conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source; determining whether to control the energy management system using a manual mode or an automatic mode; and when controlling the energy management system using the automatic mode; determining the direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load; determining, based on the direction of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load, which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow destination; apportioning the energy flow between each of the plurality of energy management modules; for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selecting whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state to move the apportioned amount of energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination;
the two switch state closing either the first and fourth switches, the second and third switches or none of the switches at any one time;
the one switch state closing only one of the switches or none of the switches at any one time;for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selecting whether to use a synchronous mode or an asynchronous mode to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and controlling the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches of each of the plurality of energy management modules to transfer energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination through the respective inductor using the selected one of the two-switch state or the one switch state, and of the synchronous mode or the asynchronous mode. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- the energy management system comprising a plurality of energy management modules;
Specification