Energy storage apparatus

• US 9,053,869 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kleffel, Rdiger
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIBENEDETTO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US13/117,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 320/118, 320/119, 320/125, 320/116
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 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 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/08 Structural combinations, e.g. assembly or connection, of hybrid or EDL capacitors with other electric components, at least one hybrid or EDL capacitor being the main component
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/10 Multiple hybrid or EDL capacitors, e.g. arrays or modules housings, cases, encapsulations or mountings thereof H01G11/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/14 Arrangements or processes for adjusting or protecting hybrid or EDL capacitors emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for capacitors, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions H02H7/16; emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltages without disconnection H02H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/26 Structural combinations of electrolytic capacitors, rectifiers, detectors, switching devices, light-sensitive or temperature-sensitive devices with each other
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Improved energy storage apparatus that is compact and less expensive is disclosed. High-voltage lines are no longer required, and heat energy can be simply dissipated from each storage module in the apparatus. A switchable inductive balancing element is electrically connected in parallel with each storage cell in each storage module, through which energy or electrical charge can be shifted among the individual storage cells in each storage module using suitably designed magnetic circuits. A power resistor and a module switch are electrically connected in parallel with the series circuit formed by the storage cells in of each storage module and the switchable inductive cell balancing elements in each module are magnetically coupled to a single switchable inductive module balancing element in the module, or each is magnetically coupled to a switchable inductive balancing element of a respective transformer.

Claims

1. Energy circuit apparatus comprising:

at least two storage modules, said modules being electrically connected in a series circuit, said modules each having a multiplicity of storage cells that are electrically connected in series;

a switched inductive storage cell element having an inductive storage cell element and a cell switch connected in series, each of said storage cells having an inductive storage cell element connected in parallel with it;

at least one inductive storage module element electrically connected in parallel with the series circuit formed by the storage cells in each storage module;

a coupling element magnetically coupling respective switched inductive storage elements to at least one inductive storage module element; and

a switched power resistor element having a power resistor and a module switch electrically connected in parallel with the series circuit formed by the storage cells of each storage module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cell switches and module switch in each module have respective control signal inputs, said apparatus further comprising:

a module control device in each storage module, said module control device being connected to the control signal inputs of the cell switches and of the module switch.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transformer in each storage module connected to magnetically couple an inductive storage module element to an inductive storage cell element in said storage module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and multiple secondary windings, each secondary winding providing a respective magnetically coupled inductive storage cell element for a cell in said storage module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said inductive storage element is a switchable inductor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a module heat sink in each module, the storage cells and the power resistor being thermally conductively connected to the module heat sink.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a turn-off semiconductor switch is the cell switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a transistor is the turn-off semiconductor switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transistor is a field-effect transistor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a turn-off semiconductor switch is the module switch.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a transistor is the turn-off semiconductor switch.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transistor is a field-effect transistor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a rechargeable battery is provided as a storage cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a lithium ion cell is the rechargeable battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a double layer capacitor is provided as a storage cell.