Energy management system

• US 9,223,372 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IPS Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Indy Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Hintz, Andrew Stephen, Kramer, Quentin Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US14/658,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150192973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/126, 320/132, 320/134, 320/142, 320/163, 307/43, 307/80, 307/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• 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: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• 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

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.

Claims

1. An energy management system for coupling a load to multiple energy sources, the energy management system comprising:

a load connection for connecting the load to the energy management system;

a first source connection for connecting a first energy source having a first voltage to the energy management system, the first source connection having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the first source connection being in parallel with the load connection;

a second source connection for connecting a second energy source having a second voltage to the energy management system, the second source connection having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second voltage being equal to or different from the first voltage;

an inductor extending from a first end to a second end;

a first switch coupling the positive terminal of the first source connection to the first end of the inductor;

a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source connection to the first end of the inductor;

a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source connection to the second end of the inductor;

a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source connection to the second end of the inductor;

a plurality of sensors for providing sensor readings monitoring conditions of the first energy source, the second energy source and the load; and

a control unit that receives the sensor readings from the plurality of sensors, evaluates the conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source;

determines a direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load; and

determines which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which is an energy flow destination; and

wherein the control unit selects whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state and selects whether to use a synchronous or an asynchronous mode to move energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and

the control unit controls 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 or the asynchronous mode;

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; and

the one switch state closing only one of the switches or none of the switches at any one time.

2. The energy management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first diode in parallel with the first switch;

a second diode in parallel with the second switch;

a third diode in parallel with the third switch; and

a fourth diode in parallel with the fourth switch.

3. The energy management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first capacitor in parallel with the first source connection; and

a second capacitor in parallel with the second source connection.

4. The energy management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

a first source ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the first energy source;

a second source ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the second energy source;

a load ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the load;

a first source voltmeter for monitoring the voltage across the first energy source; and

a second source voltmeter for monitoring the voltage across the second energy source.

5. An energy management system for coupling a load to multiple energy sources, the energy management system comprising:

a load connection for connecting the load to the energy management system;

a first source connection for connecting a first energy source having a first voltage to the energy management system, the first source connection having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the first source connection being in parallel with the load connection;

a second source connection for connecting a second energy source having a second voltage to the energy management system, the second source connection having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the second voltage being equal to or different from the first voltage;

a plurality of sensors for providing sensor readings monitoring conditions of the first energy source, the second energy source and the load;

a control unit that receives the sensor readings from the plurality of sensors, evaluates the conditions of the system load, the first energy source and the second energy source;

determines a direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load; and

determines which of the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which is an energy flow destination; and

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 connection to the first end of the inductor;

a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source connection to the first end of the inductor;

a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the second source connection to the second end of the inductor; and

a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the second source connection to the second end of the inductor;

wherein the control unit apportions energy flow between each of the plurality of energy management modules; and

for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selects whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state and selects whether to use a synchronous or an asynchronous mode to move the apportioned amount of energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and

controls 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 or the asynchronous mode;

the two switch state closing either the first and fourth switches, the second and third switches or none of the switches of the respective energy management module at any one time; and

the one switch state closing only one of the switches or none of the switches of the respective energy management module at any one time.

6. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising for each of the plurality of energy management modules:

a first diode in parallel with the first switch;

a second diode in parallel with the second switch;

a third diode in parallel with the third switch; and

a fourth diode in parallel with the fourth switch.

7. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a first capacitor in parallel with the first source connection; and

a second capacitor in parallel with the second source connection.

8. The energy management system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises:

a first source ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the first source;

a second source ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the second source;

a load ammeter for monitoring the current flowing through the load;

a first source voltmeter for monitoring the voltage across the first source; and

a second source voltmeter for monitoring the voltage across the second source.

9. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a third source connection for connecting a third energy source to the energy management system, the third source connection having a positive terminal and a negative terminal,

at least one supplementary energy management modules;

each of the supplementary 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 connection to the first end of the inductor;

a second switch coupling the negative terminal of the first source connection to the first end of the inductor;

a third switch coupling the positive terminal of the third source connection to the second end of the inductor;

a fourth switch coupling the negative terminal of the third source connection to the second end of the inductor;

wherein the control unit also controls the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches of each of the at least one supplementary energy management modules to transfer energy between the first energy source and the third energy source through the inductor of the respective supplementary energy management module.

10. The energy management system of claim 9, wherein each of the at least one supplementary energy management modules further comprises:

a first diode in parallel with the first switch of the supplementary energy management module;

a second diode in parallel with the second switch of the supplementary energy management module;

a third diode in parallel with the third switch of the supplementary energy management module; and

a fourth diode in parallel with the fourth switch of the supplementary energy management module.

11. The energy management system of claim 9, further comprising a third capacitor in parallel with the third source connection.

12. The energy management system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise sensors for providing sensor readings monitoring the condition of the third energy source;

and

wherein the control unit evaluates the condition of the third energy source;

determines a direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source, the third energy source and the system load; and

determines which of the first energy source, the second energy source, the third energy source and the system load is an energy flow source and which is an energy flow destination.

13. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a communications bus connecting the control unit to each of the plurality of energy management modules.

14. The energy management system of claim 13, wherein the control unit sends commands to each of the plurality of energy management modules through the communications bus.

15. The energy management system of claim 14, wherein the control unit receives status information from each of the plurality of energy management modules through the communications bus, the control unit using the status information to apportion the amount of energy transferred by each of the plurality of energy management modules.

16. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a user input module for receiving user commands;

wherein the control unit controls the switching of the first, second, third and fourth switches of each of the plurality of energy management modules in accordance with the user commands.

17. The energy management system of claim 16, wherein the user commands apportion the energy flow between each of the plurality of energy management modules, and define the direction and proportion of energy flow between the first energy source, the second energy source and the system load.

18. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising a user output module for displaying status of the energy management system.

19. The energy management system of claim 5, further comprising:

a redundant control unit, the redundant control unit monitoring the health of the control unit; and

wherein, when the redundant control unit determines that the control unit is not functioning properly, the redundant control unit apportions energy flow between each of the plurality of energy management modules; and

for each of the plurality of energy management modules, selects whether to use a two-switch state or a one switch state and selects whether to use a synchronous or an asynchronous mode to move the apportioned amount of energy from the energy flow source to the energy flow destination; and

controls 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 or the asynchronous mode.

20. The energy management system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of energy management modules is a protected energy management module, the protected energy management module further comprising protection logic to protect itself from damage;

the protected energy management module taking into account the status of the protection logic when responding to commands from the control unit.