Power conditioning system

• US 9,263,899 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proton Magnetics LLC
• Original Assignee: LRS Innovations Incorporated
• Inventors: Sadler, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US13/532,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 307/46, 307/85
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/28 Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a power conditioning system that includes an electrical energy source interface for connecting to an electrical energy source and includes a load interface for connecting to a load. Between the electrical energy source interface and the load interface is a plurality of electrical energy storage devices. Also included in the power conditioning system of the present disclosure is a charging switching subsystem that electrically connects a grouping of electrical energy storage devices to the electrical energy source interface for a selected time interval. A grouping includes less than all of the individual electrical energy storage devices.

Claims

1. A power conditioning system comprising:

an electrical energy source interface for connecting to an electrical energy source;

a load interface for connecting to a load;

a plurality of electrical energy storage devices connected with the load interface in a discharging configuration, wherein the plurality of electrical energy storage devices are divided into at least two groupings, wherein each grouping comprises less than all of the individual electrical energy storage devices;

a charging switching subsystem that successively electrically connects each grouping of electrical energy storage devices to the electrical energy source interface for a selected time interval in a repeating cycle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a discharging switching subsystem that electrically disconnects the grouping of electrical energy storage devices from the load interface for the selected time interval.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a second discharging switching subsystem for controlling the discharging configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharging configuration is a series configuration.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharging configuration is a parallel configuration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharging configuration is a combination of series and parallel circuits.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a grouping comprises a single electrical energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the load is connected to and draws power solely from the electrical energy storage devices.

9. The system of claims 1, wherein the charging switching subsystem, the discharging switching subsystem and the second discharging switching subsystem further comprise processors and electronic switching devices, wherein the processors control the opening and closing of the electronic switching devices.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic switching devices are electromechanical relays.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected time interval is in the range of between about 0.001 seconds and 5.0 seconds.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected time interval is in the range of between about 0.01 seconds and 1.0 second.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected time interval is about 0.1 seconds.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of electrical energy storage devices is four.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the number of electrical energy storage devices is eight.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices comprise electro-chemical batteries.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices comprise capacitors.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices comprise super-capacitors.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices are electrical energy storage packs comprising multiple super-capacitors.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each electrical energy storage pack comprises three super-capacitors connected in series.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein a neutral source connection of the electrical energy source is not directly connected to a system ground.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices retain a charge level of at least 75% during substantially the entire time of operation.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage devices retain a charge of at least 90% during substantially the entire time of operation.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the electricity flowing out of the electrical energy source is less than the maximum power output of the combined electrical energy storage devices.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein a first voltage and a first current flow out of the electrical energy source to charge the electrical energy storage devices and a second voltage and a second current are flow out of the electrical energy storage devices to power the load, wherein the first voltage is different than the second voltage and the first current is different than the second current.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy source interface is a hydrocarbon engine coupled with a generator in a vehicle and the load interface is an electric motor in a vehicle.

27. A method for conditioning power comprising:

providing an electrical energy source interface;

providing a load interface;

providing a plurality of electrical energy storage devices, wherein the plurality of electrical energy storage devices are divided into at least two groupings, wherein each grouping comprises less than all of the electrical energy storage devices;

connecting a first grouping of electrical energy storage devices to the electrical energy source interface to charge the first grouping;

connecting a second grouping of electrical energy storage devices to the load interface in a discharging configuration to power a load; and

continuously cycling through charging the plurality of electrical energy storage devices by successively electrically connecting individual groupings of electrical energy storage devices to the electrical energy source interface.

28. A power conditioning system comprising:

an electrical energy source interface comprising a positive source connection and a neutral source connection;

groupings of electrical energy storage packs, each grouping comprising at least one electrical energy storage pack and each electrical energy storage pack comprising a positive terminal and a neutral terminal, wherein each grouping comprises less than all of the electrical energy storage packs;

a load interface comprising a positive load connection and a neutral load connection;

a charging switching subsystem that electrically connects each individual grouping successively to the electrical energy source for 0.1 seconds in a repeating cycle by electrically connecting the positive source connection of the electrical energy source to each positive terminal of the electrical energy storage packs in one grouping and electrically connecting the neutral source connection of the electrical energy source to each neutral terminal of the electrical energy storage packs in the one grouping, wherein each electrical energy storage pack not included in the one grouping is disconnected from the electrical energy source for 0.1 seconds; and

a discharging switching subsystem that electrically disconnects each individual grouping successively from the load for 0.1 seconds in the repeating cycle by electrically disconnecting each positive terminal of the electrical energy storage packs in the one grouping from the positive load connection of the load and electrically disconnects the neutral terminal of each of the electrical energy storage packs in the one grouping from the neutral load connection of the load, wherein each electrical energy storage pack not included in the one grouping is connected in parallel to the load for the 0.1 seconds.