Underwater charging station

• US 9,531,199 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaglepicher Technologies LLC (Eaglepicher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eaglepicher Technologies LLC (Eaglepicher Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Gregory L., Parrot, Michael A., Dermott, Jeffrey C., Divine, Dennis, Bhakta, Dharmesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US13/961,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20140042975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/112, 320/127, 320/155, 429/52, 429/118, 429/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/52 Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B63G 8/001 Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/251 specially adapted for stationary devices, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/30 Deferred-action cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/34 Immersion cells, e.g. sea-water cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5011 for several cells simultaneously or successively
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5033 used as charging means for another battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A submersible power supply apparatus provides the ability to provide power for recharging batteries used to operate underwater vehicles, manned and unmanned. A battery charging station apparatus containing at least one modular reserve battery magazine with a plurality of compartments is provided. A plurality of reserve battery modules may be respectively provided in the plurality of compartments, each of the plurality of reserve battery modules being configured to provide power when a reserve battery provided therein is activated.

Claims

1. A submersible power supply apparatus comprising:

a reserve battery module;

a modular reserve battery magazine having a compartment that houses the reserve battery module;

a reserve battery disposed in the reserve battery module;

at least one primary battery module;

a rechargeable battery disposed in the at least one primary battery module; and

an electrically powered control system for controlling the power supply apparatus, wherein the reserve battery module is configured to provide power under the condition that the reserve battery provided therein is activated by the electrically powered control system and the rechargeable battery provides back up for the reserve battery, wherein the rechargeable battery is recharged via one of an external source or an onboard battery source.

2. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the modular reserve battery magazine includes a plurality of compartments that house a plurality of reserve battery modules, and a plurality of reserve batteries each disposed in a corresponding one of the plurality of reserve battery modules.

3. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication unit that communicates when at least one reserve battery module of the plurality of reserve battery modules is activated.

4. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the communication unit is configured to communicate with an external control unit to remotely control the electrically powered control system.

5. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the communication unit is configured to communicate an electrical performance of an activated reserve battery module of the plurality of reserve battery modules.

6. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electrically powered control system activates a predetermined number of reserve battery modules depending on an amount of power required.

7. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus is provided as part of a subsea system, wherein the subsea system includes at least one of manned vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, distributed energy storage, and point-of-load energy storage.

8. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reserve battery in the reserve battery modules is selected from a group including lithium alloy/iron disulfide thermal batteries, molten salt high temperature thermal batteries, silver zinc batteries, and lithium/oxyhalide batteries.

9. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reserve battery module includes an electrical activation.

10. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reserve battery module includes a mechanical activation.

11. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reserve battery which is a primary battery, wherein the primary battery may be either activated or inactivated.

12. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external source comprises at least one of wave energy, wind energy, and solar energy.

13. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus is provided in a system that is at least one of a point of load electrical power distribution, a hybrid power system, and a critical system.

14. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus is provided in a subsea system that is disposed on a seafloor.

15. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply apparatus is provided as part of a subsea system, wherein the subsea system provides operational power to connected vehicles or stationary or mobile subsea devices.

16. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

one or more primary batteries.

17. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reserve battery provides back up for the rechargeable battery.

18. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the submersible power supply apparatus is configured such that either the reserve battery provides back up for the rechargeable battery or the rechargeable battery provides back up for the reserve battery.

19. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more primary batteries, wherein the one or more primary batteries provide backup for the rechargeable battery or the reserve battery or a combination thereof.

20. The submersible power supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more primary batteries, wherein the rechargeable battery is recharged via the one or more primary batteries.