Home energy control system and controlling method thereof

• US 9,543,761 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited, Shenzhen BYD Auto R&D Company Limited
• Inventors: Li, Bo, Shen, Xiaofeng, Zhang, Jianhua
• Primary Examiner(s): Gami, Tejal
• Application Number:
  US13/581,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20120316690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 700/292, 700/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A method of controlling a home energy control system includes controlling the system to run in at least one of a new energy generating mode, a grid-connected inverter mode and an off-grid inverter mode after mode conflict check. In the new energy generating mode, a new energy generating unit is controlled to generate power to charge an energy storage unit. In the grid-connected inverter mode, the energy storage unit supplies power to a power grid or is charged by the power grid according to the status of the energy storage unit and power consumption of the power grid. In the off-grid inverter mode, household devices are supplied with power from the energy storage unit according to the status of the energy storage unit under the control of an off-grid inverter. A home energy control system is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a home energy control system, comprising the steps of controlling the system to run in at least one of the following modes:

a new energy generating mode, a grid-connected inverter mode and an off-grid inverter mode after mode conflict check, wherein

A) in the new energy generating mode, a new energy generating unit is controlled to generate power to charge an energy storage unit;

B) in the grid-connected inverter mode, the energy storage unit supplies power to a power grid or is charged by the power grid via a grid-connected inverter according to the status of the energy storage unit and power consumption of the power grid; and

C) in the off-grid inverter mode, household devices are supplied with power from the energy storage unit according to the status of the energy storage unit under the control of an off-grid inverter,

wherein the method further comprises a step of;

controlling the system to run in a manual operating mode, wherein

D) in the manual operating mode, if manual modulation is desired, the energy storage unit, the grid-connected inverter, the off-grid inverter and the new energy generating unit are modulated manually; and

if no manual modulation is desired, at least one of the grid-connected inverter mode, the off-grid inverter mode and the new energy generating mode is executed after the mode conflict check;

wherein when running in the manual operating mode,

if the manual modulation conflicts with the new energy generating mode, the manual modulation is executed and the new energy generating mode is stopped, otherwise, the manual modulation and the new energy generating mode are executed simultaneously;

if the manual modulation conflicts with the grid-connected inverter mode, the manual modulation is executed and the grid-connected inverter mode is stopped, otherwise the manual modulation and the grid-connected inverter mode are executed simultaneously; and

if the manual modulation conflicts with the off-grid inverter mode, the manual modulation is executed and the off-grid inverter mode is stopped, otherwise the manual modulation and the off-grid inverter mode are executed simultaneously,

in which the conflict between the manual modulation and the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode means that the manual modulation is identical with the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode, or influences the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising a step of controlling the system to run in a fault determining mode in which it is determined whether the temperature, the humidity, the voltage, SOC of the energy storage unit is normal before the grid-connected mode, the off-grid inverter mode and/or the new energy generating mode are executed;

wherein in the fault determining mode, if it is determined that there is a fault in the energy storage unit, the control system is stopped, otherwise at least one of the grid-connected mode, the off-grid inverter mode and the new energy generating mode is executed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the system is controlled to run in the grid-connected mode, if it is determined that the power grid is in a high peak, the energy storage unit supplies power to the power grid intermittently or continuously under the control of the grid-connected inverter based on the current SOC of the energy storage unit, otherwise if the power grid is in a low peak, the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid intermittently or continuously under the control of the grid-connected inverter based on the current SOC of the energy storage unit;

or

when in the off-grid inverter mode, if it is determined that there is no fault in the temperature, the humidity, the voltage and SOC of the energy storage unit, the household devices are powered by the energy storage unit under the control of the off-grid inverter, otherwise the household devices are powered by the power grid under the control of the off-grid inverter.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein when the power grid is in a high peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is greater than the a first preset value SOC_min, the energy storage unit charges the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter, otherwise the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid intermittently under the control of the grid-connected inverter until the current SOC of the energy storage unit is greater than the first preset value SOC_min.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein when the power grid is in a low peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is smaller than a second preset value SOC_max which is larger than the first preset value SOC_min, the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter;

and

when the power grid is in a low peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is not smaller than the second preset value SOC_max, the energy storage unit supplies power intermittently to the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the household devices are switched to be powered from the energy storage unit to the power grid under the control of the off-grid inverter when the current SOC of the energy storage unit is lower than a third preset value SOC_low which is smaller than the first preset value SOC_min.

7. A home energy control system, comprising:

an energy storage unit configured to store energy;

a grid-connected inverter connected with the energy storage unit which is configured to transmit power from the energy storage unit to a power grid and/or transmit power from the power grid to the energy storage unit;

an off-grid inverter configured to transmit power from the energy storage unit to household devices;

a new energy generating unit configured to generate power domestically to charge the energy storage unit; and

a controller connected with the energy storage unit, the grid-connected inverter, the new energy generating unit, and the off-grid inverter respectively, the controller being configured to control the energy storage unit, the grid-connected inverter, the off-grid inverter and the new energy generating unit to run in a grid-connected mode, an off-grid inverter mode and/or a new energy generating mode respectively, wherein the controller is further configured to run the system in a manual operating mode;

if the manual modulation conflicts with the new energy generating mode, the manual modulation is executed and the new energy generating mode is stopped by the controller, otherwise, the manual modulation and the new energy generating mode are executed simultaneously;

if the manual modulation conflicts with the grid-connected inverter mode, the manual modulation is executed and the grid-connected inverter mode is stopped by the controller, otherwise the manual modulation and the grid-connected inverter mode are executed simultaneously; and

if the manual modulation conflicts with the off-grid inverter mode, the manual modulation is executed and the off-grid inverter mode is stopped by the controller, otherwise the manual modulation and the off-grid inverter mode are executed simultaneously,

wherein the conflict between the manual modulation and the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode means that the manual modulation is identical with the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode, or influences the new energy generating mode, the grid-connected inverter mode or the off-grid inverter mode.

8. The home energy control system according to claim 7, wherein the grid-connected mode is defined by:

the energy storage unit supplying power to the power grid or the power grid charging the energy storage unit controlled by the grid-connected inverter according to the status of the energy storage unit and power consumption of the power grid;

or

the off-grid inverter mode is defined by;

household devices being supplied with power from the energy storage unit according to the status of the energy storage unit;

or

the new energy generating mode is defined by;

the new energy generating unit charging the energy storage unit according to the power generating status of the new energy generating unit.

9. The home energy control system according to claim 7, wherein when in the manual operating mode,

if manual modulation is triggered, the energy storage unit, the grid-connected inverter, the off-grid inverter and the new energy generating unit are modulated manually by the controller;

or

if no manual modulation is triggered, the controller controls the system to run in at least one of the grid-connected mode, the off-grid inverter mode and the new energy generating mode after mode conflict check.

10. The home energy control system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to run the system in a fault determining mode in which it is determined whether the temperature, the voltage, and SOC of the energy storage unit is normal before the controller controls the system to run in the grid-connected mode, the off-grid inverter mode and/or the new energy generating mode.

11. The home energy control system according to claim 10, wherein in the fault determining mode,

if it is determined that there is a fault in the energy storage unit, the system is stopped by the controller, otherwise the controller controls the system to run in the at least one of the grid-connected mode, the off-grid inverter mode and the new energy generating mode.

12. The home energy control system according to claim 10, wherein when the grid-connected mode is executed, if it is determined by the controller that the power grid is in a high peak, the energy storage unit supplies power to the power grid intermittently or continuously under the control of the grid-connected inverter based on the current SOC of the energy storage unit, otherwise

if it is determined by the controller that the power grid is in a low peak, the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid intermittently or continuously under the control of the grid-connected inverter based on the current SOC of the energy storage unit.

13. The home energy control system according to claim 12, wherein when it is determined by the controller that the power grid is in a high peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is greater than the a first preset value SOC_min, the energy storage unit charges the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter, otherwise

the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid intermittently under the control of the grid-connected inverter until the current SOC of the energy storage unit is greater than the first preset value SOC_min.

14. The home energy control system according to claim 13, wherein when it is determined by the controller that the power grid is in a low peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is smaller than a second preset value SOC_max which is larger than the first preset value SOC_min, the energy storage unit is charged by the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter;

and

when it is determined by the controller that the power grid is in a low peak and the current SOC of the energy storage unit is no smaller than the second preset value SOC_max, the energy storage unit supplies power intermittently to the power grid under the control of the grid-connected inverter.

15. The home energy control system according to claim 14, wherein the household devices are switched to be powered from the energy storage unit to the power grid under the control of the off-grid inverter when it is determined by the controller that the current SOC of the energy storage unit is lower than a third preset value SOC_low which is smaller than the first preset value SOC_min.

16. The home energy control system according to claim 7, wherein the off-grid inverter mode, the grid-connected mode and the new energy generating mode are executed by the controller to run in series, in parallel or in series and parallel respectively after the mode conflict check.