Hybrid power and energy for robots

• US 9,688,152 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: Penn State Research Foundation
• Inventors: Reichard, Karl Martin, Rogan, Christopher Mark, Hughes, Elisha M., Hobbs, Nathaniel John, Hofmann, Heath Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnett, Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/554,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20130020865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Advances in robot performance have been limited by a lack of advances in the mature field of battery technology. The focus of robotic power systems must expand from the use of single energy devices to the inclusion of multiple devices which can be optimized for a robotic platform. The challenge lies in the development of the hardware and control algorithms for a scalable power delivery architecture which satisfies the power and energy requirements of most unmanned ground vehicles. This invention is directed to an architecture which is easily scalable and facilitates the use of a wide variety of energy storage/generation devices, while focusing on the system control algorithm and its stability. The experimental results for an example system are presented demonstrating that the architecture functions properly when faced with real world robotic power demands.

Claims

1. A hybrid power and energy system for robotic and unmanned vehicular applications, comprising:

a plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices, each electrical energy source or storage device having a load frequency content relating to load power and energy rate of change, at least one of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices having a different load frequency content relating to load power and energy rate of change compared to another of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices;

a plurality of scalable current sink-source modules to control energy flow from each electrical energy source or storage device, at least one of the plurality of scalable current sink-source modules having bidirectional energy flow capability;

a plurality of energy source adapters (ESAs) providing a control interface to each electrical energy source or storage device;

a master power management controller (MPMC) to control a contribution of each electrical energy source or storage device through the ESAs to meet overall energy requirements of the hybrid power and energy system; and

at least one power device or load in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of scalable current sink-source modules, each of the at least one power device or the load having a frequency content in its power and energy demand,

wherein the ESAs enable the MPMC to configure a power route to utilize the electrical energy sources or storage devices based on the frequency content of the power and energy demand of the at least one power device or the load.

2. The hybrid power and energy system of claim 1, further including a plurality of load adapters to control the energy use of the at least one power device or the load.

3. The hybrid power and energy system of claim 1, wherein the ESAs enable the MPMC to automatically reconfigure the hybrid power and energy system based on the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices.

4. The hybrid power and energy system of claim 1, wherein the ESAs enable the MPMC to configure the route based on the load frequency content of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices.

5. The hybrid power and energy system of claim 1, wherein the ESAs enable the MPMC to configure a power route to recapture energy from the at least one power device or the load and to transfer that energy to at least one of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices.

6. The hybrid power and energy system of claim 1, wherein the ESAs enable the MPMC to configure a power route to transfer energy from one of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices to another of the plurality of electrical energy sources or storage devices.