Energy storage system with range extender and energy management and control method

• US 9,899,843 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Li, Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/087,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20160294190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 307 64, 307 65, 307 80
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0084 relating to control modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A system comprises a first energy system, a range extender, and a controller. The range extender has a second energy system, first and second converters, and a by-pass. The first converter is selectably coupled between the first energy system and an electric load, the second converter is selectably coupled between the second energy system and at least one of an output side of the first converter and an input side of the electric load, and the by-pass is selectably coupled between the first energy system and at least one of the output side of the first converter, an output side of the second converter and the input side of the electric load.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first energy storage system;

a range extender positioned between the first energy storage system and an electric load, the range extender comprising;

a first DC-to-DC converter selectably coupled between the first energy storage system and the electric load;

a second energy storage system;

a second DC-to-DC converter selectably coupled between the second energy storage system and at least one of an output side of the first DC-to-DC converter and an input side of the electric load; and

a by-pass selectably coupled between the first energy storage system and at least one of the output side of the first DC-to-DC converter, an output side of the second DC-to-DC converter, and the input side of the electric load; and

a controller configured to control the first energy storage system and the range extender to work in at least one of a normal operation mode and a fault protection mode, wherein

in the normal operation mode, the first and second energy storage systems are parallel coupled to the electric load through the first and second DC-to-DC converters, respectively; and

in the fault protection mode, the first energy storage system is coupled to the electric load through the by-pass, and the second energy storage system is decoupled from the electric load.

2. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and the input side of the first DC-to-DC converter and a second point between the output sides of both the first and second DC-to-DC converters and the input side of the electric load.

3. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the by-pass comprises a switch device.

4. The energy storage system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch device coupled between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter;

a second switch device coupled between the second energy storage system and the second DC-to-DC converter; and

a third switch device positioned in the by-pass, wherein;

in the normal operation mode, the first and second switch devices are closed and the third switch device is opened; and

in the fault protection mode, the first and second switch devices are opened and the third switch device is closed.

5. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein in the normal operation mode, the first and second energy storage systems are controlled to supply average power and dynamic power to the electric load, respectively.

6. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage system comprises a battery.

7. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage system comprises an engine generator.

8. The energy storage system according to claim 1, wherein the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.

9. The energy storage system according to claim 1, further comprising a third energy storage system selected from the group consisting of a fuel cell, a photovoltaic inverter, an engine generator, and combinations thereof, which is selectably coupled to the electric load through a third DC-to-DC converter.

10. A method, comprising:

operating a system comprising a first energy storage system, a first DC-to-DC converter, a by-pass parallel to the first DC-to-DC converter, a second energy storage system, and a second DC-to-DC converter in a normal operation mode, the normal operation mode comprising parallel powering an electric load by the first and second energy storage systems through the first and second DC-to-DC converters respectively; and

operating the system in a fault protection mode when a fault is detected in any of the second energy storage system and the first and second DC-to-DC converters, the fault protection mode comprising powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through the by-pass and decoupling the second energy storage system from the electric load.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and an input side of the first DC-to-DC converter and a second point between output sides of both the first and second DC-to-DC converters and an input side of the electric load.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the by-pass comprises a switch device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the fault protection mode further comprises decoupling the second energy storage system from the electric load a period after the electric load is powered by the first energy storage system through the by-pass.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the energy storage system further comprises:

a first switch device coupled between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter;

a second switch device coupled between the second energy storage system and the second DC-to-DC converter; and

a third switch device positioned in the by-pass, wherein;

in the normal operation mode, the first and second switch devices are closed and the third switch device is opened; and

in the fault protection mode, the first and second switch devices are opened and the third switch device is closed.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the fault protection mode further comprises opening the first and second switch devices a period after the third switch device is closed.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the fault protection mode further comprises:

removing the fault;

closing the first and second switch devices; and

opening the third switch device a period after the first and second switch devices are closed.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the normal operation mode further comprises supplying average power and dynamic power to the electric load by the first and second energy storage systems, respectively.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery and an engine generator.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.