Energy source system having multiple energy storage devices

• US 10,158,152 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Watson, Thomas M., Jiang, Junwei, Wyatt, Perry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ortiz, Elim
• Application Number:
  US15/059,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/14 Arrangements or processes for adjusting or protecting hybrid or EDL capacitors emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for capacitors, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions H02H7/16; emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltages without disconnection H02H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 : Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 : Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/209 : adapted for prismatic or rectangular cells H01M50/216 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 : characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 : using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 : Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 : with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 : using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/13 : Energy storage using capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49108 : Electric battery cell making

Abstract

System are described that include an energy storage device adapted to store and release energy and an ultracapacitor. The systems include a switching device coupled to the energy storage device to selectively connect and disconnect the energy storage device to a load, and a second switching device coupled to the ultracapacitor and adapted to connect and disconnect the ultracapacitor to the load. The systems may include a sensor adapted to sense the current draw at the load. The first switching device is activated to connect the energy storage device to the load when a rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a threshold, and the second switching device is activated to connect the ultracapacitor to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the threshold.

Claims

1. An energy source system, comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

a current sensor disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the positive terminal, wherein the current sensor is configured to sense current flow through the positive terminal;

an energy storage device and a first switching device coupled in series between the negative terminal and the current sensor, wherein the first switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow;

an ultracapacitor pack and a second switching device coupled in series between the negative terminal and the current sensor, wherein the second switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the current sensor, the first switching device, and the second switching device, wherein the controller configured to;

determine a rate of change of current draw at a load electrically coupled to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the energy source system based at least in part on the current flow sensed by the current sensor;

instruct the first switching device to connect to enable the energy storage device to supply electric charge to the load at a first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a preset threshold; and

instruct the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply electric charge to the load at a second rate greater than the first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

2. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein:

the first switching device comprises a first field-effect transistor;

the second switching device comprises a second field-effect transistor, or both.

3. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein controller is configured to:

instruct the second switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the ultracapacitor pack to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below the present threshold; and

instruct the first switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the energy storage device to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

4. The energy source system of claim 1, comprising a direct current to direct current converter electrically coupled to a first node between the energy storage device and the first switching device and to a second node between the ultracapacitor pack and the second switching device;

wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack using electrical power output from the energy storage device.

5. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein the load comprises a starting load, alighting load, or an ignition load, or any combination thereof.

6. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises one or more battery cells.

7. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein:

the ultracapacitor pack comprises a first ultracapacitor and a second ultracapacitor coupled in series; and

the controller is configured to control current flow from the energy storage device to the ultracapacitor pack such that;

the current flow is supplied to the first ultracapacitor to charge the first ultracapacitor; and

the current flow subsequently bypasses the first ultracapacitor and is supplied to the second ultracapacitor to balance charging of the second ultracapacitor with the first ultracapacitor.

8. The energy source system of claim 1, wherein the preset threshold comprises a current level sufficient to start an internal combustion engine.

9. A method for controlling operation of an energy source system, comprising:

determining, using a controller, voltage across an energy storage device implemented in the energy source system resulting from storage of electrical energy in the energy storage device;

determining, using the controller, whether first electrical power resulting from the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is expected to be sufficient to enable a starter coupled to the energy source system to crank an internal combustion engine based at least in part on voltage across the energy storage device;

instructing, using the controller, a first switching device electrically coupled between the energy storage device and the starter to connect to enable the energy source system to supply the first electrical power to the starter when the first electrical power is expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine; and

when the first electrical power is not expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine;

controlling, using the controller, operation of a direct current to direct current converter electrically coupled between the energy storage device and an ultracapacitor pack implemented in the energy source system to charge the ultracapacitor pack using the first electrical power output from the energy storage device; and

instructing, using the controller, a second switching device electrically coupled between the ultracapacitor pack and the starter to connect to enable the ultracapacitor to supply second electrical power with magnitude greater than the first electrical power to the starter when a second engine start signal after the first engine start signal is received.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising instructing, using the controller, the first switching device and the second switching device to remain disconnected during a time lapse between the first engine start signal and the second engine start signal to enable the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack during the time lapse.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising:

determining, using the controller, current flow through the energy source system;

determining, using the controller, determine a rate of change of current draw at a load electrically coupled to the energy source system based at least in part on the current flow through the energy source system;

instructing, using the controller, the first switching device to connect to enable the energy storage device to supply electric charge to the load at a first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a preset threshold; and

instructing, using the controller, the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply electric charge to the load at a second rate greater than the first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

instructing, using the controller, the second switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the ultracapacitor pack to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below the preset threshold; and

instructing, using the controller, the first switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the energy storage device to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

13. An energy source system, comprising:

a housing, wherein the housing comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

an energy storage device electrically coupled between a first internal node and the negative terminal;

a first switching device electrically coupled between the first internal node and the positive terminal, wherein the first switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow;

an ultracapacitor pack electrically coupled between a second internal node and the negative terminal;

a second switching device electrically coupled between the second internal node and the positive terminal, wherein the second switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow;

a direct current to direct current converter electrically coupled between the first internal node and the second internal node; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first switching device, the second switching device, and the direct current to direct current converter, wherein the controller configured to;

determine whether first electrical power output from the energy storage device is expected to be sufficient to enable a starter coupled to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the energy source system to crank an internal combustion engine when a first engine start signal is received based at least in part on voltage across the energy storage device; and

when the first electrical power is not expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine;

control operation of the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack using the first electrical power output from the energy storage device; and

instruct the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply second electrical power with magnitude greater than the first electrical to the starter when a second engine start signal after the first engine start signal is received.

14. The energy source system of claim 13, comprising a current sensor disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the positive terminal, wherein:

the current sensor is configured to sense current flow through the positive terminal; and

the controller configured to;

determine a rate of change of current draw at a load electrically coupled to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the energy source system based at least in part on the current flow sensed by the current sensor;

instruct the first switching device to connect to enable the energy storage device to supply electric charge to the load at a first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a preset threshold; and

instruct the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply electric charge to the load at a second rate greater than the first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

15. The energy source system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to:

instruct the second switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the ultracapacitor pack to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below the present threshold; and

instruct the first switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the energy storage device to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

16. The energy source system of claim 13, wherein, when the first electrical power is not expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine, the controller is configured to control operation of the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack during a time lapse between the first engine start signal and the second engine start signal.

17. The energy source system of claim 16, wherein, when the first electrical power is not expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine, the controller is configured to instruct the first switching device and the second switching device to remain disconnected during at least the time lapse between the first engine start signal and the second engine start signal.

18. The energy source system of claim 13, wherein, when the first electrical power is expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine, the controller is configured to instruct the first switching device to connect when the first engine start signal is received to enable the energy source system to supply at least the first electrical power to the starter.

19. The energy source system of claim 13, wherein:

the first switching device comprises a first field-effect transistor;

the second switching device comprises a second field-effect transistor;

or

both.

20. The energy source system of claim 13, wherein the energy storage device comprises a Pb-acid battery, a Li-ion battery, or both.