Multi-functional power management system

• US 10,355,611 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flex Power Control, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flex Power Control, Inc.
• Inventors: Nagashima, James Michio, Smith, Gregory Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hiltunen, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US14/975,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20160176305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/26 involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources maximum power point systems in particular G05F1/67
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving

Abstract

A power management apparatus is provided. The apparatus is configured to connect a plurality of DC power elements to a plurality of AC power elements and includes a DC interface module connected to the plurality of DC power elements, a bi-directional AC-DC converter connected to the DC interface module, and an AC interface module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter and the AC power elements.

Claims

1. A power management apparatus configured to connect a plurality of DC power elements to a plurality of AC power elements and usable to provide AC to DC and DC to AC conversion, the power management apparatus comprising:

a DC interface module connected to the plurality of DC power elements;

a bi-directional AC-DC converter configured to operate at 1000V DC and connected to the DC interface module;

an AC interface module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter and the AC power elements;

a DC charging module connected to the DC interface module and configured to charge first power sources requiring DC charge;

an AC charging module connected to the AC interface module, rated for AC charging up to 18 kW, and configured to charge second power sources requiring AC charge; and

a user control module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter and configured to provide user control and coordination of power conversion processes between the DC interface module, the bi-directional AC-DC converter, the AC interface module, the DC charging module, and the AC charging module;

wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter comprises a high voltage DC link capacitor circuit comprising two plastic film capacitors connected in parallel, the two plastic film capacitors each free of any connection to a resistor, and a plurality of switches controllable to provide a DC link capacitor circuit voltage between 350 and 1000V for a 240V AC input with an output power up to 10 KW.

2. The power management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter further comprises:

a bidirectional boost converter circuit coupled to the AC interface module; and

a DC to DC converter circuit coupled to the high voltage DC link capacitor circuit and the DC interface module.

3. The power management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AC charging module is configured to connect to an electronic vehicle.

4. The power management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC charging module is configured to connect to an electronic vehicle.

5. The power management apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AC power elements comprise at least one of an AC power grid and a household AC load arrangement.

6. A power management apparatus usable to provide AC to DC and DC to AC conversion, comprising:

a DC interface module connected to a plurality of DC power elements;

a bi-directional AC-DC converter configured to operate at 1000V DC and connected to the DC interface module;

an AC interface module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter and a plurality of AC power elements;

a DC charging module connected to the DC interface module and configured to charge first power sources requiring DC charge;

an AC charging module connected to the AC interface module, rated for AC charging up to 18 kW, and configured to charge second power sources requiring AC charge; and

a user control module connected to the bi-directional AC-DC converter and configured to provide user control and coordination of power conversion processes between the DC interface module, the bi-directional AC-DC converter, the AC interface module, the DC charging module, and the AC charging module;

wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter comprises a high voltage DC link capacitor circuit comprising two plastic film capacitors connected in parallel, the two plastic film capacitors each free of any connection to a resistor, and a plurality of switches controllable to provide a DC link capacitor circuit voltage between 350 and 1000V for a 240V AC input with an output power up to 10 KW.

7. The power management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter further comprises:

a bidirectional boost converter circuit coupled to the AC interface module; and

a DC to DC converter circuit coupled to the high voltage DC link capacitor circuit and the DC interface module.

8. The power management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the AC charging module is configured to connect to an electronic vehicle.

9. The power management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the DC charging module is configured to connect to an electronic vehicle.

10. The power management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the AC power elements comprise at least one of an AC power grid and a household AC load arrangement.

11. A power management apparatus usable to provide AC to DC and DC to AC conversion, comprising:

a bi-directional AC-DC converter configured to operate at 1000V DC comprising;

a bidirectional boost converter circuit coupled to an AC source;

a high voltage DC link capacitor circuit coupled to the bidirectional boost converter; and

a DC to DC converter circuit coupled to the high voltage DC link capacitor circuit and to a DC source;

wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter is coupled to a DC interface module connected to a DC charging module configured to charge first power sources requiring DC charge and an AC interface module and an AC charging module rated for AC charging up to 18 kW and configured to charge second power sources requiring AC charge;

wherein the high voltage DC link capacitor circuit comprises two plastic film capacitors connected in parallel, the two plastic film capacitors each free of any connection to a resistor, and a plurality of switches controllable to provide a DC link capacitor circuit voltage between 350 and 1000V for a 240V AC input with an output power up to 10 KW.

12. The power management apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter is connected to an AC interface module connected to at least one of an AC power grid and a household AC load arrangement.

13. The power management apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter is connected to a DC interface module connected to at least one of a solar panel arrangement and an energy storage device.

14. The power management apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bi-directional AC-DC converter is employed with 1000 VDC devices.