Power manager with reconfigurable power converting circuits

• US 10,848,067 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2019
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Revision Military Soldier Power, LLC
• Original Assignee: Galvion Soldier Power, LLC
• Inventors: Long, David N., Piela, Nicholas J., Butler, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cavallari, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US16/415,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20190296646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/285 Single converters with a plurality of output stages connected in parallel parallel operation of a plurality of converters in dc distribution networks H02J1/10

Abstract

A reconfigurable power circuit (400) includes a single one-way DC to DC power converter (220, 221). The reconfigurable power circuit is configurable by a digital data processor as one of three different power channels (230, 232, and 234). Power channel (230) provides output power conversion. Power channel (232) provides input power conversion. Power channel (234) provides bi-directional power exchange without power conversion.

Claims

1. A reconfigurable power circuit comprising:

a first electrical connection interface and a second electrical connection interface;

a one-way DC to DC power converter comprising an input terminal for receiving input power at a first power amplitude and an output terminal for delivering output power at a second power amplitude;

a plurality of converter channel legs arranged as three different conductive pathways including a first bidirectional current flow path between the first electrical connection interface and the second electrical connection interface, a second, one-way current flow path extending from the first electrical connection interface to the input terminal through the one-way DC to DC power converter to the output terminal and from the output terminal to the second electrical connection interface, and a third one-way current flow path extending from the second electrical connection interface to the input terminal through the one-way DC to DC power converter to the output terminal and from the output terminal to the first electrical connection interface; and

at least one configurable switch disposed along each one of the plurality of converter channel legs wherein closing one or more first configurable switches and opening one or more second configurable switches enables exclusive current flow along one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second, one-way current flow path, and the third one-way current flow path.

2. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein the plurality of channel legs comprises four channel legs with one configurable switch disposed along each channel leg.

3. The reconfigurable power channel of claim 1 wherein exclusive current flow over one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second, one-way current flow path, and the third one-way current flow path is established by closing at least two and up to three of the four configurable switches and opening at least and up to three of the four configurable switches.

4. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more input current sensors for measuring current amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

5. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more output current sensors for measuring current amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

6. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more input voltage sensors for measuring voltage amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

7. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more output voltage sensors for measuring voltage amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

8. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more input current sensors for measuring input current amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path and one or more output current sensors for measuring output current amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

9. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising one or more input voltage sensors for measuring input voltage amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path and one or more output voltage sensors for measuring output voltage amplitude along any one of the first bidirectional current flow path, the second one-way current flow path and the third one-way current flow path.

10. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the first electrical connection interface) and the second electrical connection interface is configured as a device port.

11. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein one of the first electrical connection interface and the second electrical connection interface is configured as a device port.

12. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein one of the first electrical connection interface and the second electrical connection interface is configured as a device port and the other of the first electrical connection interface and the second electrical connection interface is electrically interfaced with a DC power bus.

13. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 12 further comprising a primary device channel electrically interfaced with the DC power bus, a primary device port electrically interfaced with the primary device channel, wherein the primary device channel forms a bidirectional non-power converting current flow path extending between the primary device port and the DC power bus.

14. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein the one-way DC to DC power converter is operable by an electronic controller to receive input power at a first input power voltage amplitude at the input terminal and deliver output power from the output terminal at second output voltage amplitude, different from the first input voltage amplitude.

15. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 wherein the one-way DC to DC power converter is operable by an electronic controller to receive input power at a first input current amplitude at the input terminal and deliver output power from the output terminal at second output current amplitude, wherein the second output current amplitude is less than the first input current amplitude.

16. A power distribution system comprising:

a DC power bus;

a plurality of the reconfigurable power circuits of claim 1, wherein the first electrical connection interface of each of the plurality of reconfigurable power circuits is configured as a first device port and the second electrical connection interface of each of the plurality of the reconfigurable power circuits is interfaced with a DC power bus;

a primary device channel having a first end thereof terminated by a primary device port and a second end thereof electrically interfaced with the DC power bus;

a configurable switch disposed along the primary device channel;

a digital data processor electrically interfaced with, a memory module, each of the device ports, each of the controllable switches each of the plurality of reconfigurable power circuits, the one-way DC to DC power converter of each of the plurality of reconfigurable power circuits, at least one sensor positioned to measure one of an instantaneous input power amplitude and an instantaneous output power amplitude; and

an energy management schema operating on the digital data processor to autonomously exchange power between at least two external DC power devices electrically interfaced with any one of the first device port and the primary device port.

17. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a first device port interfaced with the first electrical connection interface and a second device port interfaced with the second electrical connection interface;

a digital data processor and an associated memory module in communication with each of the first device port, the second device port, the one-way DC to DC power converter, and each of the at least one configurable switch disposed along each one of the plurality of converter channel legs; and

energy management schema operable on the digital data processor,

wherein the energy management schema selectively configures each of the plurality of configurable switches to reconfigure the reconfigurable circuit as required to exchange power between a first external DC power device connected to the first device port and a second external DC power device connected to the second device port.

18. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 17 further comprising a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) module operating on the digital data processor wherein the MPPT module is operated to receive power input having a time variable voltage from one of the first external DC power device and the second external DC power device and to deliver power output to the other of the first external DC power device and the second external DC power device wherein the power output has a substantially non-variable voltage.

19. The reconfigurable power circuit of claim 18 wherein the MPPT module implements a perturb and observe Power Point Tracking process to tracking an input power amplitude as a function of an output current set point of the one one-way DC to DC power converter.