System and method for providing power control of an energy storage system

• US 20060125319A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Salasoo, Lembit, Song, Dongwoo, King, Robert Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,960,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/06 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A control circuit comprises a circuit adapted to determine a state of charge of a high side power source using a sensed output current to provide a variable gain signal based on the state of charge. The control circuit may also contain a circuit configured to provide a fixed gain signal based on the current of the high side power source and a circuit configured to combine the variable gain signal and the fixed gain signal to create a power command.

Claims

1. A control circuit comprising:

a circuit adapted to determine a state of charge of a high side power source using a sensed output current to provide a variable gain signal based on the state of charge;

a circuit configured to provide a fixed gain signal based on the current of the high side power source; and

a circuit configured to combine the variable gain signal and the fixed gain signal to create a power command.

2. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the high side power source comprises one or more of a battery, an ultracapacitor, a flywheel, an array of batteries and an ultracapacitor bank.

3. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a circuit configured to provide a high side power source gain signal as a component of a power command.

4. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a low side power source coupled to a traction boost converter.

5. The control circuit as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the low side power source and the high side power source is charged via an auxiliary power unit.

6. The control circuit as recited in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary power unit comprises a rectifier operable to enable AC power to flow from an AC link to a DC link to provide power to at least one traction drive motor.

7. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the high side power source comprises a high power traction battery.

8. The control circuit as recited in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary power unit is operable when the state of charge of the high side power source is below a reference value of the state of charge.

10. The control circuit as recited in claim 4, wherein the low side power source comprises a high energy battery.

11. The control circuit as recited in claim 6, wherein the high side power source is operable to supply power to the at least one traction drive motor to supplement power from the low side power source.

9. (canceled)

12. A power system comprising:

a low side power source coupled to a traction boost converter;

a high side power source coupled to the traction boost converter; and

a control circuit configured to control a power output of the low side power source based on a state of charge of the high side power source.

13. The power system as recited in claim 12, further comprising an ultracapacitor coupled to the traction boost converter.

14. The power system as recited in claim 13, further comprising multiple channels on the low side of the traction boost converter to operate multiple channels of ultracapacitors.

15. The power system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a circuit configured to provide a gain signal of the high side power source as a component of a power command.

16. The power system as recited in claim 12, further comprising one or more circuits configured to generate at least one of a variable gain signal or a fixed gain signal based on at least the state of charge of the high side power source.

21. The power system as recited in claim 12, wherein the high side power source comprises one or more of a battery, an ultracapacitor, a flywheel, an array of batteries and an ultracapacitor bank.

17-20. -20. (canceled)

22-49. -49. (canceled)

50. A method of operating a control circuit comprising the steps of:

operating a circuit to determine a state of charge of a high side power source and adapted to provide a variable gain signal based on the state of charge;

operating a circuit to provide a fixed gain signal based on current from the high side power source; and

operating a circuit to combine at least the variable gain signal and the fixed gain signal to create a power command.

51. The method as recited in claim 50, further comprising operating a circuit to provide a high side power source gain signal as a component of the power command.

52. The method as recited in claim 50, further comprising operating the high side power source to supply power to at least one traction drive motor to supplement power supplied from a low side power source to the at least one traction drive motor.

53. The method as recited in claim 52, further comprising operating an auxiliary power unit to charge the low side power source and the high side power source.

54. (canceled)

55. (canceled)