Energy storage system

• US 6,507,169 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Farnow Technologies Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Farnow Technologies Pty Limited
• Inventors: Norlin, Anna, Holtom, Stephen Wayne, Abrahamsson, Goran
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US09/701,692
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0431 Cells with wound or folded electrodes H01M10/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/36 Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0085 Immobilising or gelification of electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/36 : Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/10 : with wound or folded electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 : by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 : with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A power control system (10) for managing power output from a battery (11) includes an output terminal (12) for delivering power from the battery (11) to a load, control means (14) connected to the battery (11) to sense pre-selected operating parameters of the battery (11), and in a first mode of operation to provide power from the battery (11) to the output terminals (12). A first capacitor (15), which stores a predetermined quantity of power is connected between the control means (14) and the battery (11), supplies its stored power to the battery (11) in response to a signal from the control means (14) which is in a second mode of operation. A second capacitor (16), which stores a predetermined quantity of power and is connected between control means (14) and the output terminals (12), supplies its stored power to the output terminals (12) in response to a signal from the control means (14) in its second mode of operation.

Claims

1. A power control system for providing a predetermined power output from a battery system comprising:

(i) output means for delivering power from the system to a load,

(ii) control means adapted to be connected to the battery system to sense pre-selected operating parameters of the battery system in a first mode of operation, and in a second mode of operation to provide power from the battery system to the output means,

(iii) first capacitor means adapted to store a predetermined quantity of power when said control means is in the first mode of operation, said first capacitor means connected between the control means and the battery system and adapted to supply its stored power to the battery system in response to a command signal from the control means when the control means is in the second mode of operation,

(iv) second capacitor means adapted to store a predetermined quantity of power when said control means is in a first mode of operation, said second capacitor means connected between the control means and the output means and adapted to supply its stored power to the output means in response to a command signal from the control means when the control means is in the second mode of operation.

2. A power control system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second capacitor means are adapted to store less than 50 percent of the power being transferred out of the battery.

3. A power control system according to claim 1 wherein the control means provides the command signals to the first capacitor means and the second capacitor means at a predetermined time interval after the commencement of supply or power to the output means.

4. A power control system according to claim 1 wherein the control means is adapted to sense the polarisation level in the battery and wherein the control signals to the first capacitor means and the second capacitor means are initiated when the polarisation level in the battery drops below a predetermined limit.

5. A power control system according to claim 1 wherein the stored power in the first capacitor means induces a reverse charge or pulse to excite the electrodes within the battery system at a rate that is proportional to the internal resistance of the battery system as sensed by the control means.

6. A power control system according to claim 1 used for management of a battery system wherein the battery of the system is a lead-acid battery.

7. A power control system according to claim 6 wherein the lead-acid battery incorporates spiral wound electrodes and a high energy transfer capacity electrolyte medium.

8. A power control system according to claim 6 wherein the lead-acid battery incorporates compressed plate electrodes which incorporate a high energy transfer capacity electrolyte medium.

9. A power control system according to claim 6 wherein the lead-acid battery incorporates a bipolar cell arrangement.

18. A battery management system according to claim 6 wherein the battery is a Redox-Gel battery.

19. A battery management system according to claim 18 wherein the Redox-Gel battery incorporates spiral wound electrodes and a high energy transfer capacity electrolyte medium.

20. A battery management system according to claim 18 wherein the Redox-Gel battery incorporates compressed plate electrodes and a high energy transfer capacitor electrolyte medium.

10. A management system for a battery having at least one cell that has at least a pair of electrodes and which is susceptible to polarisation, said battery management system comprising:

(i) means for monitoring a predetermined parameter of said at least one cell that is indicative of the level of polarisation,

(ii) means for storing a predetermined amount of the power being transferred into or out of the battery,

(iii) means for inducing a reverse charge or pulse to the electrodes according to the level of polarisation so as to reduce the polarisation loss, and

(iv) means, other than the battery, for supplying stored power to a load when said means for inducing a reverse charge or pulse is inducing said reverse charge or pulse.

11. A battery management system according to claim 10 wherein the predetermined parameter is the internal resistance of said at least one cell.

12. A battery management system according to claim 10 wherein the reverse charge or pulse is induced at a rate that is proportional to the internal resistance and/or energy flow levels of said at least one cell.

13. A battery management system according to claim 10 wherein the battery has a plurality of cells and the monitoring means monitors a predetermined parameter of each cell and the reverse charge or pulse is induced into each cell.

14. A battery management system according to claim 10 and further including means for identifying a battery charger to which the battery has been connected and means for identifying the battery so that the identified battery charger will not charge an unidentified battery.

15. A battery management system according to claim 10 wherein the battery is a nickel-metal-hydride battery.

16. A battery management system according to claim 15 wherein the nickel-metal-hydride battery incorporates spiral wound electrodes and a high energy transfer capacitor electrolyte medium.

17. A battery management system according to claim 15 wherein the nickel-metal-hydride battery incorporates compressed plate electrodes and a high energy transfer capacitor electrolyte medium.

21. A battery management system according to claim 10 wherein the predetermined parameter is selected from the voltage, current, temperature, pressure, internal resistance or internal impedance of said at least one cell.

22. A battery incorporating the battery management system of claim 10.