Battery supplementing super capacitor energy storage charge and discharge converter

• US 7,786,620 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Vuk, Ivan, Kojori, Hassan Ali, Rusan, Ileana
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini; Albert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMAYA, CARLOS DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/032,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20090206657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/48, 307/66
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4264 with capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A super capacitor energy storage supplementing a battery providing power to a direct current bus including charge and discharge converters is disclosed. A bank of super capacitors may be charged by a battery with a pulse-width modulation controller and an electromagnetic interference filter. The bank of super capacitors may be controllably connected to the direct current bus through an isolating transformer implemented as a isolated boost converter.

Claims

1. A super capacitor charge-discharge apparatus comprising:

a power source connected to a direct current bus;

a super capacitor bank charged by said power source and controllably connectable to said direct current bus;

a control module connected to said super capacitor bank and monitoring a voltage of said direct current bus, said control module providing signals to indirectly connect said super capacitor bank to said direct current bus when said voltage is less than a predetermined level; and

an active clamp and synchronous side rectifier circuit for minimizing power conduction and switching losses comprising;

an isolating transformer for transferring energy from the supercapacitor bank to direct current bus;

first and second solid-state switches connected in opposite polarity;

an inductor connecting the first and second switches with the super capacitor bank; and

a capacitor connecting the inductor to the isolating transformer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the active clamp and synchronous side rectifier circuit further comprises a third solid state switch interposed between the isolating transformer and the direct current bus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising leakage blocking connected to said super capacitor bank.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising transient protection connected to said power source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic interference filter connected to said power source and filtering power provided from said power source to said super capacitor bank.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control module is a pulse-width modulation controller operated with sensed current feedback.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control module is a pulse-width modulation controller including over-current load protection.

8. An aircraft power system comprising:

a power source connected to a direct current bus;

an electrical system drawing power from said direct current bus;

a super capacitor bank charged by said power source and controllably connectable to said direct current bus;

a super capacitor single-ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) control module monitoring energy parameters of said direct current bus and indirectly connecting said super capacitor bank to said direct current bus in response to monitored energy parameters which control module comprises;

a main transistor;

an active voltage clamp for limiting peak voltage stress on the main transistor;

an isolation transformer having its primary connected with the supercapacitor bank;

a self-driven rectifier connected with a secondary of the isolating transformer; and

a current loop comparator connected to provide control signals to the main transistor for controlling current output from the supercapacitor bank.

9. The aircraft power system of claim 8 wherein said power source comprises a battery.

10. The aircraft power system of claim 8 wherein said super capacitor bank comprises an array of super capacitors.

11. The aircraft power system of claim 8 wherein said power source is connected to said super capacitor bank through an electromagnetic interference filter.

12. A method of providing supplemental energy to an aircraft energy system including a power source connected to a DC bus and a supplemental energy source, the method comprising:

monitoring a voltage level of the DC bus;

determining if said voltage level is below a threshold value;

connecting said supplemental energy source to a primary side of an isolating transformer through a main transistor;

employing an active voltage clamp to limit peak voltage stress on the main transistor;

measuring an output voltage signal on a secondary side of the isolating transformer;

isolating the output voltage signal to produce an isolated voltage signal;

monitoring a current reference signal at an output of the supplemental energy source;

producing pulse-width modulation (PWM) signals responsively to the isolated voltage signals and the current reference signals; and

controlling current from the supplemental energy source with the PWM signals so that the supplementary energy is applied to the DC bus with increased system safety.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said supplemental energy source comprises a capacitance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said capacitance comprises a plurality of super capacitors.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining if a voltage level is above a threshold charge value and connecting said supplemental energy source to a charging power source.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising charging said supplemental energy source.