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

• US 7,960,855 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Song, Dongwoo, Salasoo, Lembit, King, Robert Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US11/012,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,372 Days
• Field of Search: 307/71, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/46
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• 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 for an energy storage system comprising a high side power source and a low side power source, the control circuit comprising:

(a) a variable gain circuit comprising;

(i) an integrator to integrate a current of the high side power source to provide an integrated signal,

(ii) a comparison circuit to obtain a comparison signal representative of a comparison of the integrated signal with a reference value of a state of charge of the high side power source,

(iii) a gain adjustment circuit to use the comparison signal to provide a variable gain signal, wherein the gain adjustment circuit comprises a variable gain function circuit and a state of charge power limit function, wherein the variable gain function circuit receives the comparison signal from the comparison circuit and applies a variable gain function to the comparison signal to obtain the variable gain signal, and wherein the state of charge power limit function receives the variable gain signal from the variable gain function circuit and applies a limiting function to the variable gain signal;

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

(c) a power command creation circuit configured to combine the variable gain signal and the fixed gain signal to create a power command to control a power output of the low side power source.

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 an overvoltage protection circuit for obtaining a comparison of a voltage of the high side power source with a reference voltage and for providing a high side power source gain signal for use in creating the power command.

4. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a traction boost converter, wherein the traction boost converter is coupled between the low side power source and the high side power source.

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 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.

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

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

10. The control circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the low side power source is coupled to a traction boost converter, wherein at least one of the low side power source and the high side power source is charged via an auxiliary power unit, 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, 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.

11. 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 using a variable gain signal, wherein the control circuit comprises a variable gain circuit comprising;

(i) an integrator to integrate a current of the high side power source to provide an integrated signal,

(ii) a comparison circuit to obtain a comparison signal representative of a comparison of the integrated signal with a reference value of a state of charge of the high side power source, and

(iii) a gain adjustment circuit to use the comparison signal to provide the variable gain signal, wherein the gain adjustment circuit comprises a variable gain function circuit and a state of charge power limit function, wherein the variable gain function circuit receives the comparison signal from the comparison circuit and applies a variable gain function to the comparison signal to obtain the variable gain signal, and wherein the state of charge power limit function receives the variable gain signal from the variable gain function circuit and applies a limiting function to the variable gain signal.

12. The power system as recited in claim 11, further comprising an ultracapacitor coupled to the traction boost converter.

13. The power system as recited in claim 12, further comprising multiple channels on the low side of the traction boost converter to operate multiple channels of ultracapacitors.

14. The power system as recited in claim 11, 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.

15. A method for controlling an energy storage system comprising a high side power source and a low side power source coupled by a boost converter, the method comprising:

integrating a current of the high side power source to provide an integrated signal,

obtaining a comparison signal based on a comparison of the integrated signal with a reference value of a state of charge of the high side power source;

using the comparison signal to provide a variable gain signal, wherein providing the variable gain signal comprises applying a variable gain function to the comparison signal to obtain the variable gain signal, and applying a limiting function to the variable gain signal;

providing a fixed gain signal based on current from the high side power source; and

combining at least the variable gain signal and the fixed gain signal to create a power command to control a power output of the low side power source.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising operating the high side power source to supply power to at least one traction drive motor to supplement power supplied from the low side power source to the at least one traction drive motor.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising operating an auxiliary power unit to charge the low side power source and the high side power source.