Parallel power back-up system

• US 8,324,758 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Servato Corp.
• Original Assignee: Encell Technology, Inc
• Inventors: Ogg, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Amaya, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US12/748,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 307/64, 307/65, 307/66
• US Class Current: 307/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

System and methods of supplying power to a load are provided. A module monitors electrical grid power. When the grid power fails the module initially provides power from a performance battery. When a bulk energy power system has warmed-up/activated, the module switches the power to the load from the performance battery to the bulk energy power system.

Claims

1. A parallel power back-up system comprising:

a performance battery having;

a rate greater than 2C; and

a cycle life greater than 300 cycles at C rate;

a bulk energy storage system; and

a controller configured to;

determine when grid power has failed,

connect the performance battery to a bus in response to determining that the grid power has failed,

initiate a timer after connecting the performance battery to the bus, and

connect, at the expiry of the timer, the bulk energy storage system to the bus;

wherein the performance battery and the bulk energy storage system are connected in parallel to the bus through the controller.

2. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the performance battery comprises a chemistry selected from the group consisting of nickel-metal hydride, nickel-zinc, silver-zinc, nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion, and lithium-polymer.

3. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the bulk energy storage system comprises a bulk storage battery.

4. The parallel power back-up system of claim 3, wherein the bulk storage battery comprises a chemistry selected from the group consisting of lead-acid, nickel-iron, sodium-sulfur, and zinc-manganese dioxide.

5. The parallel power back-up system of claim 4, wherein the bulk storage battery comprises a chemistry that is not environmentally friendly.

6. The parallel power back-up system of claim 5, wherein the bulk storage battery comprises a lead-acid chemistry.

7. The parallel power back-up system of claim 4, wherein the bulk storage battery has a cycle life of 200-300 cycles at C rate.

8. The parallel power back-up system of claim 4, wherein the performance battery and the bulk storage battery each have a voltage of 24 volts.

9. The parallel power back-up system of claim 4, wherein:

a cell of the performance battery has a voltage less than 2.0 volts at C rate between 20-80% State of Charge; and

a cell of the bulk storage battery has a voltage greater than 2.0 volts at 0.25C rate between 20-80% State of Charge.

10. The parallel power back-up system of claim 9, wherein:

a cell of the performance battery has a voltage of 1-1.5 volts at C rate between 20-80% State of Charge; and

a cell of the bulk storage battery has a voltage of 2.5-3.5 volts at 0.25C rate between 20-80% State of Charge.

11. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the performance battery is less than one quarter the size of the bulk energy storage system.

12. The parallel power back-up system of claim 11, wherein the performance battery is less than one tenth the size of the bulk energy storage system.

13. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the performance battery comprises an environmentally friendly chemistry.

14. The parallel power back-up system of claim 13, wherein the performance battery comprises chemistry selected from the group consisting of nickel-metal hydride and lithium-polymer.

15. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the bulk energy storage system is less than one half the cost of the bulk energy storage system.

16. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the performance battery has a rate of 5-8C.

17. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the performance battery has a cycle life of 450-550 cycles at C rate.

18. The parallel power back-up system of claim 1, wherein the bulk energy storage system is selected from the group consisting of a fuel cell, flow cell, ultra capacitor, flywheel, pumped water, compressed air, superconducting magnetic energy, and generator.

19. A method of providing back-up power through a bus, the method comprising:

determining, by a controller, if grid power has failed;

connecting, by the controller, a performance battery to the bus, the performance battery having a rate greater than 2C and a cycle life greater than 300 cycles at C rate;

initiating, by the controller, a timer after connecting the performance battery to the bus;

continuously monitoring in duration of the timer, if the grid power is back online; and

ending the timer, if the grid power is back online, and disconnecting the performance battery from the bus, else connecting at the expiry of the timer, a bulk energy storage system to the bus;

wherein the performance battery and the bulk energy storage system are connected in parallel to the bus through the controller.

20. A system for providing power back-up to a load, the load being connected to a bus, the system comprising:

a performance battery having a rate greater than 2C and a cycle life greater than 300 cycles at C rate;

a bulk energy storage system; and

a power back-up switching module configured to;

determine if grid power to the load has failed,

connect the performance battery to the bus,

initiate a timer after connecting the performance battery to the bus,

continuously monitor, in duration of the timer, if the grid power is back online, and

if the grid power is back online, end the timer and disconnect the performance battery from the bus, else connect, at the expiry of the timer, the bulk energy storage system to the bus;

wherein the performance battery and the bulk energy storage system are connected in parallel to the bus through the power switching module.