Power management system that changes the operating conditions of a battery charger

• US 9,219,294 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Albsmeier, Eric D., Mauk, Richard A., Chiu, Harrison C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NHA T
• Application Number:
  US13/591,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to a power management system. The power management system includes a generator that provides a voltage output to a bus. The bus is adapted to be connected to a load. The power management system further includes a battery charger that is adapted to charge a battery. A generator controller operates the generator and also adjusts operating conditions of the battery charger. In some embodiments, the generator includes an internal combustion engine that drives an alternator. Embodiments are contemplated where the battery charger is adapted to receive power from a primary power source. As an example, the primary power source may be utility power or some other form of generator power.

Claims

1. A power management system comprising:

a secondary power source that includes a generator, wherein the generator includes an internal combustion engine and an alternator that provides a voltage output to a bus, wherein the bus is adapted to be connected to a load and to a primary power source such that secondary power source provides power to the load when the primary power source becomes unavailable;

a battery charger that is adapted to charge a battery, wherein the battery charger is part of a plurality of battery chargers such that the generator controller adjusts operating conditions of at least one of the battery chargers; and

a generator controller that operates the generator, wherein the generator controller adjusts operating conditions of the battery charger, wherein each battery charger exchanges data with the other battery chargers in the plurality of battery chargers in order to adjust operating conditions of at least one of the battery chargers.

2. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the primary power source is utility power.

3. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the generator controller displays information relating to a charge level of the battery.

4. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the generator controller displays information relating to operating parameters of the battery charger.

5. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery charger and generator controller are located within the same enclosure.

6. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery charger and generator controller exchange data via a communication bus that is connected to the generator controller and the battery charger.

7. The power management system of claim 1, further comprising a server that is connected to the generator controller over the network, wherein the server stores information relating to the charge level of the energy storage device and the operation of the power management system.

8. The power management system of claim 1, further comprising a server that is connected to the generator controller over the network, wherein the server stores information relating to charge profiles that may be utilized by the battery charger.

9. The power management system of claim 8, wherein the server provides commands to the generator controller as to how to adjust the charging profile of the battery charger.

10. The power management system of claim 8, wherein the generator controller adjusts the charging profile in order to increase energy efficiency associated with operating the battery charger when the battery charger receives power from a primary power source.

11. The power management system of claim 10, wherein the generator controller adjusts the charging profile by turning off the battery charger to increase energy efficiency associated with operating the battery charger when the battery charger receives power from a primary power source.

12. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery charger is adapted to charge a plurality of batteries.

13. The power management system of claim 1, wherein the battery charger is part of a plurality of battery chargers such that the generator controller adjusts operating conditions of at least one of the battery chargers, and wherein each battery charger is adapted to charge a plurality of batteries.

14. A power management system comprising:

a plurality of secondary power sources that each include a generator such that each generator includes an internal combustion engine and an alternator that provides a voltage output to a bus, wherein the bus is adapted to be connected to a load and to a primary power source such that at least one secondary power source provides power to the load when the primary power source becomes unavailable;

a plurality of battery chargers that is adapted to charge a plurality of batteries; and

a plurality of generator controllers that each operate one of the respective generators, wherein each of the generator controllers adjusts operating conditions of a corresponding battery charger that is connected to the respective generator controller; and

a server that is connected to at least some of the generator controllers such that the server collects data related to each of the corresponding battery chargers that are associated with the respective generator controllers, wherein each battery charger exchanges data with the other battery chargers in the plurality of battery chargers in order to adjust operating conditions of at least one of the battery chargers.

15. The power management system of claim 14, wherein the server collects data related to each of the corresponding batteries that are associated with the respective battery chargers.

16. A power management system comprising:

a secondary power source that includes a generator, wherein the generator includes an internal combustion engine and an alternator that provides a voltage output to a bus, wherein the bus is adapted to be connected to a load and to a primary power source such that secondary power source provides power to the load when the primary power source becomes unavailable;

a battery charger that is adapted to charge a battery;

a generator controller that operates the generator, wherein the generator controller stores a variety of different charging profiles for different types of batteries, wherein the generator controller determines the type of battery and adjusts operating conditions of the battery charger based on the type of battery; and

a server that is connected to the generator controller over the network, wherein the server stores information relating to charge profiles that is utilized by the battery charger for different types of batteries.

17. The power management system of claim 16, wherein the server provides commands to the generator controller as to how to adjust the charging profile of the battery charger based on the type of battery.