Energy system

• US 9,415,699 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Morioka, Yukiko, Sakuma, Hisato, Kudo, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/388,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An energy system having a plurality of storage batteries and renewable power supplies includes an information processor. Each of the storage batteries is individually set to a maximum SOC representing a charging limit and a minimum SOC representing a discharging limit. Each of the storage batteries is chargeable and dischargeable under the control of an external device and is capable of measuring SOC values. The information processor controls charging and discharging processes of the storage batteries individually to keep the storage batteries charged until SOC values acquired from the storage batteries reach the maximum SOC when the storage batteries are charged and to keep the storage batteries discharged until SOC values acquired from the storage batteries reach the minimum SOC when the storage batteries are discharged.

Claims

1. An energy system that includes a plurality of storage batteries and an information processor, wherein:

the plurality of storage batteries supply stored electric power to an electric device, each of said storage batteries being individually set to a maximum SOC representing a charging limit and a minimum SOC representing a discharging limit, each of said storage batteries being chargeable and dischargeable under the control of an external device and being capable of measuring SOC values; and

the information processor controls charging and discharging processes of said storage batteries individually to keep said storage batteries charged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said maximum SOC when said storage batteries are charged and to keep said storage batteries discharged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said minimum SOC when said storage batteries are discharged,

wherein said information processor;

individually establishes, for each of said storage batteries, a charging-stop SOC, which serves as an index for stopping the charging process, and which is lower than said maximum SOC, or a charging-stop ratio within a usable SOC range;

controls the charging processes of said storage batteries individually to keep said storage batteries charged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said charging-stop SOC or said charging-stop ratio when said storage batteries are charged; and

said information processor sets said charging-stop SOC and said charging-stop ratio based on the amounts of electric power consumed in said energy system and based on the instructions for reverse power flow to a power distribution system and charging instructions to said storage batteries.

3. The energy system according to claim 1, wherein either a renewable power supply or said storage batteries are installed in association with an electric power user who has said electric device.

4. The energy system according to claim 1, wherein said information processor:

designates storage batteries which have reached said minimum SOC as belonging to a charging storage battery group, and designates storage batteries which have reached said maximum SOC, said charging-stop SOC, or said charging-stop ratio as belonging to a discharging storage battery group;

wherein if the amount of electric power supplied by a renewable power supply is greater than the amount of electric power consumed by said electric device, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of supplying the generated electric power to a power distribution system by way of reverse power flow, a process of charging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said charging storage battery group, and a process of reducing the amount of electric power generated by said renewable power supply; and

wherein if the amount of electric power supplied by said renewable power supply is smaller than the amount of electric power consumed by said electric device, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of receiving electric power from the power distribution system, a process of increasing the amount of electric power generated by said renewable power supply, and a process of discharging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said discharging storage battery group.

5. The energy system according to claim 4, wherein said electric device comprises a device which can be temporarily shut down under the control of the external device;

and

said information processor stops supplying electric power to said electric device if the amount of electric power supplied by said renewable power supply is smaller than the amount of electric power consumed by said electric device, and supplies electric power to said electric device to operate the electric device if the amount of electric power supplied by said renewable power supply is greater than the amount of electric power consumed by said electric device.

6. The energy system according to claim 1, wherein:

if an amount of electric power to be supplied to said power distribution system by way of reverse power flow is notified by the external device, said information processor compares the amount of electric power to be supplied to said power distribution system by way of reverse power flow with excessive electric power as the difference produced by subtracting the sum of amounts of consumed electric power from the sum of amounts of supplied electric power in the energy system;

wherein if the amount of said excessive electric power is greater than the amount of electric power to be supplied to said power distribution system by way of reverse power flow, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of charging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said charging storage battery group and a process of reducing the amount of electric power generated by a renewable power supply; and

wherein if the amount of said excessive electric power is smaller than the amount of electric power to be supplied to said power distribution system by way of reverse power flow, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of increasing the amount of electric power generated by said renewable power supply and a process of discharging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said discharging storage battery group.

7. The energy system according to claim 1, wherein:

if an amount of electric power to be received from the power distribution system is notified by the external device, said information processor compares the amount of electric power to be received from the power distribution system with the amount of electric power that is insufficient as the difference produced by subtracting the sum of amounts of supplied electric power from the sum of amounts of consumed electric power in the energy system;

wherein if the amount of said lacking electric power is greater than the amount of electric power to be received from the power distribution system, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of increasing the amount of electric power generated by a renewable power supply and a process of discharging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said discharging storage battery group; and

wherein if the amount of said electric power that is insufficient is smaller than the amount of electric power to be received from the power distribution system, said information processor carries out at least one process from among a process of charging the storage batteries designated as belonging to said charging storage battery group and a process of reducing the amount of electric power generated by said renewable power supply.

8. The energy system according to claim 1, wherein said storage batteries include a vehicular storage battery.

9. A hierarchical energy system comprising:

a plurality of energy systems each according to claim 1; and

a secondary information processor which notifies amounts of electric power consumed by the energy systems controlled by the information processors thereof, to the information processors included in the respective energy systems.

2. An information processor for controlling an energy system that includes a plurality of storage batteries and an information processor, wherein

the plurality of storage batteries supply stored electric power to an electric device, each of said storage batteries being individually set to a maximum SOC representing a charging limit and a minimum SOC representing a discharging limit, each of said storage batteries being chargeable and dischargeable under the control of an external device and being capable of measuring SOC values, and

wherein said information processor comprises:

a processor that controls charging and discharging processes of said storage batteries individually to keep said storage batteries charged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said maximum SOC when said storage batteries are charged and to keep said storage batteries discharged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said minimum SOC when said storage batteries are discharged, and

wherein said processor;

individually establishes, for each of said storage batteries, a charging-stop SOC, which serves as an index for stopping the charging process, and which is lower than said maximum SOC, or a charging-stop ratio within a usable SOC range;

controls the charging processes of said storage batteries individually to keep said storage batteries charged until SOC values acquired from said storage batteries reach said charging-stop SOC or said charging-stop ratio when said storage batteries are charged; and

said information processor sets said charging-stop SOC and said charging-stop ratio based on the amounts of electric power consumed in said energy system and based on the instructions for reverse power flow to a power distribution system and charging instructions to said storage batteries.