Power regulation system for a mobile environment-controlled unit and method of controlling the same

• US 9,562,715 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Kandasamy, Vaitheeswaran
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSWALD, KIRSTIN U
• Application Number:
  US13/425,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20130248165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 62/61, 621/33, 622/36, 622/37, 623/233, 621/34, 622/39, 622/43, 700/246, 123/406.53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3232 particularly adapted for load transporting vehicles B60H1/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2327/001 of the internal combustion type
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/003 for movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A mobile environment-controlled unit comprising a chassis, a compartment supported by the chassis, and an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment. The environmental-control system is configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment. The environmental-control system includes an AC Alternator and a controller. The AC alternator is powered by an internal combustion engine and supplies electrical power for the environmental-control system. The controller is configured to monitor the environmental parameter of the compartment, monitor one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator, control the environmental-control system based on the monitored environmental parameter, and control the AC alternator based on the monitored parameters of the alternator.

Claims

1. A mobile environment-controlled unit comprising:

a chassis;

a compartment supported by the chassis; and

an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system being configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment, the environmental-control system including

an AC alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system;

a controller configured to

monitor the environmental parameter of the compartment,

monitor one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator,

control the environmental-control system based on the monitored environmental parameter, and

determine whether to adjust an output AC voltage of the AC alternator to a new output AC voltage based on the monitored one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator and on the monitored environmental parameter, determine a predicted alternator speed based on the new output AC voltage when the controller determines to adjust the output AC voltage of the AC alternator to the new output AC voltage, and adjust a field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system, wherein the one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator includes at least one of an AC alternator output voltage and an AC alternator output power.

2. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1 wherein the environmental-control system includes a standby power source.

3. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1 wherein the environmental-control system includes a refrigeration unit supported by the chassis, and wherein the environmental parameter is a temperature of the compartment.

4. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to control the refrigeration unit by being further configured to alter the temperature.

5. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1 wherein the one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator includes an AC alternator speed.

6. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to regulate the output AC voltage by adjusting the field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system.

7. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1,

wherein the controller is directly connected to the alternator voltage regulator, and

wherein the controller is configured to adjust the field current of the AC alternator by sending a signal to the alternator voltage regulator.

8. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1, wherein the AC alternator output voltage is an AC output voltage outputted to a system load and an AC alternator output power is an AC power outputted to the system load.

9. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a power electronics module electrically coupled between the AC alternator and a system load, the power electronics module configured to receive the AC output voltage from AC the alternator and provide a secondary AC output voltage to the system load,

wherein the power electronics module is configured to calculate a required power level for the system load and send a second signal based on the required power level to the AC alternator to regulate the AC output voltage outputted to the power electronics module based on the second signal.

10. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a power electronics module that includes;

a rectifier configured to convert the AC alternator output voltage received from the AC alternator into a regulated DC voltage,

an inverter module configured to invert the regulated DC voltage into a secondary AC output voltage,

a filter configured to filter the secondary AC output voltage before the secondary AC output voltage reaches a system load, and

a power electronics controller configured to communicate with the controller and the AC alternator;

wherein the AC alternator includes an alternator voltage regulator that includes a second rectifier configured to convert part of the AC output voltage into DC voltage to regulate the AC output voltage by adjusting a field current of the AC alternator, and

wherein the controller is configured to send a signal to the power electronics controller, the power electronics controller is configured to calculate a required power level for the system load and send a second signal based on the required power level to at least one of the alternator voltage regulator, the second rectifier and the inverter, and at least one of the alternator voltage regulator, the second rectifier and the inverter being configured to regulate the AC output voltage based on the second signal.

11. A method of operating a mobile environment-controlled unit comprising

a chassis,

a compartment supported by the chassis, and

an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system including an AC alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system, the method comprising:

monitoring an environmental parameter of the compartment;

monitoring one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator;

determining whether to adjust an output AC voltage of the AC alternator to a new output AC voltage based on the monitored one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator and on the monitored environmental parameter;

determining a predicted alternator speed based on the new output AC voltage when the controller determines to adjust the output AC voltage of the AC alternator to the new output AC voltage;

controlling the environmental-control system based on the monitored environmental parameter; and

adjusting a field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system wherein the one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator includes at least one of an AC alternator output voltage and an AC alternator output power.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the environmental-control system includes a standby power source.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the environmental-control system is a refrigeration unit supported by the chassis, and wherein the environmental parameter is a temperature of the compartment.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein controlling the refrigeration unit alters the temperature.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator includes an AC alternator speed.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein adjusting the field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system regulates an output AC voltage.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the field current of the alternator includes sending a signal to an alternator voltage regulator of the alternator.

18. A mobile environment-controlled unit comprising:

a chassis;

a compartment supported by the chassis; and

an environmental-control system in environmental communication with the compartment, the environmental-control system being configured to control an environmental parameter of the compartment, the environmental parameter including at least the temperature of the compartment, the environmental-control system including;

an AC alternator powered by an internal combustion engine and to supply electrical power for the environmental-control system, wherein the AC alternator includes an alternator voltage regulator configured to regulate an AC output voltage by adjusting a field current of the AC alternator;

a controller configured to;

monitor the environmental parameter of the compartment,

monitor one or more parameters of the AC alternator, the one or more parameters including at least one of an AC alternator output voltage and an AC alternator output power,

determine whether to adjust an output AC voltage of the AC alternator to a new output AC voltage based on the monitored one or more electrical parameters of the AC alternator and on the monitored environmental parameter, determine a predicted alternator speed based on the new output AC voltage when the controller determines to adjust the output AC voltage of the AC alternator to the new output AC voltage, and adjust the field current of the AC alternator based on the predicted alternator speed to stabilize the AC alternator while also meeting the demands of the environmental-control system,

wherein the controller is directly connected to the alternator voltage regulator, and

wherein the controller is configured to adjust the field current of the AC alternator by sending a signal to the alternator voltage regulator.

19. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 18 wherein the environmental-control system includes a standby power source.

20. The mobile environment-controlled unit of claim 18 wherein the environmental-control system includes a refrigeration unit supported by the chassis, and wherein the environmental parameter is a temperature of the compartment.