Power supply system and wireless power supply method

• US 9,748,037 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Original Assignee: IHI Corporation
• Inventors: Niizuma, Motonao
• Primary Examiner(s): Gannon, Levi
• Application Number:
  US14/301,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 307 18, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 11/003 Transport containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

The power supply system includes: movable power-receiving units, each power-receiving unit including at least one power-receiving device used to receive electric power from outside of the power-receiving unit and at least one power-supplying device used to supply, to the outside of the power-receiving unit, at least part of electric power received by the power-receiving device; and a power-supplying unit used to supply electric power to the power-receiving device of one power-receiving unit of the power-receiving units.

Claims

1. A power supply system comprising:

movable power-receiving units, each power-receiving unit including at least one power-receiving device receiving electric power from outside of the power-receiving unit and at least one power-supplying device supplying, to outside of the power-receiving unit, at least part of electric power received by the power-receiving device; and

a power-supplying unit supplying electric power to the power-receiving device of one of the power-receiving units;

wherein each power-receiving unit is configured to supply electric power from the power-receiving device to the power-supplying device without supplying electric power from the power-receiving device to an internal consumption when a voltage of electric power to be supplied from the power-receiving device is less than the voltage required to drive or charge the internal consumption.

2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving unit includes a power-generating device and is configured to supply electric power generated by the power-generating device, to outside of the power-receiving unit, through the power-supplying device.

3. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving unit includes:

a load device consuming electric power; and

a switching device supplying electric power from the power-receiving device to the load device when a voltage of electric power from the power-receiving device is greater than a voltage required to run the load device.

4. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein the power-receiving unit includes:

a load device consuming electric power; and

a switching device supplying electric power from the power-receiving device or from the power-generating device to the load device when a voltage of electric power from the power-receiving device or from the power-generating device is greater than a voltage required to run the load device.

5. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving device, the power-supplying device and the power-supplying unit are configured to wirelessly receive or supply electric power.

6. The power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the power-receiving device includes a power-receiving coil, each of the power-supplying device and the power-supplying unit includes a power-transmitting coil, and the power-receiving device, the power-supplying device and the power-supplying unit are configured to wirelessly receive or supply electric power through an electromagnetic coupling between the power-receiving coil and the power-transmitting coil.

7. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving unit includes a pair of outer surfaces parallel to each other, the power-receiving device is provided in a first outer surface of the pair of outer surfaces, and the power-supplying device is provided in a second outer surface of the pair of outer surfaces.

8. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving unit includes a pair of outer surfaces parallel to each other, and the power-receiving device and the power-supplying device are provided in each of the pair of outer surfaces.

9. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the power-receiving unit includes at least two power-receiving/supplying devices, and each power-receiving/supplying device has a function of the power-receiving device and a function of the power-supplying device, and each power-receiving/supplying device is configured to switch between the function of the power-receiving device and the function of the power-supplying device.

10. A wireless power supply method comprising:

an arrangement step of arranging a power-supplying device of a movable first power-receiving unit and a power-receiving device of a movable second power-receiving unit facing each other;

a first power-supplying step of wirelessly supplying electric power to a power-receiving device of the first power-receiving unit from outside of the first power-receiving unit; and

a second power-supplying step of wirelessly supplying, to the power-receiving device of the second power-receiving unit from the power-supplying device of the first power-receiving unit, electric power obtained by the power-supplying device of the first power-receiving unit from the power-receiving device of the first power-receiving unit without supplying electric power from the power-receiving device of the first power-receiving unit to an internal consumption when a voltage of electric power to be supplied from the power-receiving device of the first power-receiving unit is less than the voltage required to drive or charge the internal consumption.