Energy source system having multiple energy storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10158152-B2
Application number	US-201615059103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2011
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

System are described that include an energy storage device adapted to store and release energy and an ultracapacitor. The systems include a switching device coupled to the energy storage device to selectively connect and disconnect the energy storage device to a load, and a second switching device coupled to the ultracapacitor and adapted to connect and disconnect the ultracapacitor to the load. The systems may include a sensor adapted to sense the current draw at the load. The first switching device is activated to connect the energy storage device to the load when a rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a threshold, and the second switching device is activated to connect the ultracapacitor to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy source system, comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
a current sensor disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the positive terminal, wherein the current sensor is configured to sense current flow through the positive terminal;
an energy storage device and a first switching device coupled in series between the negative terminal and the current sensor, wherein the first switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow;
an ultracapacitor pack and a second switching device coupled in series between the negative terminal and the current sensor, wherein the second switching device is configured to selectively connect to enable current flow and disconnect to block current flow; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the current sensor, the first switching device, and the second switching device, wherein the controller configured to:
determine a rate of change of current draw at a load electrically coupled to the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the energy source system based at least in part on the current flow sensed by the current sensor;
instruct the first switching device to connect to enable the energy storage device to supply electric charge to the load at a first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a preset threshold; and
instruct the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply electric charge to the load at a second rate greater than the first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

2. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first switching device comprises a first field-effect transistor;
the second switching device comprises a second field-effect transistor, or both.

3. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein controller is configured to:
instruct the second switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the ultracapacitor pack to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below the present threshold; and
instruct the first switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the energy storage device to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

4. The energy source system of claim 1 , comprising a direct current to direct current converter electrically coupled to a first node between the energy storage device and the first switching device and to a second node between the ultracapacitor pack and the second switching device;
wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack using electrical power output from the energy storage device.

5. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein the load comprises a starting load, alighting load, or an ignition load, or any combination thereof.

6. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises one or more battery cells.

7. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ultracapacitor pack comprises a first ultracapacitor and a second ultracapacitor coupled in series; and
the controller is configured to control current flow from the energy storage device to the ultracapacitor pack such that:
the current flow is supplied to the first ultracapacitor to charge the first ultracapacitor; and
the current flow subsequently bypasses the first ultracapacitor and is supplied to the second ultracapacitor to balance charging of the second ultracapacitor with the first ultracapacitor.

8. The energy source system of claim 1 , wherein the preset threshold comprises a current level sufficient to start an internal combustion engine.

9. A method for controlling operation of an energy source system, comprising:
determining, using a controller, voltage across an energy storage device implemented in the energy source system resulting from storage of electrical energy in the energy storage device;
determining, using the controller, whether first electrical power resulting from the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device is expected to be sufficient to enable a starter coupled to the energy source system to crank an internal combustion engine based at least in part on voltage across the energy storage device;
instructing, using the controller, a first switching device electrically coupled between the energy storage device and the starter to connect to enable the energy source system to supply the first electrical power to the starter when the first electrical power is expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine; and
when the first electrical power is not expected to be sufficient to crank the internal combustion engine:
controlling, using the controller, operation of a direct current to direct current converter electrically coupled between the energy storage device and an ultracapacitor pack implemented in the energy source system to charge the ultracapacitor pack using the first electrical power output from the energy storage device; and
instructing, using the controller, a second switching device electrically coupled between the ultracapacitor pack and the starter to connect to enable the ultracapacitor to supply second electrical power with magnitude greater than the first electrical power to the starter when a second engine start signal after the first engine start signal is received.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising instructing, using the controller, the first switching device and the second switching device to remain disconnected during a time lapse between the first engine start signal and the second engine start signal to enable the direct current to direct current converter to charge the ultracapacitor pack during the time lapse.

11. The method of claim 9 , comprising:
determining, using the controller, current flow through the energy source system;
determining, using the controller, determine a rate of change of current draw at a load electrically coupled to the energy source system based at least in part on the current flow through the energy source system;
instructing, using the controller, the first switching device to connect to enable the energy storage device to supply electric charge to the load at a first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a preset threshold; and
instructing, using the controller, the second switching device to connect to enable the ultracapacitor pack to supply electric charge to the load at a second rate greater than the first rate when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
instructing, using the controller, the second switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the ultracapacitor pack to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is below the preset threshold; and
instructing, using the controller, the first switching device to disconnect to block supply of electric charge from the energy storage device to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the preset threshold.

13. An energy source system, comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing comprises a positive terminal and a negative terminal;
an energy storage device electrically coupled between a first internal node and the

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Watson Thomas M
• Jiang Junwei
• Wyatt Perry M

Classifications

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/84

  Control of state of health [SOH] · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/52

  for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries · CPC title

• B60L2240/547

  Voltage · CPC title