System and method for integrating hybrid energy storage into direct current power systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10404181-B2
Application number	US-201615237870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2016
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A modular power conversion device includes at least one first-type energy storage device (ESD) configured to induce a first direct current (DC) voltage, and at least one active power link module (APLM) string coupled to the at least one first-type ESD. The at least one APLM string includes a plurality of APLMs coupled to each other. Each APLM of the plurality of APLMs has a plurality of switching devices including a first switching device and a second switching device coupled to each other in electrical series. Each APLM of the plurality of APLMs also has at least one second-type ESD coupled in electrical parallel with both of the first switching device and the second switching device. The at least one second-type ESD is configured to induce a second DC voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular power conversion device comprising:
at least one first-type energy storage device (ESD) configured to induce a first direct current (DC) voltage;
at least one active power link module (APLM) string coupled to said at least one first-type ESD, said at least one APLM string comprising a plurality of APLMs coupled to each other, each APLM of said plurality of APLMs comprising:
a plurality of switching devices comprising a first switching device and a second switching device coupled to each other in electrical series; and
at least one second-type ESD coupled in electrical parallel with both of said first switching device and said second switching device, said at least one second-type ESD configured to induce a second DC voltage; and

a high-frequency (HF) DC-to-DC converter coupled to said at least one APLM string and configured to convert the first DC voltage.

2. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one APLM string is further coupled in electrical parallel to said at least one first-type ESD.

3. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one first-type ESD comprises at least one of a battery, an ultracapacitor, a film capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, a rotating energy storage device, and a fuel cell, and wherein said at least one second-type ESD comprises at least one of a battery, an ultracapacitor, a film capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, a rotating energy storage device, and a fuel cell.

4. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein both of said at least one first-type ESD and said at least one second-type ESD comprise at least one of a battery, an ultracapacitor, a film capacitor, an electrolytic capacitor, a rotating energy storage device, and a fuel cell.

5. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a bypass switch coupled in electrical parallel with at least one switching device of said plurality of switching devices, said bypass switch configured to alternately electrically couple and electrically isolate at least one APLM of said plurality of APLMs and said modular power conversion device.

6. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a bypass controller coupled to said bypass switch, said bypass controller configured to transmit a bypass control signal to alternately open and close said bypass switch.

7. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a switching controller coupled to said plurality of switching devices, said switching controller configured to transmit at least one switch control signal to alternately open and close at least one of said plurality of switching devices.

8. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:
a first DC bus coupled in electrical parallel with at least one of said first-type ESD and said at least one APLM string, said first DC bus having a voltage substantially equal to the first DC voltage; and
a second DC bus, and wherein said high-frequency (HF) DC-to-DC converter is coupled to said first DC bus and is coupled to said second DC bus, and wherein said HF DC-to-DC converter is configured to:
inductively couple said first DC bus to said second DC bus; and
convert the first DC voltage to a third DC voltage, said second DC bus having a voltage substantially equal to the third voltage.

9. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein:
said at least one first-type ESD is further coupled in electrical parallel with said first DC bus; and
said at least one APLM string is further coupled in electrical parallel with said second DC bus, wherein said at least one first-type ESD is:
galvanically isolated from said at least one APLM string; and
inductively coupled to said at least one APLM string.

10. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said HF DC-to-DC converter comprises at least one converter pair comprising:
at least one DC-to-alternating current (AC) converter comprising a primary winding, said at least one DC-to-AC converter coupled to said first DC bus; and
at least one AC-to-DC converter comprising a secondary winding, said at least one AC-to-DC converter coupled to said second DC bus, wherein said primary winding is:
galvanically isolated from said secondary winding; and
inductively coupled to said secondary winding.

11. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said primary winding has a first number of turns and said secondary winding has a second number of turns, the first number of turns different from the second number of turns, and wherein the first DC voltage is different from the third DC voltage.

12. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said at least one converter pair further comprises a plurality of converter pairs, wherein:
said at least one DC-to-AC converter comprises a plurality of DC-to-AC converters coupled together in electrical parallel with said first DC bus; and
said at least one AC-to-DC converter comprises a plurality of AC-to-DC converters coupled together in electrical series and further coupled in electrical parallel with said second DC bus, wherein the first DC voltage is different from the third DC voltage.

13. The modular power conversion device in accordance with claim 10 , wherein:
said at least one DC-to-AC converter comprises a first plurality of switching devices;
said at least one AC-to-DC converter comprises a second plurality of switching devices; and
at least one converter controller coupled to said first plurality of switching devices and coupled to said second plurality of switching devices, said at least one converter controller configured to transmit at least one converter control signal to alternately open and close said first plurality of switching devices and said second plurality of switching devices.

14. A modular power converter system comprising:
a modular power conversion device comprising:
at least one first-type energy storage device (ESD) configured to induce a first direct current (DC) voltage; and
at least one active power link module (APLM) string coupled to said at least one first-type ESD, said at least one APLM string comprising a plurality of APLMs coupled to each other, each APLM of said plurality of APLMs comprising:
a plurality of switching devices comprising a first switching device and a second switching device coupled to each other in electrical series; and
at least one second-type ESD coupled in electrical parallel with both of said first switching device and said second switching device, said at least one at least one second-type ESD configured to induce a second DC voltage; and

at least one electrical load device coupled in electrical parallel to:
said modular power conversion device; and
said at least one first-type ESD, wherein said at least one electrical load device is further galvanically coupled to said modular power conversion device.

15. The modular power converter system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein said each APLM of said plurality of APLMs further comprises a replaceable module detachably and electrically coupled to said at least one APLM string.

16. The modular power converter system in accordance with claim 14 , wherein said at least one APLM string is further coupled in electrical parallel to said at least one first-type ESD.

17. The modular power converter sy

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Zhou Zhi
• Zhang Di
• Dong Dong
• Sadilek Tomas

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J1/002

  using intermediate DC-AC-DC conversion · CPC title

• H02J7/345

  using capacitors as storage or buffering devices · CPC title

• H02J9/00

  Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting · CPC title

• H02J1/10

  Parallel operation of DC sources · CPC title