Multi-source energy storage system and energy management and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294182-A1
Application number	US-201615086744-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multi-source energy storage system, it includes a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system, and a second DC/DC converter and controller and a method for supplying power to an electrical load from multiple energy storage systems. The first energy storage system can be coupled to an electrical load. The second DC/DC converter and controller can be coupled between at least one of the following: a second energy storage system and a first energy storage system or electrical load. The controller settings control the first and second energy storage systems and the second DC/DC converter runs in both precharge mode and normal mode. In the precharge mode, the first energy storage system charges the second energy storage system via the second DC/DC converter. In normal mode, the second energy storage is coupled to the electrical load via the second DC/DC converter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multi-source energy storage system, comprising:
a first energy storage system selectably coupled to an electric load; a second energy storage system; a second DC-to-DC converter selectably coupled to and between the second energy storage system and at least one of the first energy storage system and the electric load; a controller configured to control the first and second energy storage systems and the second DC-to-DC converter, and to work in:
a pre-charge mode wherein the second energy storage system is pre-charged by the first energy storage system through the second DC-to-DC converter; and
a normal operation mode wherein the second energy storage system is coupled to the electric load through the second DC-to-DC converter.

2 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first DC-to-DC converter selectably coupled to and between the first energy storage system and the electric load; and a by-pass selectably coupled to and between the first energy storage system and at least one of an output side of the first DC-to-DC converter, an output side of the second DC-to-DC converter, and an input side of the electric load, wherein in the pre-charge mode, the first energy storage system is coupled to the second DC-to-DC converter and to the electric load by the by-pass, and wherein in the normal operation mode, the first and second energy storage systems are parallel coupled to the electric load through the first and second DC-to-DC converters, respectively.

3 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 2 , wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second point between both the first and second DC-to-DC converters and the electric load.

4 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 2 , wherein the by-pass comprises a switch device.

5 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first switch device between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter; a second switch device between the second energy storage system and the second DC-to-DC converter; and a third switch device in the by-pass, wherein in the pre-charge mode, the first switch device is opened and the second and third switch devices are closed, and in the normal operation mode, the first and second switch devices are closed and the third switch device is opened.

6 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to regulate an input current of the second DC-to-DC converter based on an output load of the second DC-to-DC converter in the pre-charge mode.

7 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to regulate a bus voltage of the first energy storage system to maintain the bus voltage substantially constant in the normal operation mode.

8 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the first energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery and an engine generator.

9 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , wherein the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.

10 . The multi-source energy storage system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third energy storage system selected from a group consisting of a fuel cell, a photovoltaic inverter, an engine generator, or combinations thereof, which is selectably coupled to the electric load through a third DC-to-DC converter.

11 . A method, comprising:
operating a multi-source energy storage system comprising a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system and a second DC-to-DC converter in a pre-charge mode, comprising pre-charging the second energy storage system by the first energy storage system through the second DC-to-DC converter; and operating the multi-source energy storage system in a normal operation mode, comprising powering an electric load by the second energy storage system through the second DC-to-DC converter.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein operating the multi-source energy storage system in the normal operation mode further comprises powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through a first DC-to-DC converter.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein operating the multi-source energy storage system in the pre-charge mode further comprises powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through a by-pass parallel to the first DC-to-DC converter.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the by-pass links a first point between the first energy storage system and an input side of the first DC-to-DC converter, and a second point between output sides of both the first and second DC-to-DC converters and an input side of the electric load.

15 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the by-pass comprises a switch device.

16 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising, upon detecting a fault in at least one of the second energy storage system, the first DC-to-DC converter and the second DC-to-DC converter, powering the electric load by the first energy storage system through the by-pass and decoupling the second energy storage system from the electric load.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising regulating an input current of the second DC-to-DC converter based on an output load of the second DC-to-DC converter in the pre-charge mode.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising regulating a bus voltage of the first energy storage system to maintain the bus voltage substantially constant in the normal operation mode.

19 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the multi-source energy storage system further comprises:
a first switch device between the first energy storage system and the first DC-to-DC converter; a second switch device between the second energy storage system and the second DC-to-DC converter; and a third switch device in the by-pass, and wherein in the pre-charge mode, the first switch device is opened and the second and third switch devices are closed, and in the normal operation mode, the first and second switch devices are closed and the third switch device is opened.

20 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first energy storage system comprises at least one of a battery and an engine generator, and the second energy storage system comprises an ultra-capacitor.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Li Fei
• Zhu Pengcheng
• Kang Pengju

Classifications

• H02J3/28

  Arrangements for balancing of the load in networks by storage of energy · CPC title

• B60L50/71

  Arrangement of fuel cells within vehicles specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L2210/10

  DC to DC converters · CPC title

• B60L53/20 Primary

  characterised by converters located in the vehicle · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title