Systems and methods for energy transfer control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9118201-B2
Application number	US-201213708943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2012
Priority date	May 8, 2012
Publication date	Aug 25, 2015
Grant date	Aug 25, 2015

Abstract

A control system includes a first switching module and a second switching module. The second switching module is operably connected to the first switching module. The control system is configured to be selectably connected to at least two of an energy dissipation system, an external energy storage system, or an internal energy storage system. When the control system is selected for electrical communication with one of the at least two of an energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system, the first and second switching modules control the path of a current distributed through the one of the at least two of an energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system comprising:
a first switching module; and
a second switching module operably connected to the first switching module, the first switching module and the second switching module arranged in series between positive and negative portions of a DC bus;
wherein the control system is configured to be selectably connected, at a location interposed between the first switching module and the second switching module, to at least two of:
an energy dissipation system, the energy dissipation system configured to dissipate energy associated with a vehicle system;
an internal energy storage system, the internal energy storage system configured to store energy for use by the vehicle system; or
an external energy charging system, the external energy charging system configured to provide energy from a source external to the vehicle system for storage by the internal energy storage system; and

wherein, when the control system is selected for connection with one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system, the first and second switching modules control the path of a current distributed through the one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system, and wherein the control system is configured to be selected for connection with the one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system by placing the one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system in electrical communication with the location interposed between the first switching module and the second switching module.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein a transfer of energy to or from the one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system with which the system is selected for connection is controlled by varying a ratio of a first time to a second time, the first time corresponding to when the first switching module is on, and the second time corresponding to when the first switching module is off.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the energy dissipation system comprises a resistive load configured to dissipate energy from a dynamic braking activity, wherein, when the system is selected for electrical communication with the energy dissipation system, a first path wherein the resistive load is connected to an energy source and dissipates energy is defined when the first switching module is on, and wherein a second path wherein the resistive load is disconnected from the energy source and does not dissipate energy is defined when the first switching module is off.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the internal energy storage system comprises a battery having a first battery bank and a second battery bank, and wherein the first and second switching modules control a transfer between the first battery bank and the second battery bank when the system is selected for connection with the internal energy storage system.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the internal energy storage system comprises a capacitor, and wherein the first and second switching modules control a transfer between the capacitor and at least one of a battery and a direct current bus when the system is selected for connection with the internal energy storage system.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second switching modules control a transfer between the external energy charging system and at least one of a battery or a direct current bus disposed within the vehicle system when the system is selected for connection with the external energy charging system.

7. The control system of claim 1 , comprising:
a first switching system comprising the first switching module and the second switching module; and
a second switching system comprising a third switching module and a fourth switching module operably connected to the third switching module;
wherein the second switching system is configured to be selectably connected to the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system;
wherein the third switching module and the fourth switching module control the path of a current distributed through an additional one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system when the second switching system is selected for connection with the additional one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system; and
wherein, when the first switching system controls one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system when the system is selected for connection with the one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system, the second switching system is configured to contemporaneously control the additional one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system when the second switching system is selected for connection with the additional one of the at least two of the energy dissipation system, external energy charging system, or internal energy storage system.

8. A system comprising:
a first switching control system comprising:
a first switching module; and
a second switching module operably connected to the first switching module, the first switching module and the second switching module arranged in series between positive and negative portions of a DC bus;

a first energy dissipation system configured to dissipate energy associated with a vehicle system, the first switching control system selectably connected to the first energy dissipation system at a location interposed between the first switching module and the second switching module, the first energy dissipation system comprising a resistive load configured to dissipate energy from a dynamic braking activity; and
a second switching control system comprising:
a third switching module; and
a fourth switching module operably connected to and in electrical communication with the third switching module, the third switching module and the fourth switching module arranged in series between the positive and negative portions of the DC bus;
wherein the second switching control system is selectably connected to at least one of the first energy dissipation system or a second energy dissipation system at a location interposed between the third switching module and the fourth switching module;

wherein the first switching control system and the second switching control system are configured to be selectably connected to at least one of:
an internal energy storage system, the internal energy storage system configured to store energy for use by the vehicle system; or
an external energy charging system, the external energy charging system configured to provide the energy to the internal energy storage system for storage by the internal energy storage system; and

wherein when one of the first and second switching control systems is selected for electrical communication with one of the first energy dissipation system or the second energy dissipation system, the other of the first and second switching control systems is configured to be contemporaneously selectable for electrical communication with one of the at least one of the external energy charging system or

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kumar Ajith Kuttannair

Classifications

• H02J7/007 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L11/00

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y02E60/00

  Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation · CPC title