Energy storage system for renewable energy source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9455568-B2
Application number	US-201414253095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2014
Priority date	Apr 15, 2014
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

Renewable energy power systems, DC to DC converters, and methods for operating energy storage systems are provided. A system includes a power converter having a DC bus, and an energy storage system coupled to the DC bus of the power converter. The energy storage system includes an energy storage device and a switching power supply coupled between the energy storage device and the DC bus of the power converter. The switching power supply includes a plurality of switching elements, and an energy storage device protection circuit coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the energy storage device, the energy storage device protection circuit including a solid state switch. The switching power supply further includes a fuse coupled to the energy storage device protection circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A renewable energy power system, comprising:
A DC to DC power converter having a DC bus;
a battery energy storage system coupled to the DC bus of the power converter, the battery energy storage system comprising an energy storage device and a switching power supply coupled between the energy storage device and the DC bus of the power converter, the switching power supply comprising:
a plurality of switching elements;
an energy storage device protection circuit coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the energy storage device, the energy storage device protection circuit comprising a solid state switch and a antiparallel diode coupled in parallel with the solid state switch, the solid state switch comprising an anode, a cathode, and a gate; and
a fuse coupled to the energy storage device protection circuit.

2. The renewable energy power system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device protection circuit further comprises a resistor coupled in series with the solid state switch.

3. The renewable energy power system of claim 1 , wherein the solid state switch is a silicon-controlled rectifier.

4. The renewable energy power system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of switching elements comprise a first switching element and a second switching element coupled in series with one another.

5. The renewable energy power system of claim 4 , wherein the fuse is coupled to a node between the first switching element and the second switching element.

6. The renewable energy power system of claim 4 , wherein the fuse is coupled to a positive terminal of the DC bus.

7. The renewable energy power system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery module, the battery module comprising a first switch, a battery, a second switch, and a fuse coupled in series to the first switch.

8. The renewable energy power system of claim 1 , wherein the switching power supply further comprises a normal mode filter coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the energy storage device protection circuit, and a common mode filter coupled between the normal mode filter and the energy storage device protection circuit.

9. A DC to DC power converter comprising:
a first transistor having a gate, a collector, and an emitter;
a second transistor having a gate, a collector, and an emitter, the collector of the second transistor being coupled to the emitter of the first transistor;
an energy storage device protection circuit, the energy storage device protection circuit comprising a solid state switch and an antiparallel diode coupled in parallel with one another, the solid state switch comprising an anode, a cathode, and a gate; and
a plurality of fuses coupled to the energy storage device protection circuit.

10. The DC to DC power converter of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fuses comprises a fuse coupled to a node between the first transistor and the second transistor.

11. The DC to DC power converter of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fuses comprises a fuse coupled to the collector of the first transistor.

12. The DC to DC power converter of claim 11 , further comprising a breaker coupled between the first transistor and the fuse.

13. The DC to DC power converter of claim 9 , wherein the solid state switch is a silicon-controlled rectifier.

14. The DC to DC power converter of claim 9 , wherein the energy storage device protection circuit further comprises a resistor coupled in series with the solid state switch and the antiparallel diode.

15. The DC to DC power converter of claim 9 , further comprising a normal mode filter coupled between the first and second transistors and the energy storage device protection circuit, and a common mode filter coupled between the normal mode filter and the energy storage device protection circuit.

16. A method of operating an energy storage system, the method comprising:
providing power between a DC bus and an energy storage device via a DC to DC power converter coupled between the DC bus and the energy storage device;
while providing power, firing a solid state switch of the DC to DC power converter when an overvoltage event occurs, the solid state switch comprising an anode, a cathode, and a gate; and
providing a path for current flow through an antiparallel diode of the DC to DC converter when the overvoltage event is negative, the antiparallel diode coupled in parallel with the solid state switch.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the power is provided through a plurality of switching elements of the DC to DC converter.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising clearing a fuse coupled between the plurality of switching elements and the solid state switch when the overvoltage event exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the predetermined threshold is below a voltage rating for the solid state switch.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wagoner Robert Gregory
• Klodowski Anthony Michael
• Sutherland Steven Wade
• Bedia Rafael Ignacio
• Niemoeller Benjamin Arthur

Classifications

• H02J3/381

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J7/663

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

• H02J7/62

  against overcurrent · CPC title

• H02J7/64

  against overvoltage · CPC title