Energy storage system and circuit for connecting to battery

Abstract

The present invention discloses an energy storage system and a circuit for connecting batteries. Two or more batteries can be connected to an output device with the same configuration. The battery can be controlled by a control unit or a logic chip, which can operate in two stages. In the first stage, two or more batteries can be connected in series. In the second stage, two or more batteries can be connected in parallel. The switch can be connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery to switch the configuration from series to parallel and vice versa. The control unit can switch between the two phases at any desired frequency to produce the desired output voltage and current. The switching speed between the two phases can be any number of rotations per second.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application is a Chinese national phase application of a PCT application filed on October 2, 2019 (PCT application number: PCT / US2019 / 054249), which claims the rights and priority of a U.S. patent application entitled “Energy storage system and method for improving battery performance” filed on September 18, 2019 (patent number: 16 / 574,218); and a U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Battery connection system and method for improving performance” filed on October 3, 2018 (patent number: 62 / 740,546), which are incorporated into the present disclosure by reference. Technical Field

[0003] An energy storage system and a circuit for connecting a battery are disclosed and described. Background Art

[0004] Series and parallel connections are well known in the electronics field. Each type of connection has its own advantages and disadvantages, and different connection methods are used to achieve different purposes. If you connect multiple power supplies in series, you may have a larger voltage, while if you connect multiple power supplies in parallel, you may increase the current but not the voltage.

[0005] For example, two batteries in series (12V, 100Ah) might have an output of 24V and 100Ah. In comparison, two identical batteries connected in parallel might have an output of 12V and 200Ah. Therefore, if these batteries are powering a device, they can power the device with twice the voltage when connected in series (24V compared to 12V), or they can power the device with the same 12V voltage but twice the current (200Ah instead of 100Ah) when connected in parallel.

[0006] Additionally, typical batteries or energy storage systems may not charge and discharge at the same time. Therefore, they may not be able to drive a load while charging. This can be problematic when energy storage systems are used with renewable resources. These systems typically require a central controller to control the charging and discharging of the system. Summary of the invention

[0007] Battery systems and methods may be disclosed and described. Two or more batteries may be connected to an output device in the same configuration. The batteries may be controlled by a control unit or logic chip that may be configured to operate in two phases.

[0008] In the first stage, two or more batteries may be connected in series. The negative electrode of the first energy storage unit may be connected to the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit, and the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit and the output device may be connected to the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit.

[0009] In the second stage, two or more batteries can be connected in parallel. The positive electrodes of all batteries can be connected to each other, and the negative electrodes can be connected to each other. Then, the positive and negative electrodes in the parallel connection can be connected to the output device in the same parallel manner.

[0010] The control unit can then switch between the two phases at any desired frequency to produce the desired output voltage and current. The switching speed between the two phases can be any number of rotations per second. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, and in which:

[0012] Figure 1A is an embodiment of an energy storage system.

[0013] Figure 1B is an embodiment of an energy storage system.

[0014] Figure 2 is an embodiment of an energy storage system.

[0015] Figure 3A is an embodiment of an output current signal waveform.

[0016] Figure 3B is an embodiment of an output voltage signal waveform.

[0017] Figure 4 An embodiment of a method for implementing a switching circuit is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Aspects of the present invention are disclosed in the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention and the associated drawings. Alternative embodiments may be designed without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In addition, well-known elements of embodiments of the present invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid obscuring the relevant details of the present invention. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the description, several terms used herein are discussed below.

[0019] As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." The embodiments described herein are not limiting but are merely exemplary. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "embodiments of the invention," "embodiments," or "invention" do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0020] Circuits having the advantages of both series circuits and parallel circuits may be shown and described in the exemplary embodiments described herein. By quickly switching between series and parallel configurations, the circuit may output an average of the series and parallel outputs. The output of the switching circuit may be adjusted by adjusting the phase switching frequency or the switching switching time. When the circuit is in a series configuration, a higher voltage may be obtained by increasing the time that the circuit is in the first phase. Alternatively, when the circuit is in a parallel configuration, a higher current may be obtained by increasing the time that the circuit is in the second phase. For circuits that power a larger load, a higher voltage may be required, or a higher current may be required, so as to increase the time that the load is powered from the battery. Since the circuit may be powering a load, it may be necessary to change the voltage or current depending on the load, wherein the load refers to any of a plurality of types of loads.

[0021] Reference now Figure 1A , a switch circuit may be shown in a parallel configuration. Two energy storage units, in this exemplary embodiment a first battery 102 and a second battery 104 may be connected by a set of switches. In this embodiment, the batteries may be wet lead acid batteries of 12 volts and 100 amps per hour. The positive and negative poles of each battery may be connected to a switch. A first switch 106 may be permanently connected to the positive pole of the second battery 104 and may be connected to the positive pole of the first battery 102 during the parallel phase. Thus, there may be a node at the first switch 106 that connects the positive pole of the first battery 102, the positive pole of the second battery 104, and the positive pole of the output device.

[0022] Still refer to the exemplary Figure 1AIn the parallel connection phase in the embodiment, the additional switch 108 can be connected to the negative electrode of the battery 104. During the parallel connection phase, the additional switch 108 can be configured to be connected to the negative electrode of the first battery 102. Therefore, there is a node at the additional switch 108, and the node can connect the negative electrode of the first battery 102 and the negative electrode of the second battery 104. In addition, the output device can be connected to the second switch 110 and the third switch 112. In the parallel connection phase, the second switch 110 can be configured to connect the first output device 120 to the node, which is created by the positive electrode of the first battery 102 and the positive electrode of the second battery 104. At the same time, the third switch 112 can be configured to connect the negative electrode of the first output device 120 to the node, which is created by the negative electrode of the first battery 102 and the negative electrode of the second battery 104. Therefore, the positive electrode of the battery and the positive electrode of the output device can both be connected, and the negative electrode of the battery and the negative electrode of the output device can also be connected, and a parallel circuit can be formed.

[0023] Reference now Figure 1B , the circuit can be shown in a series configuration. The series configuration can be performed in a different phase than the parallel configuration. In the series configuration, the first switch 106, the additional switch 108, the second switch 110 and the third switch 112 can all be switched in the opposite direction to the previous phase. The switches can be connected so that they can switch at the same time. In order to form a series configuration, the first switch 106 and the second switch 110 can directly connect the positive pole of the second battery 104 to the first output device 120. The negative pole of the second battery 104 can be connected to the positive pole of the first battery 102 via the additional switch 108. The first battery 102 can be connected to the first output device 120 via the third switch 112. The switch can be any of a variety of types of switches or interrupters. The switches can flip or commutate at the same time. The output signal (current and voltage) may depend on the commutation or switching time between two phases.

[0024] Reference now Figure 2 An electrical component may be shown having a second output device 122 that may be configured to be connected to the circuit only in a series phase and a third output device 124 that may be configured to be connected to the circuit only in a parallel phase. This may be accomplished using a fourth switch 114 and a fifth switch 116 that may be configured to switch simultaneously with the other switches.

[0025] Still reference Figure 2In the exemplary embodiment of the embodiment, during the parallel phase, the third output device 124 can be disconnected from the circuit, and the third output device 124 is a secondary output. If, for example, the third output device 124 is an energy storage system charged from the switching circuit 100, it can continue to operate normally during the parallel phase and can only be charged in the series phase.

[0026] Exemplary embodiments for analytical purposes, e.g. Figure 2 In an embodiment, it may include a voltage having a nominal value V n And the nominal current value I n In the parallel connection stage, the load of the second output device 122 can be Z parallel =(2*V n ) / I n .

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment, t 1 may be the time spent in the first parallel stage, and t 2 It can be the time spent in the second series phase. In addition, the time T can represent the period corresponding to the basic frequency, so T = 1 / basic frequency = t 1 +t 2 If f(t) can represent the input signal, the mean value of the signal can be calculated using the following formula:

[0028]

[0029] This formula can produce Figure 3A and Figure 3B The exemplary output signal is shown in FIG. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the output signal may be a square signal. Figure 3A An output may be an exemplary current signal. Figure 3B The width of the first horizontal line 302 may correspond to the time t 1 The width of the second horizontal line 304 may correspond to the time t 2 Furthermore, the integration of the current (I) of the exemplary signal shown may yield the following equation:

[0030]

[0031] The integral of the voltage signal can be:

[0032]

[0033] In addition, there may be t 1 =t 2In this exemplary case, the average value of the current can be found by the following equation: 1 +I 2 ) / 2, and can be obtained by: (V 1 +V 2 ) / 2 to find the average value of the voltage.

[0034] In the previously described exemplary embodiment, each battery may have a nominal current of 100A and a nominal voltage of 12V. The combined voltage when the circuits are connected in series may be 24V, and the combined current when the circuits are connected in parallel may be 200A. As a result, when the circuits switch between the first phase and the second phase at an equal rate (e.g., when the first phase and the second phase have equal lengths of time), the current average value may be 150A and the voltage average value may be 18V. In another exemplary embodiment, the current average value may be 150A and the voltage average value may be 18V. 1 ) and the time spent in the series phase (t 2 ) so that they are not equal. For example, if t 1 For two-thirds (2 / 3) of the cycle, and using the same nominal voltage and current, the current average value may be 166.666A and the voltage average value may be 16V. Alternatively, if t 1 is one third (1 / 3) of the cycle, then the current average value can be 133.3333A and the current average voltage can be 20V. You can use t 1 With t 2 any ratio to obtain the desired result.

[0035] In another exemplary embodiment, the circuit may be adjusted by a control unit that is capable of changing the frequency of the phases. The control unit may be able to set the switching speed or switching time between two phases. The switching time may be the amount of time spent in each phase. The control unit may select the switching time based on rotations per second or any other time measurement. The control unit may select the switching time based on rotations per second or any other time measurement. There may be any number of switches or rotations per second, from 1 to infinity. The control unit may configure the circuit to be much longer in one phase than in another phase. The lengths of the phases may not be equal. By changing the relative proportions of the time spent in the phases, the output signal may be changed. In addition, the control unit may be set to initially keep the circuit in a specific state. For example, the control unit may be configured to start with a parallel phase until the energy storage unit becomes fully charged. Then, the control unit may start a switching cycle.

[0036] The battery may already be connected to an energy source. The circuit may be configured such that the batteries are connected in series during a first phase, during which the batteries may be connected to a load and may discharge. Then, in a second phase, the batteries may be connected in parallel and may be connected to an energy source, which may charge the batteries in this phase. Thus, the batteries may discharge in the first series phase and charge in the second parallel phase. In the first cycle, the battery may release a small amount of energy. Additionally, during the second cycle, the battery may charge a similar small amount of energy to compensate for the energy lost during the first cycle. This may improve battery performance.

[0037] The energy source may be selected to have a larger current output so that a larger amount of energy is charged to the battery during the parallel phase. In an exemplary embodiment, the amount of charge from the energy source during the parallel phase may exceed the amount of charge discharged by the load during the series phase so that the battery may gain charge over time. It is contemplated that when the battery reaches a certain level, excess charge may be prevented from reaching the battery to reduce the risk of overcharging. In an alternative embodiment, an energy source may be selected that charges an amount of energy equal to the energy discharged during the series phase. In this alternative exemplary embodiment, the energy storage unit may constantly hold the same amount of charge.

[0038] Additionally, by charging and discharging the battery within these short cycles, the circuit can have the effect of charging and discharging the battery or the energy storage system simultaneously. Typical batteries or circuits cannot be charged and discharged simultaneously, but instead a central controller can be used to manage the charging and discharging cycles. A typical energy source can be connected directly to the load or to the energy storage system, but not both at the same time. As a result, the energy source can be configured to charge the battery or drive the load, but not both. Exemplary embodiments of simultaneous series and parallel circuits as described herein can be configured to connect the energy source to an energy storage system, which can then drive the load simultaneously. During the first phase, the load can draw power from the battery, and during the second phase, the energy storage system can be charged.

[0039] The energy source can be any type of energy source or combination of energy sources. In an exemplary embodiment, renewable energy sources can be used, but it is contemplated that other energy sources can be used as needed.

[0040] Now refer to the example Figure 4 , it can be shown that the Figure 2In a first step, the first stage begins 400. The control unit may start the first stage by sending a signal to the switch. In a next step, the switch 402 may be flipped so that the circuit switches to a series configuration. The control unit may flip the switches simultaneously. The switches may be connected to each other so that they are flipped simultaneously. In a third step, energy storage units (ESUs) may charge the load 404. The load may be a rechargeable power source.

[0041] In a fourth step, the second phase can begin 406. The control unit can be configured to begin the second phase after a certain amount of time, depending on how long the first phase is. The first phase and the second phase can have different durations. In the next step, the switch can be flipped 408. In this step, the switch can be flipped to the opposite position to which it was flipped in step 402. The switch can be flipped so that the ESUs and the load are connected in parallel. In a final step, the energy source can charge the ESUs 410. In an alternative embodiment, the ESUs can continue to discharge in a parallel phase in the second cycle. In this exemplary embodiment, the control unit can configure the ESUs to continue to discharge so that they are connected to the load in both phases. The energy source can be connected to a switch that connects the energy source to the circuit during the second phase and connects the load to the circuit during the first phase. The switch can also be controlled by the control unit and can be flipped at the same time as other switches. After a predetermined period of time, the first phase can begin again 400 and a new cycle can begin.

[0042] Although the foregoing examples may implement a switching circuit comprising two batteries, it is contemplated that these batteries may alternatively be any component that the user desires to switch between series and parallel. In addition, for clarity, two batteries are used in the previous examples, but any number of batteries may be interconnected in a similar manner. Additional batteries may be configured to operate in additional (more than two) stages. The output may be any desired output, such as another battery, an energy storage system, or any other electrically connected component capable of receiving an input.

[0043] In an exemplary embodiment, a switching circuit can be implemented in an electric vehicle. The switching circuit can be configured so that the electric vehicle is powered during one phase and disconnected and charged during another phase. In an exemplary embodiment, the same amount of energy released during the first phase can be charged during the second phase. During the charging phase, the battery may consume additional energy to compensate for the energy lost during the unpowered phase. However, since the battery can be activated half of the time (as opposed to constant output, in one of the two phases), efficiency can be improved.

[0044] In addition, the switching circuit can allow multiple energy sources to be used simultaneously. For example, an electric vehicle powered by a photovoltaic cell can be charged using an alternative energy source (e.g., wind, gas, etc.) during periods when there is no sunlight.

[0045] The above description and accompanying drawings illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the specific embodiments discussed above. Those skilled in the art will recognize other variations of the embodiments discussed above.

[0046] Therefore, the above embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It should be appreciated that modifications may be made to those embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An energy storage system, characterized in that: Used to connect batteries in circuits, including: A first energy storage unit having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a second energy storage unit having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a series configuration output and a parallel configuration output, and a control unit that regulates a cycle including a first phase and a second phase, wherein in the first phase, the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit, and the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit and the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit are both connected to the series configuration output, so that the first energy storage unit, the second energy storage unit and the series configuration output are connected in series, and wherein, in the second stage, the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit, and the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit, the positive electrodes are connected to the parallel configuration output, and the negative electrodes are connected to the parallel configuration output, so that the first energy storage unit, the second energy storage unit and the parallel configuration output device are connected in parallel; and a plurality of switches connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the first energy storage unit and the positive and negative electrodes of the second energy storage unit, such that the switches configure the circuit in series in the first stage and in parallel in the second stage; the control unit being capable of independently varying the relative duration of the first phase and the relative duration of the second phase such that the first phase comprises 0% to 100% of the duration of a cycle and the second phase comprises the remainder of the cycle; wherein the output of the output device is a weighted average between the series configuration output and the parallel configuration output, wherein the weighted average is weighted based on a relative duration of the first phase and a relative duration of the second phase.

2. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit is an electronic chip.

3. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The series configuration output includes a load and the parallel configuration output includes an energy source.

4. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first energy storage unit and the second energy storage unit each include a plurality of batteries.

5. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The duration of the first phase is equal to the duration of the second phase.

6. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first energy storage unit and the second energy storage unit are capacitors.

7. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a rechargeable power source for connecting to the output device, wherein, in the second stage, the control unit also connects the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit and the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit to the positive electrode on the rechargeable power source, and connects the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit and the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit to the negative electrode on the rechargeable power source, so that the rechargeable power source can be connected to the circuit in parallel and receive charge from the circuit.

8. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The plurality of switches are connected to each other so that they are all activated at the same time.

9. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit controls the plurality of switches.

10. The energy storage system according to claim 7, characterized in that During the first stage, the rechargeable power source is disconnected from the circuit and the rechargeable power source is configured to drive a load.

11. The energy storage system according to claim 10, characterized in that During the first phase, energy is lost from the first and second energy storage units to the load, and then during the second phase the energy is charged from the circuit to the rechargeable power source.

12. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The first energy storage unit and the second energy storage unit are initially fully charged.

13. The energy storage system according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit runs more than one cycle per second.

14. A circuit for connecting a battery, characterized in that: include: a first energy storage unit having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a second energy storage unit having a positive electrode and a negative electrode, Series configuration output and parallel configuration output; as well as Output devices, a plurality of switches connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the first energy storage unit, the positive and negative electrodes of the second energy storage unit, and the output device, and a control unit that controls the plurality of switches to adjust a cycle including a first phase and a second phase, wherein, in the first stage, the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit, and the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit and the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit are both connected to the series configuration output, so that the first energy storage unit, the second energy storage unit and the series configuration output are connected in series, and In the second stage, the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit, and the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit is connected to the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit, the positive electrode of the first energy storage unit and the positive electrode of the second energy storage unit are both connected to the parallel configuration output, and the negative electrode of the first energy storage unit and the negative electrode of the second energy storage unit are both connected to the parallel configuration output, so that the first energy storage unit, the second energy storage unit and the parallel configuration output are connected in parallel; and a plurality of said switches connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the first energy storage unit and the positive and negative electrodes of the second energy storage unit, such that said switches configure said circuit in series in the first stage and in parallel in the second stage; the control unit being capable of independently varying the relative duration of the first phase and the relative duration of the second phase such that the first phase comprises 0% to 100% of the duration of a cycle and the second phase comprises the remainder of the cycle; wherein the output of the output device is a weighted average between the series configuration output and the parallel configuration output, wherein the weighted average is weighted based on a relative duration of the first phase and a relative duration of the second phase.

15. The circuit for connecting a battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: A plurality of said switches are interconnected so that they flip or change position simultaneously.

16. The circuit for connecting a battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: The output device further includes a switch that switches between the two output devices in each phase.

17. The circuit for connecting a battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: The control unit varies the duration of the first phase and the second phase to generate a specific output voltage and output current.

18. The circuit for connecting a battery according to claim 14, characterized in that: The switch is a transistor.

Images