Energy system for managing power supply to primary and auxiliary loads

Abstract

An energy system is provided for managing power to primary and auxiliary loads. One exemplary energy system includes a primary subsystem and an auxiliary subsystem coupled to each other by a primary converter. The primary subsystem is a modular energy system including modules arranged in a cascaded manner to generate AC power. Each module includes an energy source and a converter that selectively couples an energy source to other modules in the primary subsystem. The primary subsystem can be arranged in a single-phase or multi-phase topology. The auxiliary subsystem includes one or more energy sources connected together to generate DC power. The primary converter can convert AC power to DC power to manage power demand between the primary and auxiliary sides of the energy system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is an international application claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 539,318 filed on September 19, 2023. The disclosure of the foregoing application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this specification for all purposes.

[0002] The subject matter described in this specification generally relates to energy systems for managing power supply to primary loads and auxiliary loads, as well as systems, devices, and methods for charging energy sources of the energy systems.

Background Art

[0003] Energy systems having multiple energy sources or energy sinks are common in many industries. One example is the automotive industry. Today's automotive technology, which has evolved over the past century, is characterized, inter alia, by the interaction of motors, mechanical elements, and electronic devices. These are critical components that affect vehicle performance and the driver's experience. Motors are of the internal combustion type or electric type, and in almost all cases, rotational energy from the motor is supplied through a set of highly sophisticated mechanical elements such as clutches, transmissions, differentials, drive shafts, torque tubes, and couplers. These components control, to a considerable extent, the torque conversion and power distribution to the wheels that govern vehicle handling and road handling performance.

[0004] Electric vehicles (EVs) include various electrical systems related to the drivetrain, particularly the battery pack, charger, and motor control. High-voltage battery packs typically consist of low-voltage battery modules connected in series. Each such battery module further includes a group of individual cells connected in series and an embedded battery management system (BMS) for regulating basic cell-related characteristics such as charge state and voltage. There are no electronic devices with more advanced capabilities or any form of smart interconnectivity. As a result, any monitoring or control functions are operated by separate systems that lack the ability to monitor metrics affecting the health, charge state, temperature, and other performance of individual cells, even if they are located elsewhere in the vehicle. Nor is there any ability to meaningfully adjust the power output for each individual cell in any form. Some of the main results are listed below. (1) The weakest cell limits the overall performance of the entire battery pack; (2) Failure of any cell or battery module leads to the need to replace the entire pack; (3) Battery reliability and safety are significantly reduced; (4) Battery life is limited; (5) Thermal management is difficult; (6) The battery pack always operates below its maximum capacity; (7) Sudden surges of power from regenerative braking cannot be easily stored in the battery and require dissipation via damp resistors.

[0005] Conventional control systems include a DC-DC converter stage to adjust the battery pack voltage level to the EV's electrical system bus voltage. The motors are then driven by a simple two-level multiphase standalone drive inverter that provides the required AC signal(s) for the electric motors. Traditionally, each motor is controlled by a separate controller, which drives the motors in a three-phase design. A dual-motor EV requires two controllers, while an EV using four in-wheel motors requires four separate controllers. Furthermore, conventional controller designs lack the ability to drive next-generation motors such as switched reluctance motors (SRMs), i.e., motors featuring more pole pieces. Adapting to these generally involves more multiphase designs, making the system more complex and ultimately unable to cope with electrical noise and drive performance issues such as high torque ripple and acoustic noise.

[0006] Many of these shortcomings apply to a considerable extent not only to automobiles but also to other motor-driven vehicles and to stationary applications. For these and other reasons, there is a need for improved energy systems, particularly modular cascade energy systems, that can efficiently manage power for mobile and stationary applications. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of an energy system for managing the supply of power to primary and auxiliary loads (e.g., EV loads), as well as systems, devices, and methods for charging the energy sources of the energy system, are provided herein. The energy system includes primary and auxiliary subsystems coupled to one another via one or more power converters, including a primary converter. The energy system provides robust power management to multiple loads having varying voltage, current, and / or power demands.

[0008] The primary subsystem is a modular energy system comprising multiple modules arranged in a cascaded configuration. Each module includes an energy source and converter that selectively couples an energy source to other modules in the primary subsystem for generating AC power for an AC bus, or for receiving and storing power from a charging source via the AC bus. A primary load can be coupled to the AC bus to receive AC power. The primary subsystem can be arranged in a single-phase or multi-phase topology in one or more serial arrays or interconnected arrays. In some embodiments, the primary subsystem can be implemented as a modular battery pack comprising multiple connected modules, each having a battery module as an energy source.

[0009] The auxiliary subsystem includes one or more energy sources connected together to generate DC power for the DC bus, or to receive and store power generated from the primary subsystem and / or charging sources via the DC bus. An auxiliary load (e.g., a high-voltage auxiliary load) can be coupled to the DC bus to receive DC power. In some embodiments, the auxiliary subsystem can be implemented as a conventional (e.g., high-voltage) battery pack including one or more connected battery modules as energy sources.

[0010] The primary converter is coupled between the AC bus and the DC bus. The primary converter is configured to convert AC power to DC power in order to manage the power demand between the primary (AC) and auxiliary (DC) sides of an energy system. For example, the primary converter can convert AC power generated by the primary subsystem to charge the auxiliary subsystem and / or provide auxiliary DC power to the auxiliary load. In some embodiments, the primary converter can be implemented as a unidirectional converter that isolates the auxiliary subsystem from the primary load. In other embodiments, the primary converter can be implemented as a bidirectional converter that converts DC power generated by the auxiliary subsystem to charge the primary subsystem and / or provide auxiliary power to the primary load.

[0011] The energy system can be configured with bidirectional charging and discharging capabilities through one or more charging ports. Routing circuits can selectively route current from the charging ports to primary and auxiliary subsystems based on the type of applied charging signal, such as DC signals, single-phase AC signals, and multi-phase AC signals. The routing circuits may include solid-state relays (SSRs) to isolate the energy system from external charging sources. The energy system can also utilize DC pulse charging when receiving a DC charging signal. For example, the primary subsystem can cycle each of its modules, or the routing circuit can be appropriately switched to shape the DC charging signal into a specific pulse (e.g., a rectangular) waveform.

[0012] Exemplary embodiments of switching assemblies are also provided. In some embodiments, the switching assembly may be referred to as a power and control distribution assembly (PCDA) and may function as a centralized hub for all or part of the power and control connections of an energy system, as well as an EV. The switching assembly may include part of the control system of the energy system and routing circuits associated with a charging network distributor.

[0013] The energy system can also be configured to charge from intermittently connected charging sources. For example, in some embodiments, each module of the primary subsystem includes several (e.g., two) converters, the module receiving a relatively high-voltage charging signal from an intermittently connected charging source and modifying that charging signal in one of the converters so that it can charge the module's energy source. Each module can use another converter among the converters to convert the DC output voltage from the energy source to an AC output voltage. The energy system can also include auxiliary converters to utilize charging signals from intermittently available charging sources to directly charge the auxiliary subsystem. For mobile applications such as EVs, charging can occur while the EV is in motion, such as when a rail-type EV receives power from an overhead, ground, or underground charging source.

[0014] The energy systems disclosed herein can have a number of different topologies, including one or more primary subsystems and one or more auxiliary subsystems coupled together by one or more primary converters for converting between AC power and DC power supplied by the subsystems. The energy systems can be configured to power one or more primary loads and one or more auxiliary loads. In some embodiments, the primary subsystems and auxiliary subsystems are also coupled by one or more auxiliary converters for converting between various forms of DC power. For example, the auxiliary subsystems can be coupled to the energy source of the interconnection module of the primary subsystems and / or the DC lines of the energy system using auxiliary (e.g., DC-DC) converters.

[0015] The energy system can be used for stationary and mobile applications. For stationary applications, the primary load may include an electrical grid coupled to an AC bus. For mobile applications such as EVs, the primary load may include one or more motors of the EV (e.g., three-phase motors) coupled to an AC bus. The auxiliary load may include one or more high-voltage (HV) auxiliary loads and / or one or more low-voltage (LV) auxiliary loads coupled to a DC bus. For example, in the context of an EV, the HV auxiliary load may include the EV's HVAC system or on-board electrical system. Similarly, the LV auxiliary load may include the EV's display or personal electronic devices for the EV's passengers. Each HV and LV auxiliary load may be coupled to a DC bus via its respective converters for boost, buck, and / or DC-AC conversion to meet its respective voltage, current, and / or power demands. For example, each of one or more HV auxiliary loads may be coupled to a DC bus via its respective DC-AC converter for high-voltage conversion, and each of one or more LV auxiliary loads may be coupled to a DC bus via its respective DC-DC converter for buck conversion. In some embodiments, such power converters, including any primary and auxiliary converters of an energy system, can be integrated into a PCDA to provide a centralized power management and conversion unit.

[0016] An energy system can be implemented in one or more enclosures associated with one or more thermal management systems. The thermal management system can circulate heat transfer fluid in close proximity to the components of the primary and auxiliary subsystems of the energy system (e.g., energy sources and / or electronic equipment). The thermal management system can utilize various configurations, such as networks of conduits or bladder, to guide the heat transfer fluid in close proximity to these components. Furthermore, the thermal management system can be reconfigured to cool and / or heat the energy sources of each subsystem, as well as to provide heating or cooling to specific spaces, such as the passenger compartment of an EV. The thermal management system can also be reconfigured to utilize various heat exchangers based on a variety of factors, such as the external temperature, module temperature, associated electronic equipment temperature, energy source temperature, and / or the temperature of the coolant in the air conditioning (AC) system or heat pump (HP).

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of module layouts are also provided. The module layout may include arranging some or all of the module's electronics in an inverted orientation to maximize surface area contact between the electronic substrate and the module's heatsink (or bladder in some embodiments). Variations of connector arrangements for primary, auxiliary, and control ports are also described.

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of energy system layouts for EVs (e.g., electric buses) are also provided. The energy system may include one or more primary subsystems and one or more auxiliary subsystems for providing AC and DC power to various loads of the EV at desired voltage and / or power ratings. Each subsystem may be housed in its own enclosure associated with its respective thermal management system and may be located at the top and / or bottom of the EV.

[0019] Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are included in this description and are within the scope of the subject matter described herein. Unless such features are expressly described in the claims, features of exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limiting the appended claims.

[0020] Details of the subject matter described herein, both in terms of its structure and operation, can be made clear by examining the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference number refers to the same part. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and instead the emphasis is on illustrating the principle of the subject matter. Furthermore, all drawings are for conceptual purposes only, and relative size, shape, and other detailed attributes may be illustrated schematically rather than literally or precisely. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1A] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system. [Figure 1B] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system. [Figure 1C] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system. [Figure 1D] This is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a control device for an energy system. [Figure 1E] This is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a control device for an energy system. [Figure 1F] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system coupled with loads and charging sources. [Figure 1G] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system coupled with loads and charging sources. [Figure 2A] This is a block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modules and control systems within an energy system. [Figure 2B] This is a block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modules and control systems within an energy system. [Figure 2C] A block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the physical configuration of a module. [Figure 2D] This is a block diagram illustrating exemplary embodiments of the physical configuration of a modular energy system. [Figure 3A] This is a block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modules having various electrical configurations. [Figure 3B] This is a block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modules having various electrical configurations. [Figure 3C] This is a block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modules having various electrical configurations. [Figure 4A] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 4B] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 4C] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 4D] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 4E] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 4F] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy source. [Figure 5A] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5B] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5C] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5D] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5E] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5F] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5G] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5H] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5I] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5J] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5K] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy buffer. [Figure 5L] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a switch unit that can be used as an actively controlled energy buffer. [Figure 5M] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a switch unit that can be used as an actively controlled energy buffer. [Figure 5N] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a switch unit that can be used as an actively controlled energy buffer. [Figure 6A] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the converter. [Figure 6B] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the converter. [Figure 6C] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the converter. [Figure 7A] A block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modular energy systems having various topologies. [Figure 7B] A block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modular energy systems having various topologies. [Figure 7C] A block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modular energy systems having various topologies. [Figure 7D] A block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modular energy systems having various topologies. [Figure 7E] A block diagram showing exemplary embodiments of modular energy systems having various topologies. [Figure 8A] This is a plot showing an exemplary output voltage of the module. [Figure 8B] This plot shows an exemplary multilevel output voltage of a module array. [Figure 8C] This plot shows exemplary reference and carrier signals usable in pulse width modulation control technology. [Figure 8D] This plot shows exemplary reference and carrier signals usable in pulse width modulation control technology. [Figure 8E] This plot shows an exemplary switch signal generated according to pulse width modulation control technology. [Figure 8F] This plot shows an exemplary multilevel output voltage generated by superimposing output voltages from a module array under pulse width modulation control technology. [Figure 9A] Block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a controller for a modular energy system. [Figure 9B] Block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a controller for a modular energy system. [Figure 10A] This is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a multiphase modular energy system having interconnection modules. [Figure 10B] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an interconnection module in the multiphase embodiment. [Figure 10C] A block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system having two subsystems connected together by an interconnection module. [Figure 10D]This is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a three-phase modular energy system having interconnection modules that supply auxiliary loads. [Figure 10E] Figure 10D is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an interconnection module in a multiphase embodiment. [Figure 10F] This block diagram shows another exemplary embodiment of a three-phase modular energy system having interconnection modules that supply auxiliary loads. [Figure 11A] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of an energy system configured for multiphase charging. [Figure 11B] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of an energy system configured for multiphase charging. [Figure 11C] This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for charging an energy system. [Figure 11D] This plot shows an example of a three-phase charging signal. [Figure 11E] A directory access rule for exemplary embodiments of auxiliary subsystems of an energy system. [Figure 11F] A directory access rule for exemplary embodiments of auxiliary subsystems of an energy system. [Figure 11G] A directory access rule for exemplary embodiments of auxiliary subsystems of an energy system. [Figure 11H] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary converter configured for AC-DC conversion. [Figure 11I] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary converter configured for AC-DC conversion. [Figure 11J] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary converter configured for AC-DC conversion. [Figure 11K] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary converter configured for AC-DC conversion. [Figure 11L] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary converter configured for AC-DC conversion. [Figure 11M]This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary converter configured for DC-DC conversion. [Figure 11N] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary converter configured for DC-DC conversion. [Figure 12A] A block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of an energy system configured for DC charging and AC charging. [Figure 12B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a routing circuit. [Figure 12C] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a solid-state relay for use in routing circuits. [Figure 12D] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a solid-state relay for use in routing circuits. [Figure 12E] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a solid-state relay for use in routing circuits. [Figure 12F] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 12G] This is a schematic diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of the routing circuit. [Figure 12H] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the routing circuit of Figure 12B, which is configured to have an energy buffer. [Figure 13A] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 13B] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 13C] This is a schematic diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of the routing circuit. [Figure 13D] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 14]This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of an energy system configured for DC charging and / or single-phase AC charging through a motor, as well as multi-phase charging that bypasses the motor. [Figure 15A] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of delta and series-configured energy systems for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase charging. [Figure 15B] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of delta and series-configured energy systems for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase charging. [Figure 16A] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 16B] This block diagram shows exemplary embodiments of energy systems configured for DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and multi-phase AC charging. [Figure 16C] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a primary subsystem that can be implemented in the energy system shown in Figures 16A and 16B. [Figure 17] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 18A] Block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 18B] Block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 19A] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 19B] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 19C] This is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 20A] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary subsystem topology configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 20B] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a primary subsystem topology configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 20C] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an interconnection module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 20D] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of an interconnection module for use in an energy system configured for intermittent charging. [Figure 21A] This block diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a power and control distribution assembly interfaced with an energy system. [Figure 21B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a power and control distribution assembly interfaced with an energy system configured for an electric vehicle. [Figure 21C] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a power and control distribution assembly interfaced with an energy system configured for an electric vehicle. [Figure 21D] These are external and internal perspective views of exemplary embodiments of power and control distribution assemblies, respectively. [Figure 21E] These are external and internal perspective views of exemplary embodiments of power and control distribution assemblies, respectively. [Figure 21F] Figures 21D and 21E are exploded views showing exemplary embodiments of the power and control distribution assembly. [Figure 21G] This is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a charging network distributor in an electric vehicle. [Figure 22A] This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a process flow for cooling components of an electric vehicle. [Figure 22B] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an enclosure configured to cool a subsystem of an energy system. [Figure 22C] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having an uppermost enclosure and a lowermost enclosure, each configured to have a network of conduits. [Figure 22D] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having an upper enclosure and a lower enclosure, each configured to have a bladder network. [Figure 22E] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module adjacent to a thermal management system that utilizes two networks of cooling conduits. [Figure 22F] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module adjacent to a thermal management system that utilizes two networks of cooling bladders. [Figure 23A] This is a block diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of a process flow for cooling components of an electric vehicle. [Figure 23B] This is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of an enclosure configured to cool a subsystem of an energy system. [Figure 23C] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having an upper enclosure configured to have a network of conduits. [Figure 23D] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having a top enclosure configured to have a bladder network. [Figure 23E] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module adjacent to a thermal management system that utilizes a network of cooling conduits. [Figure 23F] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module adjacent to a thermal management system that utilizes a network of cooling bladders. [Figure 23G] This is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having an intermediate panel configured for cooling a subsystem of an energy system. [Figure 23H]This is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of an enclosure having an intermediate panel configured for cooling a subsystem of an energy system. [Figure 23I] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an intermediate panel configured to have a network of conduits. [Figure 23J] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an intermediate panel configured to have a bladder network. [Figure 23K] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module having a battery module and electronic equipment adjacent to a thermal management system utilizing a network of cooling conduits. [Figure 23L] This is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of a module having a battery module and electronic equipment adjacent to a thermal management system utilizing a network of cooling bladders. [Figure 24A] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a thermal management system. [Figure 24B] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a thermal management system. [Figure 24C] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a thermal management system. [Figure 24D] A block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a thermal management system. [Figure 24E] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a housing that contains a primary subsystem, a local power distribution unit, and a thermal management system. [Figure 24F] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a housing that contains a primary subsystem, a local power distribution unit, and a thermal management system. [Figure 24G] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a housing that contains a primary subsystem, a local power distribution unit, and a thermal management system. [Figure 24H] A block diagram showing additional exemplary embodiments of a thermal management system. [Figure 24I]A block diagram showing additional exemplary embodiments of a thermal management system. [Figure 24J] A block diagram showing additional exemplary embodiments of a thermal management system. [Figure 25-1] A is an exploded view showing an exemplary embodiment of the module. [Figure 25-2] Figure B shows the exterior and interior of an exemplary embodiment of the module, respectively. [Figure 25-3] C is a perspective view showing the exterior and interior of an exemplary embodiment of the module, respectively. [Figure 25-4] D is a cross-sectional view showing an exemplary embodiment of the electronic components of the module. [Figure 25-5] E to F are top-down diagrams illustrating exemplary embodiments of modules connected within an array. [Figure 25-6] G to H are top-down diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of cells within a battery module. [Figure 25-7] I-L are top-down diagrams illustrating exemplary embodiments of the module. [Figure 26A] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system located on or inside an electric vehicle. [Figure 26B] This is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system located on or inside an electric vehicle. [Figure 26C] This is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of an energy system located on or inside an electric vehicle. [Figure 26D] This is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of an energy system located on or inside an electric vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Before describing the subject matter in more detail, it should be understood that the subject matter is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is therefore naturally subject to change. Since the scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit them.

[0023] Before describing exemplary embodiments of energy systems utilizing various modular subsystems for power management, it is useful to first describe in more detail the underlying modular energy systems. Referring to Figures 1A–10F, Sections 1–7 below describe various applications in which embodiments of modular energy systems can be implemented, embodiments of control systems or control devices for modular energy systems, configurations of embodiments of modular energy systems for charging sources and loads, embodiments of individual modules, embodiments of topologies for the arrangement of modules in a system, embodiments of control methodologies, embodiments for balancing the operating characteristics of modules in a system, embodiments involving the use of interconnection modules, and embodiments of energy sources having first-life and / or second-life applications.

[0024] Therefore, for the sake of clarity, this specification is organized as follows: Sections 1-7 describe modular energy systems as described above. Sections 8-22 describe various embodiments of energy systems utilizing primary and auxiliary subsystems for power management, where the primary subsystem is configured as a modular energy system for generating AC power, and the auxiliary subsystem is configured as a non-modular energy system for generating DC power. Sections 8-16 describe embodiments of energy systems for single-phase AC, multi-phase AC, DC, and DC pulse charging. Section 17 describes embodiments of energy systems for intermittent charging. Sections 19-20 describe embodiments of power and control distribution assemblies (PCDAs) and charge network distributors (CNDs) for managing charging, power generation, and control signals traversing the energy system. Section 20 describes embodiments of thermal management systems for energy systems. Section 21 describes additional embodiments for modular layouts of energy systems. Section 22 describes embodiments of energy systems deployed on or within electric vehicles (EVs).

[0025] Section 1: Examples of Use Stationary applications are those in which a modular energy system is installed in a fixed location while in use, but may be moved to another location when not in use. The modular energy system is installed in a static location and supplies electrical energy for consumption by one or more other entities, or stores or buffers energy for future consumption. Examples of stationary applications in which the embodiments disclosed herein may be used include, but are not limited to, energy systems for use by or within one or more residential structures or locales, energy systems for use by or within one or more industrial structures or locales, energy systems for use by or within one or more commercial structures or locales, energy systems for use by or within one or more government structures or locales (including both military and non-military uses), energy systems for charging mobile applications described below (e.g., charging sources or charging stations), and systems that convert solar, wind, geothermal, fossil fuel, or nuclear reactions into electricity for storage. Stationary applications often supply loads such as power grids and small-scale grids, motors, and data centers. Stationary energy systems can be used for both energy storage and non-energy storage purposes.

[0026] Mobile applications (sometimes also referred to as towing applications) generally involve applications in which a modular energy system is installed on or inside an entity to store and supply electrical energy, which is converted into propulsion by a motor, in order to move or assist the movement of that entity. Examples of mobile entities in which the embodiments disclosed herein may be used include, but are not limited to, electric and / or hybrid entities moving on or under land, at or in the sea, on or at land or at sea but not in contact with land or sea (e.g., flying or hovering in the air), or in outer space. Examples of mobile entities in which the embodiments disclosed herein may be used include, but are not limited to, vehicles, trains, trams, ships, vessels, aircraft, and spacecraft. Examples of mobile vehicles in which the embodiments disclosed herein may be used include, but are not limited to, those having only one wheel or track, two wheels or tracks, three wheels or tracks, four wheels or tracks, and five or more wheels or tracks. Examples of mobile bodies that can use the embodiments disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, automobiles, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, industrial vehicles, mining vehicles, flying vehicles (e.g., airplanes, helicopters, drones, etc.), maritime vessels (e.g., commercial ships, ships, yachts, boats, or other vessels), submarines, locomotives or railway vehicles (e.g., trains, trams, etc.), military vehicles, spacecraft, and satellites.

[0027] In describing embodiments herein, specific stationary applications (e.g., power grids, small-scale power grids, data centers, cloud computing environments, etc.) or mobile applications (e.g., electric vehicles, etc.) may be referred to. Such references are made for the sake of clarity and do not imply that a particular embodiment is limited to use only for that specific mobile or stationary application. Embodiments of systems for powering motors can be used for both mobile and stationary applications. While certain configurations may be more suitable for certain applications than others, all exemplary embodiments disclosed herein can be used for both mobile and stationary applications unless otherwise noted.

[0028] Section 2: Examples of Modular Energy Systems Figure 1A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system 100. Here, the system 100 includes a control system 102 which is communicably coupled to N converter-source modules 108-1 to 108-N, each via a communication path or communication link 106-1 to 106-N. The modules 108 are configured to store energy and output that energy to a load 101 (or other module 108) as needed. In these embodiments, any number of modules 108 can be used (for example, N is 2 or more). The modules 108 can be connected to each other in various ways, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figures 7A to 7E. For simplicity of explanation, in Figures 1A to 1C, the modules 108 are shown connected in series or as a one-dimensional array, with the Nth module coupled to a load 101.

[0029] System 100 is configured to supply power to a load 101. The load 101 can be any type of load, such as a motor or a power grid. System 100 is also configured to store power received from a charging source. Figure 1F is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of System 100 having a power input interface 151 for receiving power from a charging source 150 and a power output interface 152 for outputting power to the load 101. In this embodiment, System 100 can output power via interface 152 while simultaneously receiving and storing power via interface 151. Figure 1G is a block diagram of another exemplary embodiment of System 100 having a switchable interface 154. In this embodiment, System 100 can choose to receive power from the charging source 150 and output power to the load 101, or be instructed to choose between the two. The system 100 can be configured to supply multiple loads 101, including both primary and auxiliary loads, and / or to receive power from multiple charging sources 150, such as the power grid operated by a utility company and local renewable energy sources (e.g., solar power).

[0030] Figure 1B shows another exemplary embodiment of system 100, where the control system 102 is implemented as a main control device (MCD) 112, each communicatively coupled to N different local control devices (LCDs) 114-1 to 114-N via communication paths or communication links 115-1 to 115-N. Each LCD 114-1 to 114-N is communicatively coupled to one module 108-1 to 108-N via a communication path or communication link 116-1 to 116-N, with a one-to-one relationship between LCD 114 and module 108.

[0031] Figure 1C shows another exemplary embodiment of system 100, where MCD112 is communicatively coupled to M different LCDs 114-1 to 114-M via communication paths or communication links 115-1 to 115-M. Each LCD 114 is coupled to two or more modules 108 and can control them. In the example shown here, each LCD 114 is communicatively coupled to two modules 108, such that M LCDs 114-1 to 114-M are each coupled to 2M modules 108-1 to 108-2M via communication paths or communication links 116-1 to 116-2M.

[0032] The control system 102 can be configured as a single device for the entire system 100 (e.g., Figure 1A), distributed across multiple devices (e.g., MCD112 and LCD114 as shown in Figures 1B-1C), or implemented as multiple devices (e.g., MCD112 and LCD114 as shown in Figures 1B-1C). In some embodiments, the control system 102 can be distributed among the LCD114 associated with module 108, and the MCD112 is not required and can be omitted from system 100.

[0033] The control system 102 can be configured to perform control using software (instructions stored in memory that can be executed by the processing circuit), hardware, or a combination thereof. One or more devices of the control system 102 may each include a processing circuit 120 and a memory 122, as shown herein. Examples of implementations of the processing circuit and memory are further described below.

[0034] The control system 102 may have a communication interface for communicating with external devices 104 of the system 100 via a communication link or communication path 105. For example, the control system 102 (e.g., MCD112) may output data or information about the system 100 to another control device 104 (e.g., an electronic control unit (ECU) or motor control unit (MCU) of a vehicle in a mobile application, or a grid controller in a stationary application).

[0035] Each of the communication links or communication paths 105, 106, 115, 116, and 118 (Figure 2B) can be a wired (e.g., electrical, optical) or wireless communication path for bidirectional data or information communication in parallel or series. Data can be communicated in a standardized format (IEEE, ANSI, etc.) or a custom format (proprietary format, etc.). In automotive applications, communication path 115 can be configured to communicate according to the FlexRay protocol or the CAN protocol. Communication paths 106, 115, 116, and 118 can also supply wired power to directly supply operating power to the control system 102 from one or more modules 108. For example, the operating power of each LCD 114 can be supplied only by one or more modules 108 to which that LCD 114 is connected, while the operating power of the MCD 112 can be supplied indirectly from one or more modules 108 (e.g., via the automotive power network).

[0036] The control system 102 is configured to control one or more modules 108 based on status information received from one or more identical or different modules 108. It can also be controlled based on one or more other factors, such as the energy requirements of the load 101. Controllable parameters include, but are not limited to, one or more of the voltage, current, phase, and / or output power of each module 108.

[0037] The control system 102 can communicate status information for all modules 108 in system 100, and the control system 102 can independently control all modules 108-1...108-N. Other variations are possible. For example, a particular module 108 (or a subset of modules 108) can be controlled based on the status information of that particular module 108 (or subset), based on the status information of a different module 108 that is not that particular module 108 (or subset), based on the status information of all modules 108 other than that particular module 108 (or subset), based on the status information of that particular module 108 (or subset) and the status information of at least one other module 108 that is not that particular module 108 (or subset), or based on the status information of all modules 108 in system 100.

[0038] Status information may be information about one or more items, characteristics, or parameters of each module 108. Types of status information include, but are not limited to, the following items of module 108 or one or more components (e.g., energy sources, energy buffers, converters, monitoring circuits): state of charge (SOC) of one or more energy sources of the module (e.g., the charge level of the energy source relative to its capacity, such as a fraction or percentage), state of health (SOH) of one or more energy sources of the module (e.g., the figure of performance of the energy source compared to its ideal state), temperature of one or more energy sources or other components of the module, capacity of one or more energy sources of the module, voltage of one or more energy sources and / or other components of the module, current of one or more energy sources and / or other components of the module, state of power (SOP) (e.g., the available power limit of an energy source during discharge and / or charging), state of energy (SEO) (e.g., the current level of available energy of an energy source relative to the maximum available energy of the energy source), and / or the presence or absence of a fault in one or more of the components of the module.

[0039] The LCD 114 can be configured to receive status information from each module 108, or to determine status information from monitoring signals or data received from or within each module 108, and to communicate that information to the MCD 112. In some embodiments, each LCD 114 can communicate collected raw data to the MCD 112, which then algorithmically determines the status information based on that raw data. The MCD 112 can use the status information of the module 108 to determine control accordingly. The determination may take the form of instructions, commands, or other information (such as the modulation index described herein) that can be used by the LCD 114 to maintain or adjust the operation of each module 108.

[0040] For example, the MCD112 may receive status information and evaluate it to determine differences between at least one module 108 (e.g., its components) and at least one or more other modules 108 (e.g., its equivalent components). For example, the MCD112 may determine that a particular module 108 is operating in one of the following states, namely, a relatively lower or higher SOC, a relatively lower or higher SOH, a relatively lower or higher capacitance, a relatively lower or higher voltage, a relatively lower or higher current, a relatively lower or higher temperature, or with or without faults, compared to one or more other modules 108. In such an example, the MCD112 may output control information to reduce or increase (depending on the state) the relevant aspect of that particular module 108 (e.g., output voltage, current, power, temperature). In this way, the utilization of outlier modules 108 (e.g., those operating at relatively lower SOCs or higher temperatures) can be reduced, and the relevant parameters of those modules 108 (e.g., SOC or temperature) can be brought closer to the parameters of one or more other modules 108.

[0041] The decision of whether to adjust the operation of a particular module 108 can be made by comparing its status information to a predetermined threshold, limit, or condition, and does not necessarily need to be compared to the status of other modules 108. The predetermined threshold, limit, or condition may be a static threshold, limit, or condition that does not change during use, such as one set by the manufacturer. The predetermined threshold, limit, or condition may be a dynamic threshold, limit, or condition that is allowed to change or changes during use. For example, the MCD 112 may adjust the operation of module 108 if the status information for that module 108 indicates that it is operating in violation of a predetermined threshold or limit (e.g., above or below) or operating outside the range of a predetermined acceptable operating condition. Similarly, the MCD 112 may adjust the operation of module 108 if the status information for that module 108 indicates the presence of an actual or potential failure (e.g., an alarm, warning), or the absence or removal of an actual or potential failure. Examples of failures include, but are not limited to, actual malfunction of a component, potential failure of a component, short circuits or other overcurrent conditions, open circuits, overvoltage conditions, failure to receive communications, and reception of corrupted data. Depending on the type and severity of the failure, the use of the faulty module may be reduced to avoid damage to the module, or the use of the module may be stopped entirely. For example, if a particular module fails, the MCD112 or LCD114 may be put into a bypass state as described herein.

[0042] The MCD112 can control the modules 108 within the system 100 to achieve or approach a desired goal. This goal could be, for example, the operation of all modules 108 at the same or similar level relative to one another, or within a predetermined threshold, limit, or condition. This process is also referred to as balancing, that is, aiming to balance the operation or operating characteristics of the modules 108. The term "balance" as used herein does not require absolute equality between the modules 108 or their components, but rather, in a broader sense, can be used to indicate that the operation of the system 100 can be used to actively reduce any disparities in operation (or operating state) between the modules 108 that would otherwise exist.

[0043] The MCD112 can communicate control information to the LCD114 for the purpose of controlling a module 108 associated with the LCD114. The control information may be, for example, a modulation index and reference signal, a modulated reference signal, or other, as described herein. Each LCD114 can use (e.g., receive and process) the control information to generate a switch signal that controls the operation of one or more components (e.g., a converter) within the associated module(s) 108. In some embodiments, the MCD112 directly generates a switch signal and outputs it to the LCD114, which then relays the switch signal to the desired module component.

[0044] All or part of the control system 102 can be combined with an external control device 104 that controls one or more other items for mobile or stationary applications. When integrated into this shared or common control device (or subsystem), control of system 100 can be implemented in any desired manner, such as one or more software applications performed by the processing circuitry of the shared device, the hardware of the shared device, or a combination thereof. Non-exclusive examples of external control devices 104 include a vehicle ECU or MCU with control capabilities for one or more other vehicle functions (e.g., motor control, driver interface control, traction control, etc.), a grid or microgrid controller responsible for one or more other power management functions (e.g., load interface, load power requirement prediction, transmission and switching, interface with charging sources (e.g., diesel, solar, wind), charging source power prediction, backup source monitoring, asset dispatch, etc.), and a data center control subsystem (e.g., environmental control, network control, backup control, etc.).

[0045] Figures 1D and 1E are block diagrams illustrating exemplary embodiments of a shared or common control device 132 (or system) that can implement a control system 102. In Figure 1D, the common control device 132 includes an MCD 112 and an external control device 104. The MCD 112 includes an interface 141 for communicating with an LCD 114 via a path 115 and an interface 142 for communicating with the external control device 104 via an internal communication bus 136. The external control device 104 includes an interface 143 for communicating with the MCD 112 via the bus 136 and an interface 144 for communicating with other entities throughout the application (e.g., vehicles or grid components) via the communication path 136. In some embodiments, the common control device 132 may be integrated into a common housing or package with devices 112 and 104. These devices 112 and 104 are housed therein as individual integrated circuit (IC) chips or packages.

[0046] In Figure 1E, the external control device 104 functions as a common control device 132, and the main control function is implemented as a component within device 104. The MCD 112 is stored and / or hardcoded in the memory of the external control device 104 and is, or may contain, software or other program instructions executed by the processing circuit of the external control device 104. The component may also include dedicated hardware. The component is a self-contained module or core and may have one or more internal hardware and / or software interfaces (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs)) for communicating with the operating software of the external control device 104. The external control device 104 can manage communication with the LCD 114 via interface 141 and can manage communication with other devices via interface 144. In various embodiments, the control devices 104 and / or 132 can be integrated as a single IC chip, as multiple IC chips in a single package, or as multiple semiconductor packages in a common housing.

[0047] In the embodiments of Figures 1D and 1E, the main control functions of system 102 are shared by a common control device 132, but other divisions of the shared control are permitted. For example, a portion of the main control functions can be distributed between the common device 132 and the dedicated MCD 112. In another example, both the main control functions and at least a portion of the local control functions can be implemented in the common device 132 (for example, the remaining local control functions are implemented in the LCD 114). In some embodiments, the entire control system 102 is implemented in the common control device 132 (or system). In some embodiments, the local control functions are implemented in a device shared with other components of each module 108, such as a battery management system (BMS).

[0048] In any of these embodiments, all or part of the control system 102 and the external control device 104, as well as various interfaces (e.g., power interfaces 151 and 152 or switchable interface 154), can be integrated into a power and control distribution assembly (PCDA) that functions as a centralized hub for the power and control connections of system 100. System 100 can supply power to the control system 102 through the PCDA's internal power connections (e.g., buses). The control system 102 and / or the external control device 104 can provide control signals and communicate with other components related to the power distribution and charging of system 100 that can be integrated into the PCDA, such as routing circuits, switches / relays, sensors, safety disconnects, power buses, power converters, transformers, auxiliary control devices, and auxiliary drive units (e.g., for mobile applications). For example, in an embodiment where the control system 102 is configured as a single device (e.g., Figure 1A), the control system 102 can be a component of the PCDA, and the external control device 104 can be integrated into the PCDA or be outside the PCDA. As another example, in an embodiment where the control system 102 is implemented as an MCD 112 and one or more LCDs 114 (e.g., Figures 1B-1C), the MCD 112 can be a component of the PCDA, and the external control device 104 can be integrated into the PCDA or be outside of the PCDA. In yet another example, in an embodiment where the MCD 112 and the external control device 104 are implemented as a common control device 132 (e.g., Figures 1D-1E), the common control device 132 can be a component of the PCDA.

[0049] Section 3: Examples of modules in a cascaded energy system Module 108 includes one or more energy sources 206, a power electronics converter 202, and optionally an energy buffer 204. In some embodiments, such as embodiments relating to intermittent charging, module 108 may include a plurality (e.g., two) of power converters. Figures 2A-2B are block diagrams showing additional exemplary embodiments of system 100 having module 108 having a power converter 202, an energy buffer 204, and an energy source 206. The converter 202 may be a voltage converter or a current converter. Embodiments described herein will be based on a voltage converter, but the embodiments are not limited thereto. The converter 202 may be configured to convert a direct current (DC) signal from the energy source 206 into an alternating current (AC) signal and output it via a power connection 110 (e.g., an inverter). The converter 202 may also receive an AC or DC charging signal via the connection 110 and apply this charging signal to the energy source 206 in either a continuous or pulsed (e.g., square wave) form. The converter 202 can be or may include a switch arrangement (e.g., power transistors) such as a half-bridge or full-bridge (H-bridge). In some embodiments, the converter 202 includes only switches, and the converter (and the module as a whole) does not include a transformer.

[0050] Alternatively or additionally, the converter 202 can also be configured to perform AC-DC conversion (e.g., rectifier), DC-DC conversion, and / or AC-AC conversion for purposes such as charging a DC energy source from an AC source (e.g., in combination with an AC-DC converter). In some embodiments, such as performing AC-AC conversion, the converter 202 may include a transformer, either alone or in combination with one or more power semiconductors (e.g., switches, diodes, thyristors, etc.). In other embodiments, where weight and cost are important factors, the converter 202 may be configured to perform the conversion without a transformer, using only a power switch, power diode, or other semiconductor device.

[0051] The energy source 206 is preferably a robust energy storage device capable of outputting DC and having an energy density suitable for energy storage applications for electric devices. The energy source 206 can be an electrochemical battery, such as a single battery cell, or multiple battery cells connected together in a battery module or array, or any combination thereof. Figures 4A–4D are schematic diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of the energy source 206 configured as a single battery cell 402 (Figure 4A), a battery module having multiple (e.g., four) cells 402 connected in series (Figure 4B), a battery module having single cells 402 connected in parallel (Figure 4C), and a battery module connected in parallel, with each leg having two cells 402 (Figure 4D). A non-exclusive list of examples of battery types is provided elsewhere in this specification.

[0052] The energy source 206 can also be a high-energy-density (HED) capacitor, such as an ultracapacitor or supercapacitor. Unlike conventional solid-state electrolytic capacitors, HED capacitors can be double-layer capacitors (electrostatic charge storage), pseudocapacitors (electrochemical charge storage), hybrid capacitors (electrostatic and electrochemical), or other configurations. In addition to high capacitance, HED capacitors can have an energy density 10 to 100 times (or more) that of electrolytic capacitors. For example, an HED capacitor can have a specific energy of more than 1.0 watt-hour per kilogram (Wh / kg) and a capacitance of more than 10 to 100 farads (F). Similar to the batteries described with respect to Figures 4A to 4D, the energy source 206 can be configured as a single HED capacitor or multiple HED capacitors connected together in an array (e.g., in series, parallel, or a combination thereof).

[0053] Energy source 206 can also be a fuel cell. The fuel cell can be a single fuel cell, multiple fuel cells connected in series or parallel, or a fuel cell module. Examples of fuel cell types include proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs), solid acid fuel cells, alkaline fuel cells, high-temperature fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, and molten electrolyte fuel cells. Similar to the batteries described with respect to Figures 4A-4D, energy source 206 can be configured as a single or multiple fuel cells connected together in an array (e.g., in series, parallel, or a combination thereof). The examples of source classes (e.g., batteries, capacitors, and fuel cells) and types (e.g., chemical composition and / or structural configuration within each class) described above are not intended to form an exhaustive list, and those skilled in the art will recognize other variations that fall within the scope of this subject.

[0054] Energy buffer 204 is connected to a DC line or DC link (for example, +V as described below). DCL and -V DCL The buffer 204 can dampen or filter current fluctuations passing through it to help maintain a stable DC link voltage. These fluctuations can be relatively low (e.g., kilohertz) or high (e.g., megahertz) frequency fluctuations or harmonics caused by switching of the transducer 202 or other transient events. These fluctuations can be absorbed by the buffer 204 instead of being sent to source 206 or ports IO3 and IO4 of the transducer 202.

[0055] The power connection 110 is a connection for moving energy or power to, from, and through module 108. Module 108 can output energy from energy source 206 to power connection 110, where it can transfer energy to other modules or loads in the system. Module 108 can also receive energy from other modules 108 or charging sources (DC chargers, single-phase chargers, multi-phase chargers) via power connection 110. Signals can also pass through module 108, bypassing energy source 206. Routing of energy or power to and from module 108 is performed by the converter 202 under the control of LCD 114 (or another entity in control system 102).

[0056] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2A, the LCD 114 is implemented as a separate component from module 108 (e.g., not within a shared module housing), connected to and able to communicate with the converter 202 via a communication path 116. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2B, the LCD 114 is included as a component of module 108, connected to and able to communicate with the converter 202 via an internal communication path 118 (e.g., a shared bus or a separate connection). The LCD 114 can also receive signals from and transmit signals to the energy buffer 204 and / or energy source 206 via paths 116 or 118.

[0057] Module 108 may also include a monitoring circuit 208 configured to monitor (e.g., collect, sense, measure, and / or determine) one or more aspects of Module 108 and / or its components, such as voltage, current, temperature, or other operating parameters, which constitute (or can be used, for example, to determine status information by LCD 114). The primary function of the status information is to describe the state of one or more energy sources 206 of Module 108, enabling a determination of how much of the energy source to utilize compared to other sources in System 100, but status information describing the state of other components (e.g., voltage, temperature, and / or presence of faults in Buffer 204, temperature, and / or presence of faults in Transducer 202, presence of faults elsewhere in Module 108, etc.) can also be used for utilization determination. The monitoring circuit 208 may include one or more sensors, shunts, dividers, fault detectors, Coulomb counters, controllers, or other hardware and / or software configured to monitor such items. The monitoring circuit 208 can be separated from the various components 202, 204, and 206, or it can be integrated with each component 202, 204, and 206 (as shown in Figures 2A-2B), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the monitoring circuit 208 may be part of a battery management system (BMS) for the battery module 206, or it may be shared with a battery management system (BMS). Individual circuits are not required to monitor each type of status information, as multiple types of status information can be monitored by a single circuit or device, or determined by an algorithm without requiring additional circuitry.

[0058] LCD114 can receive status information (or raw data) regarding the components of module 108 via communication paths 116 and 118. LCD114 can also transmit information to the components of module 108 via paths 116 and 118. Paths 116 and 118 may include signal lines for diagnostic, measurement, protection, and control. The transmitted information may be control signals for one or more module components. The control signals may be switch signals for the transducer 202 and / or one or more signals requesting status information from the module components. For example, LCD114 can transmit status information via paths 116 and 118 by directly requesting the status information, or, in some cases, by applying a stimulus (e.g., voltage) to generate the status information in combination with a switch signal that places the transducer 202 into a specific state.

[0059] The physical configuration and layout of module 108 can take various forms. In some embodiments, module 108 may include a common housing in which all module components, such as the transducer 202, buffer 204, and source 206, are housed together with other optional components, such as an integrated LCD 114. In other embodiments, these components may be housed in separate individual housings, and these housings may be fixed together. Figure 2C is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108, which comprises a first housing 220 that holds the module's energy source 206 and associated electronics (e.g., monitor circuit 208), a second housing 222 that holds module electronics such as the transducer 202, energy buffer 204, and their associated electronics (e.g., monitor circuit 208), and a third housing 224 that holds an LCD 114 (not shown) for module 108. In alternative embodiments, the module electronics and the LCD 114 may be housed in the same single housing. In yet another embodiment, the module electronics, LCD 114, and energy source(s) 206 can be housed within the same single housing for module 108. Electrical connections between the various module components can be made via housings 220, 222, and 224, which can be exposed on any of the housing exteriors to connect to other modules 108 or other devices such as MCD112.

[0060] The modules 108 of system 100 can be physically arranged relative to one another in various configurations depending on the application needs and the number of loads. For example, in a stationary application where system 100 powers a microgrid, the modules 108 can be arranged in one or more racks or other frame structures. Such a configuration may also be suitable for large mobile applications such as marine vessels. Alternatively, the modules 108 can be fixed and housed in a common housing referred to as a pack. The racks or packs may have a dedicated cooling system shared by all modules. The pack configuration is useful for small mobile applications such as electric vehicles. System 100 can be implemented in one or more racks (e.g., for parallel supply to a microgrid), or one or more packs (e.g., for different motors in a vehicle), or a combination thereof. Figure 2D is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of system 100 configured as a pack having nine modules 108 electrically and physically coupled together in a common housing 230.

[0061] Examples of these and further configurations are described in international application PCT / US20 / 25366, filed on 27 March 2020, entitled Module-Based Energy Systems Capable of Cascaded and Interconnected Configurations, and Methods Related Thereto, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0062] Figures 3A–3C are block diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of module 108 having various electrical configurations. These embodiments are described as having one LCD 114 per module 108, with the LCD 114 housed within the associated module, but other configurations, as described herein, are also possible. Figure 3A shows a first exemplary configuration of module 108A in system 100. Module 108A includes an energy source 206, an energy buffer 204, and a converter 202A. Each component has power connection ports (terminals, connectors, etc.) from which power can be input and / or output, referred to herein as I / O ports. Such ports may also be referred to as input ports or output ports, depending on the context.

[0063] Energy source 206 can be configured as any of the energy source types described herein (e.g., a battery, HED capacitor, fuel cell, or others, as described in Figures 4A–4D). Ports IO1 and IO2 of energy source 206 can be connected to ports IO1 and IO2 of energy buffer 204, respectively. Energy buffer 204 can be configured to buffer or filter high-frequency and low-frequency energy pulsations that reach buffer 204 via transducer 202 and could degrade the performance of module 108. The topology and components of buffer 204 are selected to accommodate the maximum allowable amplitude of these high-frequency voltage pulsations. Several (non-exclusive) exemplary embodiments of energy buffer 204, including both passively and actively controlled energy buffers, are shown in the schematic diagrams of Figures 5A–5K.

[0064] Figures 5A to 5C show exemplary embodiments of the passive energy buffer 204. In Figure 5A, the buffer 204 is an electrolytic capacitor and / or a film capacitor C EB In Figure 5B, buffer 204 consists of two inductors L EB1 and L EB2and two electrolytic capacitors and / or film capacitors C EB1 and C EB2 , the Z-source network 710 formed by. In FIG. 5C, the buffer 204 has two inductors L EB1 and L EB2 , two electrolytic capacitors and / or film capacitors C EB1 and C EB2 , and a diode D EB , the quasi-Z-source network 720 formed by.

[0065] FIGS. 5D to 5K show exemplary embodiments of the active energy buffer 204 that can be controlled by the control system 102 (e.g., LCD 114) via the communication path 118-2. In these embodiments, the control system 102 can change filter parameters (e.g., cutoff frequency, frequency roll-off, etc.), eliminate harmonic currents, and / or bypass the passive energy buffer.

[0066] In FIG. 5D, the active buffer 204 includes an on / off switch 1108-EB and an electrolytic capacitor or film capacitor C EB . The on / off switch 1108-EB is a switch having an open state and a closed state, for example, a single-pole single-throw (SPST) switch. The on / off switch 1108-EB is by default such that the anode of capacitor C EB is connected between ports IO1 and IO3, and the anode of capacitor C EB is closed such that the cathode thereof is connected between ports IO2 and IO4. Application of a control signal by the control system 102 causes the on / off switch 1108-EB to open, whereby the capacitor C EBThe anode is disconnected. Figure 5E is another exemplary embodiment of the active energy buffer 204, configured similarly to the active energy buffer in Figure 5D, but having a solid-state relay (SSR) circuit 1221-EB instead of the on / off switch 1108-EB. The conduction state of the SSR circuit 1221-EB is when the control system 102 turns on capacitor C EB It is controllable by control port 1206-EB, which allows the anode to be connected and disconnected. Exemplary embodiments of the SSR circuit 1221 are shown in Figures 12C-12E and described in more detail in Section 8.

[0067] In Figure 5F, the active buffer 204 consists of an on / off switch 1108-EB and two electrolytic capacitors and / or film capacitors C connected in parallel. EB1 and C EB2 and, including, where the first capacitor C EB1 The anode of the first capacitor can be selectively connected via switch 1108-EB, while the second capacitor C EB2 These are connected in a continuous manner. Since the capacitances of parallel capacitors are additive, the control system 102 controls the first capacitor C EB1 The effective capacitance of the active buffer 204 can be increased or decreased by connecting or disconnecting the anode. The active buffer 204 in Figure 5G is configured similarly to the active buffer in Figure 5F, but has an SSR circuit 1221-EB instead of an on / off switch 1108-EB, and therefore operates in a similar manner. In some embodiments, the active buffer 204 in Figures 5F-5G has a second capacitor C that provides increased variation in effective capacitance. EB2 It may include an additional switch (e.g., an on / off switch 1108 or an SSR circuit 1221) that allows for the selective connection of the anode. Along a similar line, the active buffer 204 may include three or more capacitors connected in parallel, along with one or more controllable switches for selectively connecting one or more of these capacitors.

[0068] Figure 5H shows another exemplary embodiment of the active energy buffer 204, including two switch units 210-EB1 and 210-EB2 which can be controlled by a control system 102 to bypass a passive energy buffer circuit 204A, for example, a Z-source network 710 or 720. The switch units 210-EB can be alternated between two conductive configurations to allow selective connection of the passive buffer 204A. The first configuration of the switch unit 210-EB provides a conduit between ports 2 and 3 and opens port 1, so that the circuit found between ports IO1 to IO4 of the active buffer 204 is equivalent to the circuit of the passive buffer 204A. The second configuration of the switch unit 210-EB provides a conduit between ports 1 and 3 and opens port 2, thereby effectively bypassing the passive buffer 204A. The active energy buffer 204 in Figure 5I is configured similarly to the embodiment in Figure 5H, but includes a second passive energy buffer 204B, for example, an electrolytic (or film) capacitor, or a Z-source network 710 or 720. In this embodiment, the control system 102 can selectively connect the first passive buffer 204A, similar to the active buffer 204 in Figures 5F and 5G, to add or subtract the filtering effect of the first passive buffer 204A with that of the second passive buffer 204B.

[0069] Figures 5L to 5N show exemplary embodiments of a switch unit 210 that can be implemented in the active energy buffer 204 of Figures 5H and 5I. In Figure 5L, the switch unit 210 is a dual conduction position (TCP) switch 1108 (e.g., a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch) that enables selective connection of port 1 or port 2 to port 3. The control system 102 can switch between the two conduction configurations of the switch unit 210 via a control signal to the TCP switch 1108. In Figure 5M, the switch unit 210 includes two on / off switches 1108-1 and 1108-2, where either port 1 or port 2 is connected to port 3 when one of the on / off switches 1108-1 or 1108-2 is open and the other is closed. Next, the control system 102 can switch between the two conductive configurations of the switch unit 210 by applying control signals to both the on / off switches 1108-1 and 1108-2. In Figure 5N, the switch unit 210 includes two SSR circuits 1221-1 and 1221-2 instead of the on / off switches 1108-1 and 1108-2, and therefore operates in a similar manner to the switch unit in Figure 5M.

[0070] The embodiment of the active energy buffer 204 in Figures 5D-5I is particularly suitable for situations involving pulsed charging of module 108. For example, when module 108 receives a DC charging signal or an AC charging signal via the connector 110, the converter 202 of module 108 converts the charging signal into a pulsed (e.g., square) wave, and this pulsed wave can be applied to the energy source 206 of module 108. A high-capacitance capacitor (e.g., an electrolytic capacitor or a film capacitor) will generally attenuate the high-frequency components of the pulsed wave, for example, by smoothing or blunting them, which will reduce the effectiveness of pulsed charging. For the active buffer 204 in Figures 5D-5E, the control system 102 controls capacitor C EBBy simultaneously disconnecting the anodes, the converter 202 can be enabled to apply the pulse wave to the energy source 206 without attenuation. Similarly, for the active buffer 204 in Figures 5F-5G, the control system 102 reduces the effective capacitance of the first capacitor C EB1 By simultaneously disconnecting the anodes, the converter 202 can be enabled to apply the pulse wave to the energy source 206 with reduced (or negligible) attenuation. The control system 102 can achieve a similar effect by using the active buffer 204 in Figures 5H-5I to bypass the passive energy buffer 204A, thereby eliminating (or reducing) the filtering effect of the passive energy buffer 204A on the pulse wave output by the converter 202.

[0071] Figures 5J-5K show additional exemplary embodiments of an actively controlled energy buffer 204. In Figure 5J, the active buffer 204 controls two switches S EB1 and S EB2 and two electrolytic capacitors and / or film capacitor C EB1 and C EB2 And, inductor L EB This is a half-bridge active filter formed by and . Figure 5J is configured similarly to Figure 5I, but with capacitor C EB1 and C EB2 And, inductor L EB And here is another exemplary embodiment of a half-bridge active filter, replaced by two passive energy buffer circuits 204A and 204B, for example, Z-source networks 710 and / or 720.

[0072] Ports IO3 and IO4 of the energy buffer 204 can be connected to ports IO1 and IO2 of a converter 202A, which can be configured as one of the power converter types described herein, respectively. Figure 6A is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a converter 202A configured as a DC-AC converter capable of receiving DC voltages at ports IO1 and IO2 and switching to generate pulses at ports IO3 and IO4. The converter 202A may include a plurality of switches, here including four switches S3, S4, S5, and S6 arranged in a full-bridge configuration. A control system 102 or LCD 114 can independently control each switch via control input lines 118-3 to each gate.

[0073] The switch can be any suitable type of switch, such as a power semiconductor like the metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) shown here, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), or a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor. The semiconductor switch can operate at a relatively high switching frequency, thereby allowing the transducer 202 to operate in pulse-width modulation (PWM) mode as desired, and to respond to control commands at relatively short time intervals. This can provide high tolerance for output voltage regulation and fast dynamic behavior in transient mode.

[0074] In this embodiment, the DC line voltage V is transmitted to the converter 202 between ports IO1 and IO2. DCL V can be applied by different combinations of switches S3, S4, S5, and S6. DCL By connecting it to ports IO3 and IO4, the converter 202 outputs three different voltages to ports IO3 and IO4: +V DCL , 0, and -V DCL It can generate a switch signal. The switch signal supplied to each switch controls whether the switch is on (closed) or off (open). +V DCLTo obtain -V, instead of turning on switches S3 and S6 while turning off switches S4 and S5, you can turn on switches S4 and S5 and turn off switches S3 and S6. DCL This can be obtained. By turning off S4 and S6 and turning on S3 and S5, or by turning off S3 and S5 and turning on S4 and S6, the output voltage can be set to zero (including near zero) or a reference voltage. These voltages can be output from module 108 via power connection unit 110. Ports IO3 and IO4 of converter 202 can be connected to module IO ports 1 and 2 of power connection unit 110 (or form module IO ports 1 and 2 of power connection unit 110) to generate output voltages to be used together with output voltages from other modules 108.

[0075] The control signals or switch signals for embodiments of the transducer 202 described herein can be generated in different ways depending on the control technique used by the system 100 to generate the output voltage of the transducer 202. In some embodiments, the control technique is a PWM technique such as spatial vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) or sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM), or a variation thereof. Figure 8A is a voltage-versus-time graph showing an example of the output voltage waveform 802 of the transducer 202. For ease of explanation, embodiments herein are described in the context of PWM control techniques, but embodiments are not limited thereto. Other classes of techniques may also be used. One alternative class is based on hysteresis, examples of which are described in International Publication Nos. 2018 / 231810A1, 2018 / 232403A1, and 2019 / 183553A1, which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0076] Each module 108 can consist of multiple energy sources 206 (e.g., two, three, four, or more). Each energy source 206 of module 108 can be controlled (switchable) to supply power to (or receive power from a charging source to) the connection 110 independently of the other energy sources 206 of the module. For example, all sources 206 can output power to (or be charged to) the connection 110 simultaneously, or only one (or subset) of sources 206 can supply power to (or be charged to) it at any given time. In some embodiments, the sources 206 of a module can exchange energy with each other, for example, one source 206 can charge another source 206. Each energy source 206 can be any energy source described herein (e.g., a battery, a HED capacitor, a fuel cell). Each of the sources 206 can be of the same class (e.g., each can be a battery, each can be a HED capacitor, or each can be a fuel cell). Alternatively, each of the sources 206 can be of a different class (for example, the first source can be a battery and the second source can be a HED capacitor or fuel cell, or the first source can be a HED capacitor and the second source can be a fuel cell).

[0077] Figure 3B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of module 108B in a dual energy source configuration having a primary energy source 206A and a secondary energy source 206B. Ports IO1 and IO2 of the primary source 206A can be connected to ports IO1 and IO2 of the energy buffer 204. Module 108B includes a converter 202B with additional IO ports. Ports IO3 and IO4 of the buffer 204 can be connected to ports IO1 and IO2 of the converter 202B, respectively. Ports IO1 and IO2 of the secondary source 206B can be connected to ports IO5 and IO2 of the converter 202B, respectively (of which port IO2 is also connected to port IO4 of the buffer 204).

[0078] In this exemplary embodiment of module 108B, the primary energy source 206A, together with the other modules 108 of system 100, supplies the average power required by the load. The secondary source 206B can perform a function to supplement energy source 206 by providing additional power during peak load power, absorbing excess power, or otherwise.

[0079] As described above, both the primary source 206A and the secondary source 206B can be used simultaneously or separately depending on the switching state of the converter 202B. Simultaneously, electrolytic capacitors and / or film capacitors (C ES The HED capacitor can be placed in parallel with source 206B as shown in Figure 4E to function as an energy buffer for source 206B, or energy source 206B can be configured to utilize the HED capacitor in parallel with another energy source (e.g., a battery or fuel cell) as shown in Figure 4F.

[0080] Figures 6B and 6C are schematic diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of converters 202B and 202C, respectively. Converter 202B includes switch circuit sections 601 and 602A. Section 601 includes switches S3-S6 configured as a full bridge, similar to converter 202A, and is configured to selectively couple IO1 and IO2 to either IO3 or IO4, thereby changing the output voltage of module 108B. Section 602A includes switches S1 and S2 configured as a half bridge and coupled between ports IO1 and IO2. Coupling inductor L C It is connected between port IO5 and node 1, which is located between switches S1 and S2. Switch section 602A is a bidirectional converter that can adjust the voltage (boost or buck) (or adjust the current in reverse). Switch section 602A, at node 1, is +V relative to port IO2. DCL2 Two types of voltages, and 0, can be generated. This port IO2 can be a virtual zero potential. The current drawn from or input to the energy source 206B is used to commutate switches S1 and S2, for example, using pulse width modulation techniques or hysteresis control methods, to coupled inductor L C It can be controlled by adjusting the voltage at that point. Other techniques can also be used.

[0081] Converter 202C differs from converter 202B in that the switch section 602B is configured as a half-bridge and includes switches S1 and S2 coupled between ports IO5 and IO2. Coupling inductor L C The switch portion 602B is connected between port IO1 and node 1, which is located between switch S1 and switch S2, so that it is configured to regulate the voltage. Generally, for converter 202B in Figure 6B, the voltage between ports IO5 and IO2 is always lower than the voltage between ports IO1 and IO2. For converter 202C in Figure 6C, the voltage between ports IO5 and IO2 is always higher than the voltage between ports IO1 and IO2.

[0082] The control system 102 or LCD 114 can independently control the switches of the converters 202B and 202C via control input lines 118-3 connected to the respective gate terminals of these switches. In these embodiments and the embodiment of Figure 6A, LCD 114 (but not MCD 112) generates the switching signals for the converter switches. Alternatively, MCD 112 can generate the switching signals and communicate them directly to the switches, or LCD 114 can relay them. In some embodiments, the driver circuit for generating the switching signals may reside in or be associated with MCD 112 and / or LCD 114.

[0083] The zero-voltage configuration of the converter 202 (turning off S4 and S6 and turning on S3 and S5, or turning off S3 and S5 and turning on S4 and S6) can also be referred to as a bypass state for a given module 108. This bypass state can be entered when a fault is detected in a given module 108, or when a system fault is detected that requires the shutdown of two or more (or all) modules in the array or system 100. The fault in module 108 can be detected by the LCD 114, and the control switching signal for the converter 202 can be configured to initiate the bypass state without intervention by the MCD 112. Alternatively, the LCD114 communicates fault information about a given module 108 to the MCD112, which can then decide whether to initiate a bypass state. If so, it can communicate a command to the LCD114 associated with the faulty module 108 to initiate the bypass state, at which point the LCD114 can output a switching signal to initiate the bypass state.

[0084] In embodiments where module 108 includes three or more energy sources 206, the converters 202B and 202C may be scaled accordingly so that each additional energy source 206B is coupled to an additional I / O port leading to an additional switch circuit section 602A or 602B to meet the needs of that particular energy source. For example, a dual-source converter 202 may include both switch sections 602A and 602B.

[0085] Module 108, equipped with multiple energy sources 206, can perform additional functions such as energy sharing between sources 206, energy capture from within the application (e.g., regenerative braking), charging the primary source 206A by the secondary source 206B even while the entire system 100 is in a discharge state, and active filtering of the module output. The active filtering function can also be performed in modules equipped with conventional electrolytic capacitors instead of secondary energy sources. Examples of these functions are described in detail in international application PCT / US20 / 25366, filed on 27 March 2020, entitled Module-Based Energy Systems Capable of Cascaded and Interconnected Configurations, and Methods Related Thereto, and in international publication 2019 / 183553, filed on 22 March 2019, entitled Systems and Methods for Power Management and Control, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0086] Each module 108 may be configured to power one or more auxiliary loads with one or more energy sources 206 of each module 108. The auxiliary loads are loads that require a lower voltage than the primary load 101. Examples of auxiliary loads include, for example, the onboard electrical network of an EV or the HVAC system of an EV. The primary load 101 of system 100 may include, for example, an electric vehicle motor or one or more phases of an electric grid.

[0087] Figure 3C is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108C configured to supply power to a first auxiliary load 301 and a second auxiliary load 302, the module 108C including an energy source 206, an energy buffer 204, and a converter 202B coupled together, similar to Figure 3B. The first auxiliary load 301 requires a voltage equivalent to the voltage supplied by source 206. Load 301 is coupled to IO ports 3 and 4 of module 108C, which in turn are coupled to ports IO1 and IO2 of source 206. Source 206 can output power to both the power connection 110 and load 301. The second auxiliary load 302 requires a constant voltage lower than the voltage of source 206. Load 302 is coupled to IO ports 5 and 6 of module 108C, which in turn are coupled to ports IO5 and IO2 of converter 202B, respectively. Converter 202B has a coupled inductor L coupled to port IO5. C The switch section 602 may include a (Figure 6B). Energy supplied from source 206 can be supplied to a second auxiliary load 302 via the switch section 602 of converter 202B. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the load 302 has an input capacitor (if not, a capacitor can be added to module 108C), so switches S1 and S2 are commutated to connect the coupled inductor L C The voltage and coupled inductor L CThe current passing through can be regulated, and therefore a stable, constant voltage can be generated for the load 302. This regulation allows the voltage of source 206 to be stepped down to a lower voltage required for the load 302.

[0088] Therefore, module 108C can be configured to supply one or more first auxiliary loads in the manner described with respect to load 301, with one or more first loads coupled to IO ports 3 and 4. Module 108C can also be configured to supply one or more second auxiliary loads in the manner described with respect to load 302. If there are multiple second auxiliary loads 302, module 108C can be scaled for each additional load 302 with additional dedicated module output ports (such as 5 and 6), additional dedicated switch sections 602, and additional converter IO ports coupled to the additional sections 602.

[0089] Therefore, the energy source 206 can supply power to any number of auxiliary loads (e.g., 301 and 302) in addition to the corresponding portion of the system output power required by the main load 101. The power flow from source 206 to the various loads can be adjusted as needed.

[0090] Module 108 can be configured with two or more energy sources 206 (Figure 3B) as needed, supplying a first and / or second auxiliary load (Figure 3C) by adding a switch section 602 and a converter port IO5 for each additional energy source 206B or second auxiliary load 302. Module IO ports (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6) can be added as needed. Module 108 can also be configured as an interconnection module for exchanging energy between two or more arrays, two or more packs, or two or more systems 100 (e.g., for balancing), as further described herein. This interconnection function can also be combined with multiple source and / or multiple auxiliary load supply functions.

[0091] The control system 102 can perform various functions with respect to the components of modules 108A, 108B, and 108C. These functions include managing the utilization rate (usage) of each energy source 206, protecting the energy buffer 204 from overcurrent, overvoltage, and high-temperature conditions, and controlling and protecting the converter 202.

[0092] For example, in order to manage the utilization rate of each energy source 206 (for example, by adjusting it by increasing, decreasing, or maintaining), the LCD 114 may receive one or more monitored voltages, temperatures, and currents from each energy source 206 (or monitoring circuit). The monitored voltages may be at least one, preferably all, of the voltages of each basic component independent of other components of source 206 (e.g., each individual battery cell, HED capacitor, and / or fuel cell), or the voltages of a group of basic components as a whole (e.g., the voltages of the battery array, HED capacitor array, and / or fuel cell array). Similarly, the monitored temperatures and currents may be at least one, preferably all, of the temperatures and currents of each basic component independent of other components of source 206, or the temperatures and currents of a group of basic components as a whole, or any combination thereof. The monitoring signal can be status information, which allows the LCD114 to perform one or more of the following: calculate or determine the actual capacity, actual state of charge (SOC), and / or state of health (SOH) of a basic component or group of basic components; set or output a warning or alarm display based on the monitored and / or calculated status information; and / or transmit the status information to the MCD112. The LCD114 receives control information (e.g., modulation index, synchronization signal) from the MCD112 and can use this control information to generate a switch signal for the converter 202 that manages the utilization rate of source 206.

[0093] To protect the energy buffer 204, the LCD 114 can receive one or more monitored voltages, temperatures, and currents from the energy buffer 204 (or monitoring circuit). The monitored voltages are controlled by each basic component of the buffer 204, independent of other components (e.g., C EB , C EB1 , C EB2 , L EB1 , L EB2 , D EB The monitored temperature and current can be at least one, preferably all, of the voltages of the basic components as a whole or the buffer 204 (e.g., between IO1 and IO2 or between IO3 and IO4). Similarly, the monitored temperature and current can be at least one, preferably all, of the temperature and current of each basic component of the buffer 204 independent of other components, or the temperature and current of the basic components as a whole or the buffer 204 as a whole, or any combination thereof. The monitored signal can be status information, thereby allowing the LCD 114 to do one or more of the following: set or output a warning or alarm display, communicate status information to the MCD 112, or control the transducer 202 to adjust (increase or decrease) the overall utilization of source 206 and module 108 for buffer protection.

[0094] To control and protect the transducer 202, the LCD 114 can receive control information (e.g., a modulated reference signal, or a reference signal and modulation index) from the MCD 112, which can be used in conjunction with PWM technology in the LCD 114 to generate control signals for each switch (e.g., S1-S6). The LCD 114 can receive current feedback signals from the transducer 202's current sensor, which can be used for overcurrent protection in conjunction with one or more fault status signals from the transducer switch driver circuit (not shown), which can carry information about the fault status of all switches in the transducer 202 (e.g., short-circuit or open-circuit failure mode). Based on this data, the LCD 114 can determine which combination of switching signals to apply to manage the utilization of module 108, and potentially whether to bypass or disconnect the transducer 202 (and the entire module 108) from system 100.

[0095] When controlling module 108C to supply power to the second auxiliary load 302, LCD 114 displays one or more monitored voltages of module 108C (e.g., the voltage between IO ports 5 and 6) and one or more monitored currents (e.g., the current of load 302, coupled inductor L C It can receive the current of the load 302. Based on these signals, the LCD114 can adjust the switching periods of S1 and S2 (for example, by adjusting the modulation index or reference waveform) to control (and stabilize) the voltage of the load 302.

[0096] Section 4: Examples of Cascading Energy System Topologies Two or more modules 108 can be coupled to a cascaded array that outputs a voltage signal formed by superimposing the individual voltages generated by each module 108 in the array. Figure 7A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a topology for system 100 in which N modules 108-1, 108-2, ... 108-N are coupled together in series to form a series array 700. In this embodiment and all embodiments described herein, N can be a plurality of arbitrary integers. The array 700 includes a first system I / O port SIO1 and a second system I / O port SIO2, between which the array output voltage is generated. The array 700 can be used as a DC energy source or a single-phase AC energy source for a DC load or a single-phase AC load that can be connected to SIO1 and SIO2 of the array 700. Figure 8A is a voltage-versus-time plot showing an example of an output signal generated by a single module 108 having a 48-volt energy source. Figure 8B is a voltage-versus-time plot showing an exemplary single-phase AC output signal generated by an array 700 having six 48V modules 108 coupled in series.

[0097] System 100 can be configured in a wide variety of different topologies to meet the diverse needs of various applications. By using multiple arrays 700, System 100 can supply multiphase power (e.g., two-phase, three-phase, four-phase, five-phase, six-phase, etc.) to a load, and each array can generate AC output signals with different phase angles.

[0098] Figure 7B is a block diagram of a system 100 having two arrays 700-PA and 700-PB joined together. Each array 700 is one-dimensional and is formed by a series connection of N modules 108. The two arrays 700-PA and 700-PB can each generate a single-phase AC signal, and these two AC signals have different phase angles PA and PB (e.g., 180-degree intervals). The IO port 1 of module 108-1 of each array 700-PA and 700-PB can form system IO ports SIO1 and SIO2, respectively, or be connected to system IO ports SIO1 and SIO2, which can function as the first output of each array capable of supplying two-phase power to a load (not shown). Alternatively, ports SIO1 and SIO2 can be connected to provide single-phase power from two parallel arrays. The IO port 2 of module 108-N in each array 700-PA and 700-PB can function as a second output of each array 700-PA and 700-PB, opposite the system IO ports SIO1 and SIO2. These IO ports 2 are also connected at a common node, which can be optionally used for an additional system IO port SIO3, and can function as a neutral line. This common node can be referred to as a rail, and the IO port 2 of module 108-N in each array 700 can be said to be on the rail side of the array.

[0099] Figure 7C is a block diagram of a system 100 having three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC joined together. Each array 700 is one-dimensional and is formed by a series connection of N modules 108. Each of the three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC can generate a single-phase AC signal, and these three AC signals have different phase angles PA, PB, and PC (e.g., 120-degree intervals). The IO port 1 of module 108-1 of each array 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC can form system IO ports SIO1, SIO2, and SIO3, respectively, or can be connected to system IO ports SIO1, SIO2, and SIO3, which can supply three-phase power to a load (not shown). The IO port 2 of module 108-N in each array 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC is connected at a common node and can be optionally used for an additional system IO port SIO4 as desired, and can function as a neutral line.

[0100] The concepts described with respect to the two-phase and three-phase embodiments in Figures 7B and 7C can be extended to the system 100 generating power of even more phases. For example, a non-exhaustive list of additional examples includes the system 100 having four arrays 700, each of which is configured to generate single-phase AC signals with different phase angles (e.g., 90-degree intervals); the system 100 having five arrays 700, each of which is configured to generate single-phase AC signals with different phase angles (e.g., 72-degree intervals); and the system 100 having six arrays 700, each of which is configured to generate single-phase AC signals with different phase angles (e.g., 60-degree intervals).

[0101] System 100 can be configured such that the arrays 700 are interconnected at electrical nodes between the modules 108 within each array. Figure 7D is a block diagram showing System 100 having three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC coupled together in a combined series and delta arrangement. Each array 700 includes a first series connection of M modules 108 (where M is 2 or more) and a second series connection of N modules 108 (where N is 2 or more) coupled thereto. The delta configuration is formed by interconnections between arrays, and these interconnections can be placed in any desired position. In this embodiment, the IO port 2 of module 108-(M+N) of array 700-PC is coupled with the IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PA and the IO port 1 of module 108-(M+1) of array 700-PA; the IO port 2 of module 108-(M+N) of array 700-PB is coupled with the IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PC and the IO port 1 of module 108-(M+1); and the IO port 2 of module 108-(M+N) of array 700-PA is coupled with the IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PB and the IO port 1 of module 108-(M+1).

[0102] Figure 7E is a block diagram showing a system 100 having three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC coupled together in a combined series and delta arrangement. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment in Figure 7D, except that it has different cross-connections. In this embodiment, IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PC is coupled to IO port 1 of module 108-1 of array 700-PA, IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PB is coupled to IO port 1 of module 108-1 of array 700-PC, and IO port 2 of module 108-M of array 700-PA is coupled to IO port 1 of module 108-1 of array 700-PB. The arrangements in Figures 7D and 7E can be implemented with just two modules within each array 700. By combining delta and series configurations, effective energy exchange between all modules 108 of the system and the phases or loads of the power grid is enabled (phase balancing), and the total number of modules 108 in the array 700 is reduced to obtain the desired output voltage.

[0103] In the embodiments described herein, it is advantageous, but not required, for each array 700 in system 100 to have the same number of modules 108. Furthermore, each array 700 may have modules 108 with all identical configurations (e.g., all modules are 108A, all modules are 108B, all modules are 108C, or otherwise), or it may have modules 108 with different configurations (e.g., one or more modules are 108A, one or more modules are 108B, and one or more modules are 108C, or otherwise). Thus, the topology of system 100 covered herein is broad.

[0104] Section 5: Examples of control methods As mentioned above, control of system 100 can be carried out according to various methodologies, such as hysteresis and PWM. Some examples of PWM include spatial vector modulation and sinusoidal pulse width modulation, and the switching signals of the transducer 202 are generated using phase-shift carrier techniques that continuously switch the use of each module 108 to distribute power evenly among them.

[0105] Figures 8C–8F are plots illustrating exemplary embodiments of a phase-shifted PWM control methodology that can generate multilevel output PWM waveforms using stepwise shifted two-level waveforms. An X-level PWM waveform can be produced by the sum of (X-1) / 2 two-level PWM waveforms. These two-level waveforms can be generated by comparing a reference waveform Vref with a carrier shifted by 360° / (X-1). The carrier is a triangular wave, but embodiments are not limited to this. An example of 9 levels is shown in Figure 8C (using four modules 108). The carrier is shifted incrementally by 360° / (9-1)=45° and compared with Vref. The resulting two-level PWM waveform is shown in Figure 8E. These two-level waveforms may be used as switching signals for semiconductor switches (e.g., S1–S6) of the transducer 202. As an example referring to Figure 8E, in the case of a one-dimensional array 700 including four modules 108, each having a transducer 202, the 0° signal is for controlling S3 of the first module 108-1, the 180° signal is for S6 of the first module 108-1, the 45° signal is for S3 of the second module 108-2, the 225° signal is for S6 of the second module 108-2, the 90 signal is for S3 of the third module 108-3, the 270 signal is for S6 of the third module 108-3, the 135 signal is for S3 of the fourth module 108-4, and the 315 signal is for S6 of the fourth module 108-4. The signals for S3 are complementary to S4, the signals for S5 are complementary to S6, and there is sufficient dead time to avoid shoot-through of each half-bridge. Figure 8F shows an example single-phase AC waveform generated by the superposition (summation) of the output voltages from the four modules 108.

[0106] Alternatively, one can utilize both positive and negative reference signals in the initial (N-1) / 2 carrier wave. A 9-level example is shown in Figure 8D. In this example, the 0°–135° switching signal (Figure 8E) is generated by comparing +Vref with the 0°–135° carrier wave in Figure 8D, and the 180°–315° switching signal is generated by comparing -Vref with the 0°–135° carrier wave in Figure 8D. However, the logic of the comparison in the latter case is reversed. Other techniques, such as a state machine decoder, may be used to generate the gate signals for the switches of the transducer 202.

[0107] In embodiments of a multiphase system, the same carrier wave can be used for each phase, or the set of carrier waves can be shifted as a whole for each phase. For example, in a three-phase system with a single reference voltage (Vref), each array 700 can use the same number of carrier waves with the same relative offset, as shown in Figures 8C and 8D, but the carrier wave of the second phase is shifted by 120 degrees compared to the carrier wave of the first phase, and the carrier wave of the third phase is shifted by 240 degrees compared to the carrier wave of the first phase. If different reference voltages are available for each phase, the reference voltage can be given phase information, and the same carrier wave can be used for each phase. Often the carrier frequency is fixed, but in some exemplary embodiments, the carrier frequency can be adjusted, which may help reduce losses in the EV motor under high-current conditions.

[0108] Appropriate switching signals can be supplied to each module by the control system 102. For example, the MCD 112 can supply Vref and an appropriate carrier signal to each LCD 114, depending on one or more modules 108 controlled by that LCD 114, and that LCD 114 can generate a switching signal. Alternatively, all carrier signals can be supplied to all LCD 114 in the array, and each LCD can select the appropriate carrier signal.

[0109] The relative utilization rate of each module 108 can be adjusted based on status information to balance or perform balancing one or more parameters, as described herein. Parameter balancing may include utilization rate adjustments to minimize parameter variability over time compared to a system in which the utilization rates of individual modules are not adjusted. The utilization rate can be the relative amount of time that module 108 is discharged when system 100 is in a discharged state, or the relative amount of time that module 108 is charged when system 100 is in a charged state.

[0110] As described herein, module 108 can balance with respect to other modules in array 700, which may be referred to as intra-array balancing or intraphase balancing; different arrays 700 can balance with respect to each other, which may be referred to as inter-array balancing or interphase balancing. Arrays 700 of different subsystems can also balance with respect to each other. The control system 102 can simultaneously perform any combination of intraphase balancing, interphase balancing, utilization of multiple energy sources within a module, active filtering, and auxiliary load supply.

[0111] Figure 9A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an array controller 900 of a control system 102 for a single-phase AC or DC array. The array controller 900 may include a peak detector 902, a divider 904, and an in-phase (or in-array) balance controller 906. The array controller 900 can receive a reference voltage waveform (Vr) and status information (e.g., charge state (SOCi), temperature (Ti), capacitance (Qi), and voltage (Vi)) for each of the N modules 108 in the array as inputs, and generate a normalized reference voltage waveform (Vrn) and modulation index (Mi) as outputs. The peak detector 902 detects the peak (Vpk) of Vr, which may be specific to the phase on which the controller 900 is operating and / or balancing. The divider 904 generates Vrn by dividing Vr by its detected Vpk. The phase balance controller 906 uses Vpk along with status information (e.g., SOCi, Ti, Qi, Vi, etc.) to generate the modulation index Mi for each module 108 in the controlled array 700.

[0112] The modulation index and Vrn can be used to generate switching signals for each transducer 202. The modulation index can be a number between zero and one (including zero and one). For a particular module 108, the normalized reference Vrn can be modulated or scaled by Mi, and this modulated reference signal (Vrnm) can be used as Vref (or -Vref) according to the PWM technique described with respect to Figures 8C-8F or according to other techniques. In this way, the modulation index can be used to control the PWM switching signals provided to the transducer switching circuits (e.g., S3-S6 or S1-S6), and thus to adjust the operation of each module 108. For example, a module 108 controlled to maintain normal or full operation may receive a Mi of 1, a module 108 controlled to less than normal or full operation may receive a Mi of less than 1, and a module 108 controlled to shut down power output may receive a Mi of 0. This operation can be performed in various ways by the control system 102, such as by having the MCD112 output Vrn and Mi to the appropriate LCD114 to perform modulation and switch signal generation, by having the MCD112 perform modulation and output the modulated Vrnm to the appropriate LCD114 to generate a switch signal, or by having the MCD112 perform modulation and switch signal generation and output the switch signal directly to the LCD or converter 202 of each module 108. Vrn can be transmitted continuously, and Mi is transmitted at regular intervals, such as once for each Vrn period or once every minute.

[0113] The controller 906 can generate Mi for each module 108 using any type or combination of the status information described herein (e.g., SOC, temperature (T), Q, SOH, voltage, current). For example, using SOC and T, if module 108 has a relatively high SOC and a relatively low temperature compared to other modules 108 in array 700, it may have a relatively high Mi. If the SOC is relatively low or the T is relatively high, module 108 will have a relatively low Mi and may have a lower utilization rate than other modules 108 in array 700. The controller 906 can determine Mi such that the sum of the module voltages does not exceed Vpk. For example, Vpk can be the sum of the products of the voltages of the source 206 for each module and the Mi for that module (e.g., Vpk = M1V1 + M2V2 + M3V3... + M N V N (etc.) Different combinations of modulation indices, and even the voltage contributions of each module, may be used, but the total generated voltage should remain the same.

[0114] The array controller 900 can control its operation to the extent that it does not prevent the system from achieving its power output requirements at any given moment (e.g., during maximum acceleration of an EV), so that the State of Charge (SOC) of the energy source(s) in each module 108 remains balanced, or converges to a balanced state if they are not, and / or so that the temperature of the energy source(s) or other components (e.g., energy buffers) in each module remains balanced, or converges to a balanced state if they are not. It can regulate the inflow and outflow of power to the modules so that capacitance differences between sources do not cause SOC deviations. Balancing SOC and temperature can indirectly result in some balancing of SOH. Voltage and current can be balanced directly if desired, but in many embodiments, the primary goal of the system is to balance SOC and temperature, and balancing SOC can result in voltage and current balancing in a highly symmetric system where the modules have similar capacitance and impedance.

[0115] Since it may be impossible to balance all parameters simultaneously (for example, balancing one parameter may not further balance another), a combination of balancing any two or more parameters (SOC, T, Q, SOH, V, I) may be applied with priority depending on the application requirements. In balancing, SOC may be prioritized over other parameters (T, Q, SOH, V, I), with the exception that any one of the other parameters (T, Q, SOH, V, I) reaches a severely unbalanced condition outside the threshold.

[0116] Balancing between arrays 700 of different phases (or arrays of the same phase, for example, if parallel arrays are used) can be performed simultaneously with intraphase balancing. Figure 9B shows an exemplary embodiment of an Ω-phase (or Ω-array) controller 950 configured for operation within an Ω-phase system 100 having at least Ω arrays 700, where Ω is any integer greater than 1. The controller 950 may include one interphase (or inter-array) controller 910, and Ω intraphase balance controllers 906-PA...906-PΩ for phases PA~PΩ, as well as peak detectors 902 and dividers 904 (Figure 9A) for generating normalized reference VrnPA~VrnPΩ from each phase-specific reference VrPA~VrPΩ. The intraphase controller 906 can generate Mi for each module 108 of each array 700, as described with respect to Figure 9A. The interphase balance controller 910 is configured or programmed to balance items of module 108 across a multidimensional system, for example, between arrays of different phases. This can be achieved by injecting common modes into the phases (e.g., neutral point shift), through the use of interconnection modules (as described herein), or both. Common mode injection involves introducing phase and amplitude shifts to a reference signal VrPA~VrPΩ to compensate for imbalances in one or more arrays, thereby generating a normalized waveform VrnPA~VrnPΩ, which is further described in International Application PCT / US20 / 25366 and incorporated herein.

[0117] Controllers 900 and 950 (and balance controllers 906 and 910) can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof within the control system 102. Controllers 900 and 950 can be implemented within the MCD 112, partially or completely distributed between the LCDs 114, or implemented as separate controllers independent of the MCD 112 and LCDs 114.

[0118] Section 6: Examples of Interconnection (IC) Modules Module 108 can be connected between modules of different arrays 700 for the purpose of exchanging energy between arrays 700, for the purpose of acting as a source of auxiliary loads, or both. Such a module is referred to herein as an interconnection (IC) module 108IC. The IC module 108IC can be implemented in any of the module configurations already described (108A, 108B, 108C) and other configurations described herein. The IC module 108IC may include any number of one or more energy sources, an optional energy buffer, switch circuits for supplying energy to one or more arrays and / or powering one or more auxiliary loads, control circuits (e.g., local control devices), and monitoring circuits for collecting status information about the IC module itself or its various loads (e.g., SOC of the energy source, temperature of the energy source or energy buffer, capacity of the energy source, SOH of the energy source, voltage and / or current measurements related to the IC module, voltage and / or current measurements related to the auxiliary load(s), etc.).

[0119] Figure 10A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a system 100 capable of generating Ω phase power with Ω arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ, where Ω can be any integer greater than or equal to 2. In this embodiment and other embodiments, the IC module 108IC may be mounted on the rail side of array 700 such that array 700 (in this embodiment, arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ) to which module 108IC is connected is electrically connected between module 108IC and outputs to load (e.g., SIO1 to SIOΩ). Here, module 108IC has an ΩIO port for connecting to IO port 2 of each module 108-N in array 700-PA to 700-PΩ. In the configuration shown herein, module 108IC can perform phase balancing by selectively connecting one or more energy sources of module 108IC to one or more of arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ (or, if phase balancing is not required, to no output or equally to all outputs). System 100 can be controlled by a control system 102 (not shown; see Figure 1A).

[0120] Figure 10B is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108IC. In this embodiment, module 108IC includes an energy source 206 connected to an energy buffer 204, the energy buffer 204 being connected to a switch circuit 603. Each switch circuit 603 may independently include switch circuit sections 604-PA to 604-PΩ for connecting the energy source 206 to each of the arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ. Various switch configurations can be used for each section 604, and in this embodiment, it is configured as a half-bridge having two semiconductor switches S7 and S8. Each half-bridge is controlled by a control line 118-3 from LCD 114. This configuration is similar to module 108A described with respect to Figure 3A. As described with respect to the transducer 202, the switch circuit 603 can be configured in any arrangement suitable for the application requirements and with any switch type (e.g., MOSFET, IGBT, silicon, GaN, etc.).

[0121] The switch circuit section 604 is coupled between the positive and negative terminals of the energy source 206 and has an output connected to the I / O port of module 108 IC. The switch section 604-PA to 604-PΩ is controlled by the control system 102 to generate a voltage of +V IC or -V ICThese can be selectively coupled to the respective module IO ports 1 to Ω. The control system 102 can control the switch circuit 603 according to any desired control technique, including the PWM and hysteresis techniques described herein. Here, the control system 102 is implemented as an LCD 114 and an MCD 112 (not shown). The LCD 114 can receive monitoring data or status information from the monitoring circuit of the module 108 IC. This monitoring data and / or other status information derived from this monitoring data can be output to the MCD 112 for use in system control as described herein. The LCD 114 can also receive timing information (not shown) for the purpose of synchronizing the module 108 of system 100 with one or more carrier signals (not shown), such as a sawtooth signal used in PWM (Figures 8C to 8D).

[0122] In the case of interphase balancing, a proportionally larger amount of energy from source 206 can be supplied to one or more of the arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ that have a relatively lower charge compared to the other arrays 700. This supply of auxiliary energy to a particular array 700 allows the energy output of those cascaded modules 108-1 to 108-N in that array 700 to be reduced compared to the unsupplied phase array(s).

[0123] For example, in some exemplary embodiments where PWM is applied, the LCD 114 can be configured to receive a normalized voltage reference signal (Vrn) (from the MCD 112) for each of one or more arrays 700 to which the module 108 IC is coupled, for example, VrnPA to VrnPΩ. The LCD 114 can also receive from the MCD 112 the modulation index MiPA to MiPΩ for each switch unit 604-PA to 604-PΩ for each array 700. The LCD 114 can modulate (e.g., multiply) each Vrn by the modulation index for the switch section directly coupled to its array (e.g., multiply VrnA by MiA), and then use the carrier signal to generate control signals for each switch section 604. In other embodiments, the MCD 112 can perform the modulation and output the modulated voltage reference waveform for each switch section 604 directly to the LCD 114 of the module 108 IC. In yet another embodiment, all processing and modulation can be performed by a single control entity that can output control signals directly to each switch section 604.

[0124] This switching can be modulated so that power from energy source 206 is supplied to array(s) 700 at appropriate intervals and durations. Such a method can be implemented in various ways.

[0125] Based on collected status information about system 100, such as the current capacity (Q) and SOC of each energy source in each array, the MCD112 can determine the total charge for each array 700 (for example, the total charge for an array can be determined as the sum of the SOC-multiplied capacities for each module of that array). The MCD112 can determine whether balanced or unbalanced conditions exist (for example, through the use of relative differential thresholds and other metrics described herein) and accordingly generate modulation indices MiPA to MiPΩ for each switch portion 604-PA to 604-PΩ.

[0126] During balanced operation, Mi for each switch portion 604 can be set to a value such that the same or similar amount of net energy is supplied to each array 700 over time by the energy source 206 and / or energy buffer 204. For example, Mi for each switch portion 604 can be the same or similar and can be set to a level or value such that module 108IC performs a net or time-averaged discharge of energy to one or more arrays 700-PA to 700-PΩ during balanced operation, causing module 108IC to wear out at the same rate as other modules 108 in system 100. In some embodiments, Mi for each switch portion 604 can be set to a level or value that does not cause a net or time-averaged discharge of energy during balanced operation (causing a zero net energy discharge). This can be useful when module 108IC has a lower total charge than other modules in the system.

[0127] If an unbalanced condition occurs between arrays 700, the modulation index of system 100 can be adjusted to converge toward a balanced condition or to minimize further divergence. For example, the control system 102 can cause module 108IC to discharge more to arrays 700 with lower charge than other arrays, and relatively less (e.g., on a time-averaged basis) to modules 108-1 to 108-N of that lower-charge array 700. The relative net energy contributed by module 108IC increases compared to modules 108-1 to 108-N of the supported array 700, and also compared to the amount of net energy module 108IC contributes to other arrays. This can be achieved by increasing the Mi for the switch section 604 supplying the lower array 700, and by decreasing the modulation index of modules 108-1 to 108-N of the lower array 700 in a manner that maintains the Vout for the lower array at an appropriate or required level, while keeping the modulation index of the other switch sections 604 supplying the other higher arrays relatively constant (or decreasing these modulation indices).

[0128] The configuration of module 108IC in Figures 10A-10B can be used alone to provide interphase balancing or inter-array balancing for a single system, or each can be used in combination with one or more other module 108ICs, each having an energy source and one or more switch portions 604 coupled to one or more arrays. For example, a module 108IC having Ω switch portions 604 coupled to Ω different arrays 700 can be combined with a second module 108IC in which one switch portion 604 is coupled to one array 700, thereby providing a system 100 with Ω+1 arrays 700 when the two modules are combined. Any number of module 108ICs can be combined in this manner, each coupled to one or more arrays 700 of system 100.

[0129] Furthermore, the IC module can be configured to exchange energy between two or more subsystems of system 100. Figure 10C is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of system 100 having a first subsystem 1000-1 and a second subsystem 1000-2 interconnected by the IC module. Specifically, subsystem 1000-1 is configured to supply three-phase power PA, PB, and PC to a first load (not shown) via system I / O ports SIO1, SIO2, and SIO3, and subsystem 1000-2 is configured to supply three-phase power PD, PE, and PF to a second load (not shown) via system I / O ports SIO4, SIO5, and SIO06, respectively. For example, subsystems 1000-1 and 1000-2 can be configured as different packs supplying power to different motors of an EV, or as different racks supplying power to different microgrids.

[0130] In this embodiment, each module 108IC is coupled to the first array of subsystem 1000-1 (via IO port 1) and the first array of subsystem 1000-2 (via IO port 2), and each module 108IC can be electrically connected to each other module 108IC via IO ports 3 and 4, which are coupled to the energy source 206 of each module 108IC, as shown with respect to module 108C in Figure 3C. This connection places the sources 206 of modules 108IC-1, 108IC-2, and 108IC-3 in parallel, and thus the energy stored and supplied by modules 108IC is pooled together by this parallel arrangement. Other arrangements, such as series connections, can also be used. Although the modules 108IC are housed within a common enclosure of subsystem 1000-1, the interconnected modules may be located outside the common enclosure and physically situated as independent entities between the common enclosures of both subsystems 1000.

[0131] Each module 108IC has a switch unit 604-1 coupled to IO port 1 and a switch unit 604-2 coupled to IO port 2, as described with respect to Figure 10B. Thus, in the case of balancing between subsystems 1000 (e.g., inter-pack balancing or inter-rack balancing), a particular module 108IC can supply relatively more energy to one or both of the two arrays to which it is connected (e.g., module 108IC-1 can supply to array 700-PA and / or array 700-PD). The control circuit can monitor the relative parameters of the arrays of different subsystems (e.g., SOC and temperature) and adjust the energy output of the IC modules to compensate for imbalances between arrays or phases of different subsystems in the same manner described herein as compensating for imbalances between two arrays in the same rack or the same pack. Since all three modules 108IC are in parallel, energy can be efficiently exchanged between any arrays of system 100 or between all arrays. In this embodiment, each module 108IC supplies two arrays 700, but other configurations can be used, including a single IC module for all arrays of the system 100 and one dedicated IC module for each array 700 (for example, six IC modules for six arrays, each IC module having one switch portion 604). In all cases where there are multiple IC modules, the energy sources can be coupled together in parallel to share energy as described herein.

[0132] In systems with interphase IC modules, interphase balancing can also be performed by neutral point shift (or common-mode injection), as described above. Such combinations enable more robust and flexible balancing under a wider range of operating conditions. System 100 can determine the appropriate conditions for performing interphase balancing by neutral point shift alone, interphase energy injection alone, or a combination of both simultaneously.

[0133] The IC module can also be configured to power one or more auxiliary loads 301 (at the same voltage as source 206) and / or one or more auxiliary loads 302 (at a voltage stepped down from source 206). Figure 10D is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a three-phase system 100 having two modules 108IC connected to perform inter-phase balancing and to power auxiliary loads 301 and 302. Figure 10E is a schematic diagram showing this exemplary embodiment of system 100 with an emphasis on modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2. Here, the control circuit 102 is again implemented as LCD 114 and MCD 112 (not shown). LCD 114 can receive monitoring data from module 108IC (e.g., SOC of ES1, temperature of ES1, Q of ES1, voltages of auxiliary loads 301 and 302, etc.) and can output this monitoring data and / or other monitoring data to MCD 112 for use in system control as described herein. Each module 108IC may include a switch section 602A (or 602B as described in Figure 6C) for each load 302 supplied by that module, and each switch section 602 can be controlled independently or based on a control input from the MCD 112 to maintain the voltage level required for the load 302 by the LCD 114. In this embodiment, each module 108IC includes a switch section 602A connected together to supply one load 302, but such is not mandatory.

[0134] Figure 10F is a block diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of a three-phase system 100 configured to supply power to one or more auxiliary loads 301 and 302 using modules 108IC-1, 108IC-2, and 108IC-3. In this embodiment, modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 are configured in the same manner as described with respect to Figures 10D to 10E. Module 108IC-3 is configured in a purely auxiliary role and does not actively inject voltage or current into any array 700 of the system 100. In this embodiment, module 108IC-3 can be configured as module 108C in Figure 3B, having transducers 202B, C (Figures 6B to 6C) with one or more auxiliary switch portions 602A, but omitting the switch portion 601. Therefore, one or more energy sources 206 of module 108IC-3 are interconnected in parallel with the energy sources of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2, and thus this embodiment of system 100 consists of additional energy for supplying auxiliary loads 301 and 302, and for maintaining the charge of the energy sources 206 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 via parallel connections with the energy sources 206 of module 108IC-3.

[0135] The energy source 206 of each IC module can have the same voltage and capacitance as the energy sources 206 of the other modules 108-1 to 108-N in the system, but this is not required. For example, in an embodiment in which one module 108IC supplies energy to multiple arrays 700 (Figure 10A) and the IC module discharges at the same rate as the modules in the phase array itself, a relatively high capacitance may be desirable. If module 108IC also supplies an auxiliary load, an even larger capacitance may be desired to allow the IC module to supply the auxiliary load and discharge at the same rate as the other modules.

[0136] Section 7: Examples of Second Life Energy Sources Energy source 206 can be used in system 100 described herein for both first-life and second-life applications. The first life of source 206 is the original application in which source 206 is used. For example, a first-life application is the first implementation of source 206 used by the first customer after the original manufacture (not modification) of source 206. A first-life user of source 206 would typically have received source 206 from a manufacturer, distributor, or original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Battery modules 206 used in first-life applications would typically have the same electrochemical properties (e.g., the same variation of lithium-ion electrochemical properties (e.g., lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC))), the same nominal voltage, and minimal capacity variation across the pack or system (e.g., 5% or less). When the energy system 100 is used in conjunction with the battery 206 in its first-life application, the battery 206 will have a longer lifespan in that first-life application, and when removed from that first-life application, these batteries 206 will be more equivalent in terms of capacity degradation than batteries in a first-life application without the energy system 100.

[0137] As used herein, “second life” application refers to any application or implementation mode of Source 206 after the first life application (e.g., a second implementation mode, a third implementation mode, a fourth implementation mode, etc.). A second life energy source refers to any energy source implemented in the second life application of that source (e.g., a battery or HED capacitor).

[0138] One example of a first-life application for battery 206 is within an energy system 100 for an EV. In this case, at the end of its life (e.g., after 100,000 miles of driving or after a threshold amount of degradation of the batteries in that battery pack), battery 206 can be removed from the battery pack, optionally subjected to repair and testing, and then implemented in a second-life application, such as: a stationary energy storage system (e.g., residential, commercial, or industrial energy buffer, EV charging station energy buffer, renewable source (e.g., wind, solar, hydro), energy buffer, etc.) or another mobile energy system (e.g., a battery pack for an electric vehicle, bus, train, or truck). Similarly, the first-life application can be the initial stationary application, and the second-life application can be either a stationary or mobile application.

[0139] For second-life applications, source 206 can be selected and / or utilized by system 100 to minimize (or at least reduce) any differences in initial capacitance and nominal voltage. For example, source 206 with a capacitance difference of 5% or more can be included in system 100 and operated to supply energy to a load. In another example, an operator or automated system can select source 206 for system 100 with a capacitance difference within a threshold to reduce the initial capacitance difference between sources 206 in system 100. If module 108 is suitable for both first-life and second-life applications (e.g., with or without reconfiguration), module 108 can be selected for second-life applications based on the capacitance difference of source 206 in module 108.

[0140] System 100 can individually adjust the utilization rate of each source 206, thereby ensuring that the sources 206 within System 100 or the packs within System 100 are relatively balanced in terms of State of Charge (SOC) or total charge (SOC × capacity) when the packs or System 100 are discharged, even if the capacities of the sources 206 within System 100 can vary considerably. Similarly, System 100 can maintain balance when the packs or System 100 are charged. Sources 206 can vary not only in terms of capacity but also in terms of nominal voltage, power rating, electrochemical type (e.g., combination of LFP and NMC batteries). Therefore, System 100 can be used such that all modules 108 within System 100, or each pack within System 100, are second-life energy sources with various combinations of different characteristics (or so that a combination of first-life and second-life energy sources is used).

[0141] For example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having energy capacity variations of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0142] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having variations in energy capacity per mass density of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0143] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having peak power variability per mass density of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0144] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having nominal voltage variations of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0145] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having variations in operating voltage ranges of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0146] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having maximum specified current rise time variations of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0147] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having specified peak current variations of 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, or 25% or more, 30% or more, 5-30%, 10-30%, and / or 20-30%.

[0148] A variation of X% (e.g., 5% or more, or 5-30%) can be satisfied by the variation within system 100 between the module 108 having the highest value for the relevant parameter and the module 108 having the lowest value for the relevant parameter. For example, a variation of 5% or more in capacity can be satisfied by system 100 in which module 108 with the lowest capacity source 206 has a capacity of 95% or less of the capacity of module 108 with the highest capacity source 206. For all embodiments and all parameters disclosed herein, the point in time when system 100 having one or more second-life sources satisfies the X% variation condition with respect to the above parameter may be at the time of system 100 installation, during system 100 commissioning, after source 206 is replaced with another source 206, after system 100 has been running for 10 hours or more, after system 100 has been running for 1000 hours or more, after system 100 has been running for 1000 hours or more, and / or after system 100 has been running for 10,000 hours or more. For example, even if system 100 showed no capacity variation during commissioning, it may develop a capacity variation of 5% or more after 1000 hours of operation. This reflects the ability of the embodiment of system 100 to continue operation while taking into account the capacity difference between sources 206 that increases over time.

[0149] In another example, system 100 may include second-life energy sources 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having electrochemical type variations (e.g., lithium-ion batteries with non-lithium-ion batteries, or different lithium-ion batteries (e.g., NMC, LFP, LTO, or any combination of other lithium-ion battery types)).

[0150] System 100 may include a second-life energy source 206 (and optionally one or more first-life energy sources 206) having any combination of the characteristics provided in the preceding example.

[0151] Section 8: Exemplary Embodiments for Charging and Discharging Energy Systems Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments relating to the charging of the energy system 100 are described with reference to Figures 11A to 16C. In the described examples, the energy system 100 includes a primary subsystem 1000 and an auxiliary subsystem 2000. The primary subsystem 1000 is implemented as a modular energy system for generating AC power, for example, as a modular battery pack including a plurality of connected modules 108. The auxiliary subsystem 2000 is implemented as an energy system for generating DC power, for example, as a conventional battery pack including one or more connected battery modules 206, without a modular converter function. The primary subsystem 1000 and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 are coupled to each other by a primary converter 420 to facilitate the flow of current and power between the two subsystems 1000 and 2000. Embodiments of the energy system 100 can be implemented in either mobile or stationary applications as described herein. Furthermore, embodiments of the charging of system 100 can be implemented in all embodiments of the modular energy systems described with reference to Figures 1A to 10F, unless otherwise specified or unless it is logically inappropriate. For this reason, many of the modifications contemplated herein will not be repeated with respect to each of the following charging embodiments. Examples of these charging configurations and further configurations are described in international application PCT / US2022 / 012205, filed on 12 January 2022 and titled Systems, Devices, and Methods for Module-Based Cascaded Energy Systems, and international application PCT / US2021 / 027154, filed on 13 April 2021 and titled Systems, Devices, and Methods for Charging and Discharging Module-Based Cascaded Energy Systems, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0152] Embodiments of charging are described with reference to the types and number of signals available from the charging source to supply charge to various subsystems 1000 and 2000 of system 100. These embodiments are classified into three main types: (i) DC charging, where the charging source supplies a high-voltage DC charging signal; (ii) single-phase AC charging, where the charging source supplies a single high-voltage AC charging signal; and (iii) multi-phase AC charging, where the charging source supplies two or more high-voltage AC charging signals with different phase angles. For brevity, embodiments of multi-phase charging are described with respect to a primary subsystem 1000 having three phases, but the subject is applicable to any modular primary subsystem 1000 having two or more arrays that charge and discharge in two or more different phases. The charging source can have various configurations depending on the specific application. For stationary applications, the charging source can be a power grid supplied by a utility or other power provider, regardless of the type of energy source. The charging source can also be a renewable energy source such as an array of solar panels or a wind turbine. For mobile applications, the charging source can be a grid or renewable energy source, often supplied to the EV by charging stations that provide DC power, single-phase AC power, or multi-phase AC power.

[0153] Figures 11A and 11B are block diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of an energy system 100, including a (three-phase) primary subsystem 1000 configured to supply three-phase AC power to an AC bus 410. A primary load 101 is coupled to the AC bus 410 to receive AC power. The primary subsystem 1000 also provides auxiliary power to a DC bus 415 via a primary converter 420. A high-voltage (HV) auxiliary load 303 is coupled to a DC bus 415 to receive DC power. Although one primary load 101 and one HV auxiliary load 303 are shown in Figures 11A and 11B, the energy system 100 can supply power to any number of primary loads 101 and / or HV auxiliary loads 303. For example, the primary loads 101 and HV auxiliary loads 303 may each include multiple loads connected in parallel to the AC 410 bus and DC 415 bus, or otherwise coupled.

[0154] In this exemplary embodiment, each primary subsystem 1000 is connected to each node N of the AC bus 410. PA , N PB , or N PC The system includes three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC configured to output AC voltage signals having different phase angles (e.g., 120-degree intervals). Each array 700 includes N modules 108-1 to 108-N connected together to output an AC voltage signal as a superposition of the output voltages from each module 108 of that array 700. See, for example, Figure 8B. In some embodiments, the primary subsystem 1000 also includes interconnect modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 configured to supply DC power to low voltage (LV) auxiliary loads 301 and 302. In these cases, as described in Section 6, interconnect modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 can provide inter-array energy balancing and can be configured to output DC voltage to the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 via ports 3 and 4 connected to a second DC bus 1131 and ports 5 and 6 connected to a third DC bus 1132, respectively.

[0155] The auxiliary subsystem 2000 is configured to supply DC power to the HV auxiliary load 303 via the DC bus 415. The auxiliary subsystem 2000 can also receive DC power via the primary converter 420 from the primary subsystem 1000 and the various charging embodiments described herein. The auxiliary subsystem 2000 includes one or more energy sources 206 connected together to output a relatively high DC voltage (e.g., 500V) on the DC bus 415. For example, the auxiliary subsystem 2000 could be a high-voltage battery pack having battery modules 206 connected together in different topologies to output a DC voltage at a specific power rating.

[0156] Figures 11E to 11G are block diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of an auxiliary subsystem 2000 having a plurality of connected energy sources 206. Figure 11E shows an exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary subsystem 2000 having a set 800 of N energy sources 206 connected in series such that the DC voltage is the superposition of the output voltages of each energy source 206. Figure 11F shows another exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary subsystem 2000 having two sets 800-1 and 800-2 of energy sources 206 connected in parallel to increase the ampere-hour capacity, with each set 800 containing N energy sources 206 connected in series. Figure 11G shows yet another exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary subsystem 2000 having three sets 800-1, 800-2, and 800-3 of energy sources 206 connected in parallel to further increase the ampere-hour capacity, with each set 800 containing N energy sources 206 connected in series. In the embodiments shown in Figures 11F to 11G, it is advantageous that the number of energy sources 206 is the same in each set 800 within the auxiliary subsystem 2000, but this is not necessary, and different sets 800 can have different numbers of energy sources 206, for example, with different voltages and / or power ratings.

[0157] Although the auxiliary subsystem 2000 is described herein without modular converter capability, in other embodiments, the auxiliary subsystem 2000 may be a modular energy system similar to the primary subsystem 1000 but configured for DC power generation (e.g., Figure 7A). In these cases, the auxiliary subsystem 2000 includes a plurality of modules 108 connected together to form an array 700 (or, for example, a plurality of arrays 700 with parallel connections). This provides switching capabilities for the auxiliary subsystem 2000 similar to the primary subsystem 1000, enabling the control system 102 to perform monitoring and balancing of the temperature, state of charge (SOC), and / or state of health (SOH) of the auxiliary subsystem 2000. However, since the auxiliary subsystem 2000 is configured for DC power generation, the absence of an integrated converter in its auxiliary role may be advantageous, for example, to reduce the complexity of the energy system 100, to allow for greater modularity between subsystems of the energy system 100, to optimize the generation and charging of auxiliary power, and to reduce costs.

[0158] Referring again to Figure 11A, the HV auxiliary load 303 can be an “intermediate” load, having a relatively higher voltage, current, and / or power demand than the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, but not as high as the primary load 101. For example, the primary load 101 may include one or more motors of the EV, the HV auxiliary load 303 may include the EV’s HVAC system and / or onboard electrical system, and the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 may include all other loads of the EV, such as the display, personal electronic devices, and PCDA control devices (e.g., MCD112, ECU104).

[0159] In some embodiments, the HV auxiliary load 303 includes one or more DC auxiliary loads and one or more AC auxiliary loads coupled, for example, in parallel to the DC bus 415. In these cases, each AC auxiliary load can be powered by the DC bus 415 using their respective DC-AC power converters coupled between the AC auxiliary load and the DC bus 415 to convert the DC power on the DC bus 415 to AC power for the AC auxiliary load. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 can be placed in parallel with the HV auxiliary load 303 on the DC bus 415 (or coupled to the DC bus 415 in a different way) so that power to the auxiliary loads 301, 302, and 303 is fully managed on the DC bus 415 (e.g., Figure 21B). In these cases, the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 can be powered by the DC bus 415 using their respective DC-DC power converters coupled between the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 and the DC bus 415 to convert the DC voltage of the DC bus 415 to a suitable voltage level for the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302. When powered by the interconnection modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 of the primary subsystem 1000, as in the exemplary embodiments shown in Figures 11A and 11B, the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 can also be powered by the DC buses 1131 and 1132 using their respective DC-DC converters coupled between the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 and the DC buses 1131 and 1132.

[0160] The primary converter 420 is connected between the AC bus 410 and the DC bus 415 to transfer power from the three-phase AC side of the system 100 to the DC side of the system 100. For example, the primary converter 420 may include an AC-DC converter (e.g., an HVDC converter) for rectifying one or more AC signals input to ports IO1, IO2, and / or IO3 into DC signals output to ports IO4 and / or IO5. The primary converter 420 may also include a DC-DC boost converter, DC-DC buck converter, DC-DC boost-buck converter, or another type of DC-DC converter for boosting or bucking the DC signal output by the AC-DC converter to an appropriate DC voltage output by the auxiliary subsystem 2000. To perform AC-DC conversion, the primary converter 420 can be controlled by the control system 102 via control lines (not shown). For example, while the primary subsystem 1000 discharges based on control signals from the control system 102 and generates an AC signal, the primary converter 420 can receive the respective control signals from the control system 102 and rectify the AC signal into a DC signal.

[0161] Figures 11H–11L are schematic diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of the primary transducer 420. In the embodiments of Figures 11H, 11J, and 11L, the primary transducer 420 is unidirectional, such that power flows from the AC bus 410 to the DC bus 415, but not the other way around. The unidirectional primary transducer 420 may be advantageous in isolating the auxiliary subsystem 2000 from the primary load 101, such that any power flow from the auxiliary subsystem 2000 to the primary subsystem 1000 occurs via an auxiliary transducer 430 (if present), which can be managed by interconnection modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 during both charging and discharging of the primary subsystem 1000. As a result, the auxiliary subsystem 2000 can operate continuously on the DC bus 415 to supply and / or receive power while the primary subsystem 1000 is charging or discharging. In the embodiments of Figures 11I and 11K, the primary converter 420 is bidirectional so that power flows between the AC bus 410 and the DC bus 415. The bidirectional primary converter 420 may be advantageous for providing auxiliary power to the primary load 101 with power generated from the auxiliary subsystem 2000 (e.g., during unexpectedly high energy demands) and may also be used by the primary subsystem 1000 for charging. For example, the control system 102 may communicate with the primary load 101, for example, via the vehicle ECU 104, and control the primary converter 420 based on the energy requirements of the primary load 101. In such a case, the primary load 101 may output an energy requirement, and in response to the requirement, the control system 102 may control the primary converter 420 to convert DC power on the DC bus 415 into AC power for the AC bus 410 that can be utilized by the primary load 101.

[0162] Referring to Figure 11H, the primary converter 420A includes a (bidirectional) AC-DC converter 422 and a (unidirectional) DC-DC converter 424A. The AC-DC converter 422 is configured as a full-bridge converter including switches S1-S6 controllable by the control system 102 via a control line. The control system 102 can control switches S1-S6 of the AC-DC converter 422 (for example, like a rectifier) ​​to convert the three-phase AC signals received from ports IO1-IO3 into DC signals. The DC-DC converter 424A is configured as a DC-DC boost converter including an inductor L4, a diode D1, a capacitor C2, and a switch S7 controllable by the control system 102 via a control line. The control system 102 can control switch S7 of the DC-DC converter 424A to boost the DC signal generated by the AC-DC converter 422 to an appropriate voltage output via ports IO4 and IO5. In this embodiment, the primary converter 420A includes an inductive interface circuit 426 connected between ports IO1-IO3 and the AC-DC converter 422. To attenuate harmonics to and / or from the AC-DC converter 422, the interface circuit 426 includes respective line filters (inductor filters) L1, L2, and L3 for each phase input. The primary converter 420A also includes a capacitor C1 (e.g., a DC link capacitor) coupled between the AC-DC converter 422 and the DC-DC converter 424A to dampen fluctuations in the DC signal output by the AC-DC converter 422.

[0163] The embodiment of the primary converter 420B in Figure 11I is configured similarly to the embodiment of the primary converter in Figure 11H, except that the unidirectional DC-DC converter 424A is replaced by a bidirectional DC-DC boost-back converter 424B. For example, the diode D1 of the DC-DC converter 424A can be replaced by a switch S8 connected to the control system 102 to facilitate bidirectionality. The control system 102 can then control the AC-DC converter 422 (for example, like an inverter) to convert the DC signal received from the DC-DC converter 424B into a three-phase AC signal and output the three-phase AC signal to ports IO1-IO3.

[0164] In the embodiment shown in Figure 11J, the DC-DC converter 424C is configured as a unidirectional DC-DC buck converter including an inductor L4, diode D1, capacitor C2, and switch S7, which are controllable by the control system 102 via a control line. The control system 102 can control switch S7 of the DC-DC converter 424C to step down the DC signal generated by the AC-DC converter 422 to an appropriate voltage output via ports IO4 and IO5. The embodiment of the primary converter 420D in Figure 11K is configured similarly to the embodiment of the primary converter in Figure 11J, except that the unidirectional DC-DC converter 424C is replaced by a bidirectional DC-DC buck boost converter 424D. For example, the diode D1 of the DC-DC converter 424C can be replaced with a switch S8 connected to the control system 102 to facilitate bidirectionality.

[0165] Figure 11L shows another exemplary embodiment of the primary converter 420E implemented in a unidirectional manner. Here, the primary converter 420E includes a (unidirectional) AC-DC converter 428, as well as an inductive interface circuit 426 and a capacitor C1 for attenuating high-frequency fluctuations in the input voltage signal and output voltage signal. The AC-DC converter 428 is configured as a full-bridge diode rectifier including diodes D1-D6. In this embodiment, the primary converter 420B can be implemented passively, so communication with the control system 102 is not required. However, for clarity, exemplary charging embodiments are described in relation to a controllable primary converter 420 (e.g., Figures 11H-11K) which generally offers greater flexibility than the passive implementation, for example, by allowing the primary converter 420 to be bypassed when a charging signal is received.

[0166] In some embodiments, the energy system 100 also includes an interconnect module 108IC and an auxiliary converter 430 connected to a DC bus 415. In these cases, modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 can supply auxiliary power to an HV auxiliary load 303 and / or charge the auxiliary subsystem 2000. For example, the auxiliary converter 430 can be connected to ports 3 and 4 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 via a second DC bus 1131. In other examples, the auxiliary converter 430 (or a second auxiliary converter) can be connected to ports 5 and 6 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 via a third DC bus 1132. The DC voltage output by the auxiliary subsystem 2000 is typically higher than the DC voltage output by the interconnect module 108IC, thereby allowing the auxiliary converter 430 to boost the DC power provided by module 108IC.

[0167] The auxiliary converter 430 can be a unidirectional DC-DC converter such that power flows from DC bus 1131 to DC bus 415. Figure 11M shows an exemplary embodiment of the auxiliary converter 430A configured for unidirectional DC-DC conversion. In this embodiment, the auxiliary converter 430A includes a (bidirectional) DC-AC converter 432, a transformer 436, and a (unidirectional) AC-DC converter 434. When the auxiliary converter 430A is implemented in the energy system 100, the transformer 436 can provide DC-DC isolation between various DC buses and / or lines, for example, between DC buses 1131 and 415, as shown in Figure 11A. The DC-AC converter 432 is configured as a full-bridge converter including switches S1-S4 controllable by the control system 102 via control lines. The control system 102 can control switches S1 to S4 of the DC-AC converter 432 to convert DC signals received from ports IO1 and IO2 into AC signals and output the AC signals to the transformer 436 (for example, like an inverter). The AC-DC converter 434 is configured as a full-bridge diode rectifier including diodes D1 to D4. In this embodiment, the AC-DC converter 434 is passive and can receive the transformed AC signal from the transformer 436 and convert the AC signal into a DC signal output to ports IO3 and IO4. The auxiliary converter 430A also includes a first capacitor C1 connected between ports IO1 and IO2, and a second capacitor C2 connected between ports IO3 and IO4. Capacitors C1 and C2 can attenuate fluctuations in the DC signals received and output by the auxiliary converter 430A, for example, due to switching of the DC-AC converter 432 or other components in the energy system 100.

[0168] Auxiliary converter 430 can also be a bidirectional DC-DC converter such that power flows between DC buses 1131 and 415. FIG. 11N shows an exemplary embodiment of an auxiliary converter 430B configured for bidirectional DC-DC conversion. Here, the auxiliary converter 430B is configured as a dual active bridge (DAB) converter, and the unidirectional AC-DC converter 434 of FIG. 11M is replaced with a bidirectional AC-DC converter 438. Similar to DC-AC converter 432, AC-DC converter 438 is configured as a full-bridge converter including switches S5 to S8 that are controllable by control system 102 via control lines. In this embodiment, the auxiliary converter 430B can receive, convert, and output DC signals in both directions through the application of appropriate control signals by the control system 102. For example, using bidirectional auxiliary converter 430B, auxiliary subsystem 2000 can supply auxiliary power to LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, and / or charge energy source 206 of interconnection modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2.

[0169] The energy system 100 includes a switch 1108-PA located between SIO1 and node N PA , a switch 1108-PB located between SIO2 and node N PB , and a switch 1108-PC located between SIO3 and node N PC . Each of the switches 1108 is independently controllable by control signals applied via control lines by the control system 102, for example, MCD 112 (e.g., FIGS. 1A to 1C) or ECU 104 (e.g., FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1D, and 1E).

[0170] In this embodiment and other embodiments described herein, the primary load 101 can be an electric motor, such as a permanent magnet (PM) motor, an induction motor, or a switched reluctance motor (SRM). In this embodiment and many of the embodiments described below, the primary subsystem 1000 is a three-phase system having an interconnection module 108IC connected to LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 and an auxiliary converter 430; however, the subject of charging can be similarly applied to embodiments having one or more phases, with or without the IC module 108IC, with or without the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, and with or without the auxiliary converter 430. Furthermore, for all charging embodiments described herein, the connection of the HV auxiliary load 303 to the DC bus 415 can be maintained to provide continuous power to such an electrical system. In the context of EVs, these can include, for example, the HVAC system of an EV, an on-board electrical system for an EV, and so on.

[0171] Switches 1108-PA, 1108-PB, and 1108-PC receive three-phase charging signals from the port of the three-phase charging connector (charging port) 1102 via line 1111 to the AC bus 410, at each of the phase nodes N of these switches. PA , N PB , and N PCare switchably connected. The signals are then routed to the respective phase arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC of the primary subsystem 1000, and the respective phase ports IO1, IO2, and IO3 of the primary converter 420, and the signals are converted into DC signals by the primary converter 420 for delivery to the auxiliary subsystem 2000. The charging connector 1102 is capable of coupling to the charging source 150 via the charging connector 1104 and the cable 1106 of the charging source 150. A neutral point connection is not required for three-phase charging. The switch 1108 is preferably an electromechanical switch or a relay, but a solid-state relay (SSR) may also be used. For the primary load 101 implemented as a motor, the electromechanical switch exhibits high reliability in keeping the motor coils or windings connected to the modular energy source in case of power loss.

[0172] The system 100 also includes monitor circuits 1110-PA, 1110-PB, and 1110-PC, which can output their measured values to the control system 102 via a data line (not shown) for use in controlling the modules 108 of the primary subsystem 1000 and the primary converter 420 during charging and discharging.

[0173] In the embodiment shown in Figure 11A, each switch 1108 is a dual-conducting position (TCP) switch (e.g., a single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch). When the TCP switch 1108 is in position 1, the AC bus 410 is connected to the primary load 101, and the connector 1102 is disconnected and not energized. The TCP switch 1108 defaults to position 1 as its normal position and takes this position when no control signal is applied. The TCP switch 1108 can return to position 1 in case of power loss or events that disconnect the TCP switch 1108 from the control signal, so as not to leave the primary load 101 disconnected. When a control signal (e.g., a common signal) is applied, the TCP switch 1108 moves to position 2, connecting the connector 1102 to the AC bus 410. When in position 2, the system 100 can be charged through the connector 1102. The application of the control signal may occur automatically when system 100 detects the physical coupling of the charging source connector 1104 to the system connector 1102, or when it detects the presence of a multiphase voltage at connector 1102. The application of the control signal may also be a condition for the primary load 101 to be turned off. The removal of the control signal, such as after disconnection of connector 1104 or detection of the absence of a multiphase charging voltage at connector 1102, causes the TCP switch 1108 to return to position 1.

[0174] In the embodiment shown in Figure 11B, switch 1108 is an on / off switch (e.g., a single-pole single-throw (SPST) switch) having open and closed states, which can be controlled again by the application of a control signal (not shown). Since the AC bus 410 is always connected to connector 1102, and therefore the primary subsystem 1000 and auxiliary subsystem 2000 can always be energized, connector 1102 is configured such that its internal conductors are insulated from user contact. For example, the conductors may be housed deep within the charging receptacle of connector 1102. The design of connector 1102 is preferably sufficient to prevent user contact (e.g., electric shock or short circuit) so that connector 1102 can be energized even when the primary load 101 is operating. Opening switch 1108 while load 101 is operating could result in damage to load 101, damage to the transducer 202 of module 108, and / or damage to the primary transducer 420; therefore, the closed position is the default position of switch 1108 in this embodiment for keeping system 100 connected to the primary load 101. Applying a control signal causes switch 1108 to open, which disconnects system 100 from load 101 and allows it to be charged via connector 1102. Although three on / off switches 1108 are shown here, in embodiments with a closed coil motor 1100 implemented as the primary load 101, one of the on / off switches 1108 can be omitted; for example, only two of the three on / off switches 1108 may be present (for any two of phases PA, PB, or PC), since no current will pass through motor 1100 if two of the three coils are electrically disconnected. The third coil can remain electrically connected to system 100 during charging.

[0175] Figure 11C is a flowchart showing an exemplary embodiment of method 1150 for charging, applicable to the embodiments of Figures 11A-11B, as well as other embodiments described herein.

[0176] In 1152, the system 100 detects the connection of the charging source 150 to the connector 1102. As described herein, this may occur by the control system 102 detecting physical contact of the charging source connector 1104 to the system connector 1102, or by the system 100 sensing a charging signal voltage with a sensor in the connector 1102. In 1154, after detecting the connection of the charging source 150, the switch 1108 can be switched from the discharge position to the charging position (for example, position 2 with respect to the TCP switch 1108 in Figure 11A, or the open state with respect to the on / off switch 1108 in Figure 11B).

[0177] In step 1156, the charging signal supplied by the charging source 150 is monitored by the monitoring circuit 1110, and this information is output to the control system 102. Figure 11D is a plot showing the three-phase charging signals 1112-PA, 1112-PB, and 1112-PC. In step 1158, the control system 102 outputs a control signal to each module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000, causing the converter 202 of each module 108 to charge appropriately. The control system 102 also outputs a control signal to the primary converter 420 to appropriately rectify (and boost or buck) the charging signal for DC charging of the auxiliary subsystem 2000. Steps 1156 and 1158 are performed simultaneously to provide the control system 102 with a continuous evaluation of the voltage, current, and / or phase of the charging signal, while correspondingly adjusting the switching scheme for each module 108 and the primary converter 420.

[0178] When switching module 108 in step 1158, the control system 102 (e.g., MCD112, LCD114) generates switching signals for the converters 202 of each module 108, as described in sections 3 and 5. Each converter 202 receives +V on module IO ports 1 and 2. DCL The first state presents -V on ports 1 and 2. DCLIt is possible to switch between a second state which presents a certain voltage and a third state in which module 108 is bypassed (short-circuited) and zero voltage is presented at ports 1 and 2. The switching can be controlled so that each energy source 206 of each module 108 can be charged based on the direction of the current flowing through each array 700.

[0179] The control system 102 is programmable to control the switching of each module 108 in order to minimize strain and displacement within each phase array(s) 700. This can be achieved by targeting a power factor (PF) of 1 (unity) or nearly 1, according to equation (1) below.

number

[0180] In the formula, I1rms is the root mean square of the fundamental components of the current in the array 700 of a particular phase (e.g., array 700-PA), Irms is the root mean square of the sum of all significant harmonics of the current of the particular phase (I1 + I2 + I3...), and Θ is the phase angle between the voltage and current of the particular phase. To achieve PF of 1 or approximately 1, the control system 102 calculates the sum of the currents of each phase (e.g., node N PA , N PB , N PC Switching can be controlled such that the voltage (as measured by) is always zero or near zero (e.g., within a threshold), and the displacement (Θ) between the current and voltage of each phase is always zero or near zero (e.g., within a threshold).

[0181] Each module 108 can be charged equally until it reaches its individual limit or threshold. For example, all modules 108 can be charged equally (e.g., receive the same total current over time) until each module 108 reaches its charge threshold (e.g., 80% or 90% of its capacity), at which point the charging of each module 108 slows down until all modules 108 reach a balanced or substantially balanced state of charge (SOC) state, at which point the modules 108 are charged equally until they are fully or adequately charged.

[0182] Alternatively, modules 108 with relatively lower SOC levels can receive relatively more charge at the start until the primary subsystem 1000 reaches a relatively balanced SOC state, and once the relatively balanced SOC state is reached, all modules 108 can be charged in such a manner that the primary subsystem 1000 always has a relatively balanced SOC state (for example, all fully functional modules 108 are within 1% of the other modules in terms of SOC). This approach has the advantage that if charging is stopped before the primary subsystem 1000 reaches its capacity, the primary subsystem 1000 will terminate the charging process in a relatively balanced state.

[0183] Referring again to Figure 11C, method 1150 can continue to 1160 once module 108 is fully (or adequately) charged or system 100 detects disconnection of charge source 150, at which point switch 1108 can be transitioned from the charged position to the default discharge position (e.g., position 1 for TCP switch 1108 in Figure 11A, or the closed position for on / off switch 1108 in Figure 11B).

[0184] In embodiments described herein, the control system 102 can control switching by generating switching signals for each module 108, utilizing the input AC charging signal (or representation of the input AC charging signal) for each phase as a reference waveform for each array 700, or as a different reference in the case of DC charging, according to PWM techniques such as those described in Section 5. Similarly, the control system 102 can also switch the primary converter 420 using PWM techniques when rectifying the charging signal. The modulation index for the switching circuit of each module 108 can be adjusted to maintain a power factor of 1 or nearly 1 by selectively charging and discharging each module 108 over varying lengths of time. Charging can also be performed while maintaining or aiming for balanced conditions in one or more operating characteristics of the primary subsystem 1000, as described in Section 5. The modulation index (Mi) can also be adjusted to perform charging while prioritizing the charging of energy sources 206 having the relatively lowest SOC by targeting a relatively balanced temperature across all modules 108 and assigning the relatively highest modulation index to those modules 108.

[0185] Furthermore, in the case of the electrochemical battery source 206, the length of the charging pulse applied to the source 206 by the converter 202 can be maintained to have a specific length, for example, less than 5 milliseconds, in order to promote the occurrence of the electrochemical storage reaction in the cell without the occurrence of significant side reactions that may cause degradation. Such pulses can be applied at a high C rate (e.g., 5C to 15C or higher) to enable fast charging of the source 206. An example of such a technique, which can be used with all embodiments herein, is described in International Application PCT / US20 / 35437, entitled Advanced Battery Charging on Modular Levels of Energy Storage Systems, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0186] In the examples of Figures 11A and 11B, interconnection modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 are interconnected with each other and also interconnected with arrays 700 of different phases. During charging, the switch portion 604 of module 108IC (see, for example, Figure 10E) can be continuously switched so that current flows through either S7 or S8 with a 50-50 duty cycle. The energy sources 206 of module 108IC can be charged by adjusting the duty cycle of each switch portion 604 so that the total current over time through each portion 604 charges the sources 206 of those modules 108IC. Alternatively, the switch portion 604 of module 108IC can be switched only as needed to direct current through module 108IC, for example, to direct current while charging the charging sources 206 of module 108IC-1 or 108IC-2, or to direct current without charging the sources 206. The switching of module 108IC can also be used to minimize strain and displacement within each array 700. In all embodiments having LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 connected to DC buses 1131 and / or 1132, and / or auxiliary converter 430, during charging, the control system 102 can continue to regulate the voltage for LV auxiliary load 302 via the switch portion 602A (Figure 10E), and thus it is possible to maintain power to LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, and, if desired, power via the auxiliary converter 430. In the context of EVs, this can maintain power to displays, auxiliary devices, etc.

[0187] While charging has been described with reference to PWM control techniques, alternative embodiments may use hysteresis techniques. Other custom techniques (e.g., ad-hoc techniques) based on PWM or hysteresis, or entirely different from PWM and hysteresis, may also be used.

[0188] Section 9: Exemplary Embodiments of DC Charging and Single-Phase Charging of Energy Systems with Primary Load Bypass The multiphase configuration of the energy system 100 can also be charged with a DC charging source or a single-phase AC charging source. Figure 12A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the energy system 100, configured similarly to the embodiment in Figure 11A, but with a routing circuit 1200 that enables DC charging capability and / or single-phase AC charging capability in addition to the multiphase AC charging capability, and all charging can be performed in a manner that bypasses the primary load 101. The routing circuit 1200 can be coupled between the multiphase charging connector 1102 and the three-phase charging line 1111. The routing circuit 1200 can be coupled to at least one connector (charging port) 1202 that can receive DC charging signals (DC+ and DC-) and / or AC charging signals (AC line (L) and neutral line (N)) via line 1211. These connections can be shared as shown in Figure 12A, or they can be separated so that different conductors of line 1211 are used for DC and single-phase AC. In the embodiments described herein, connector 1202 may be a separate and isolated connector from that of the three-phase charging connector 1102, regardless of whether it is configured for DC only, single-phase AC only, or both, or connectors 1102 and 1202 may be combined in a single location (e.g., on an EV), as described with respect to Figure 12F. When combined in a single location, conductors for multi-phase AC charging, single-phase AC charging, and DC charging may be shared, as described herein. Depending on the type of charging signal to be routed (DC or AC) and whether the embodiment provides selective disconnection of the charging connectors 1102 and 1202 from system 100, various different configurations and types of circuits may be used for the routing circuit 1200. Various exemplary embodiments of the routing circuit 1200 are described in more detail herein.

[0189] Switch 1108 may be part of a single switching assembly 1250 configured to deliver the high current required between the charging and discharging phases. Assembly 1250 may be configured as a separate single device or housing. Assembly 1250 may have one or more inputs for receiving switching control signals from the control system 102. In some embodiments, a monitor circuit 1110 may be integrated into assembly 1250, and control signals to and data outputs from the circuit 1110 may be routed to the control system 102 through the I / O ports of assembly 1250. Exemplary embodiments of assembly 1250 are further described in Section 18 with respect to the power and control distribution assembly (PCDA) 1250 in Figures 21A–21G.

[0190] Figure 12B is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a routing circuit 1200, which consists of a solid-state (or semiconductor) relay (SSR) circuit 1221 and is configured to provide DC charging capability and single-phase AC charging capability via connector 1202, in addition to three-phase AC charging via three-phase lines 1111 and connector 1102. Connector 1202 is either connected to a single-phase charging cable which can be connected to a single-phase charging source, or connected to a DC charging cable which can be connected to a DC charging source. The routing circuit 1200 has I / O ports 1201-1 and 1201-2 connected to connector 1202, and I / O ports 1204-PA, 1204-PB, and 1204-PC which can be connected to charging lines 1111 for each phase PA, PB, and PC. As shown in Figure 12H, the routing circuit 1200 also includes an energy buffer 204, in this case a capacitor C, to dampen high-frequency fluctuations of the DC charging signal and the single-phase AC charging signal. RCIt is possible to configure it to have the following: For DC charging and single-phase AC charging, the routing circuit 1200 can be controlled to selectively output each of the charging signals on input 1201 (either DC+ and DC- signals, or AC(L) charging signals and AC(N) charging signals) to one or more of three different outputs 1204. The routing circuit 1200 also includes one or more I / O ports 1206-1 to 1206-4 for control signals CS1 to CS4, respectively, which control the routing of each input 1201 to each output 1204. Control signals CS1 to CS4 can be generated and provided by the control system 102 via control lines (not shown).

[0191] The use of SSRs isolates the energy system 100 from the DC or AC charger, meaning that additional isolation circuits in the charger (e.g., high-frequency transformers and inverters) can be completely eliminated or omitted. This simplifies the implementation of the charger and substantially reduces costs. In this embodiment, there are four SSR circuits, indicated as 1221-1, 1221-2, 1221-3, and 1221-4, each having control ports 1206-1, 1206-2, 1206-3, and 1206-4, respectively. Each SSR circuit 1221 can be selectively made bidirectionally conductive (closed) or non-conductive (open) by applying control signals (CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS4, respectively) from the control system 102 to the control ports 1206-1, 1206-2, 1206-3, and 1206-4. For single-phase AC charging, the routing circuit 1200 can selectively output the AC(L) signal and AC(N) signal, respectively, at IO ports 1201-1 and 1201-2 to one or more of three different IO ports 1204-PA, 1204-PB, and 1204-PC, each connected to a different phase line 1111 from the three-phase charging connector 1102, and these phase lines 1111 are connected to different phase lines of the AC bus 410. The AC(L) signal and AC(N) signal are then routed to the respective phase inputs IO1, IO2, and IO3 of the primary converter 420, which are converted to DC of an appropriate DC voltage for charging the primary subsystem 1000 via arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC, and for charging the auxiliary subsystem 2000 via the DC bus 415. For DC charging, the routing circuit 1200 can selectively output each of the DC+ and DC- signals at input 1201 to one or more of the three I / O ports 1204 for supplying the primary subsystem 1000 and the array 700 of the primary converter 420. The DC+ and DC- signals pass through the rectifier of the primary converter 420, are boosted or stepped down to the appropriate DC voltage, and then placed on the DC bus 415 for supply to the auxiliary subsystem 2000.Selective routing is controlled by control signals CS1 to CS4 supplied by the control system 102 and applied to one or more control ports 1206-1 to 1206-4.

[0192] An exemplary embodiment of the SSR circuit 1221 is described with reference to the schematic diagrams of FIGS. 12C, 12D, and 12E. In FIG. 12C, the SSR circuit 1221 is a triac that can be controlled by a control signal input to the control port 1206. When the triac is enabled by the control signal, the triac is placed in a closed state, and current can pass through the triac bidirectionally. When not enabled, no current passes through the triac. Alternatively, the SSR circuit 1221 can be a thyristor and implemented in a unidirectional manner. In this case, the thyristor can provide DC charging due to its unidirectionality, but cannot provide single-phase AC charging. Nevertheless, thyristors may be advantageous in facilitating cost reduction over triacs.

[0193] In FIG. 12D, the SSR circuit 1221 includes two insulated gate bipolar (IGBT) transistors Q1 and Q2 connected in series, with their emitter nodes connected together, and their collector nodes forming input / output ports to the circuit 1221. Each IGBT has a body diode (D1, D2) oriented in the opposite current-carrying direction to block passing current when Q1 and Q2 are inactive. Application of a control signal to port 1206 biases the gate nodes of transistors Q1 and Q2 to activate the IGBTs and allow current to flow through circuit 1221 in a closed state, or deactivate the IGBTs to block current from flowing through circuit 1221 in an open state. Instead of IGBTs, other semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs or GaN devices can be used.

[0194] In Figure 12E, the SSR circuit 1221 includes an IGBT transistor Q3 and a bridge diode circuit having four diodes D3, D4, D5, and D6. Q3 is positioned within the bridge diode circuit such that when Q3 is activated by the application of a control signal to port 1206, current can flow through the SSR circuit 1221. For example, when Q3 is deactivated, the circuit 1221 is open and no current can flow. When Q3 is activated, the circuit 1221 is closed and current can flow from left to right through D3, Q3, and D6, and from right to left through D5, Q3, and D4. Any combination of the embodiments of the SSR circuit 1221 in Figures 12C-12E can be used in embodiments of the routing circuit 1200 described herein. Other SSR circuit designs can also be used.

[0195] Using the routing circuit 1200, DC charging and single-phase AC charging of the primary subsystem 1000 and auxiliary subsystem 2000 of system 100 are described below. In particular, the control system 102 receives the corresponding charging signals from the external charging source (either DC+ and DC- signals, or AC(L) and AC(N) signals) from each pair of nodes on the AC bus 410, for example, N PA and N PB , N PA and N PC , or N PB and N PC The routing circuit 1200 operates the SSR circuit 1221 to isolate pairs of arrays 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 so that they are routed to the primary subsystem 1000. The primary subsystem 1000 receives a charging signal from the AC bus 410 at a specific pair of arrays 700 used to charge the modules 108 of the arrays 700. Similarly, the primary converter 420 receives a charging signal from the AC bus 410 at corresponding phase port pairs, for example, IO1 and IO2, IO1 and IO3, or IO2 and IO3, used to charge the auxiliary subsystem 2000.

[0196] To charge the auxiliary subsystem 2000 simultaneously with the primary subsystem 1000, the control system 102 controls the primary converter 420 to convert an externally supplied charging signal received from the AC bus 410 into a DC charging signal (e.g., boosted or bucked) output on the DC bus 415 via ports IO4 and IO5. Using the embodiment of the primary converter 420A in Figure 11H as an example, when DC+ and DC- signals are received at ports IO1 and IO2, the control system 102 can turn on switches S1 and S4 and turn off switches S2, S3, and S7 so that the DC+ and DC- signals are placed on ports IO4 and IO5. Alternatively, the control system 102 can control switch S7 to boost the DC charging signal. As another example, when AC(L) and AC(N) charging signals are received at ports IO1 and IO2, the control system 102 can apply control signals to switches S1 to S4 to rectify the AC signals to DC signals, and then boost the DC signals through appropriate control of switch S7 and output them at ports IO4 and IO5. A similar procedure is applied when charging signals are received by the primary converter 420A at different port pairs, for example, IO1 and IO3, or IO2 and IO3.

[0197] During the charging phase, each of the switches 1108 can be transitioned to charging position 2, or alternatively, only the switches 1108 associated with the array 700 to be charged can be switched to position 2, while the switches 1108 of any array 700 that are not being charged remain in position 1. Therefore, some switching operation of the switches 1108 may be necessary during the charging phase.

[0198] DC charging example 1: To DC charge modules 108 of arrays 700-PA and 700-PB (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 connected in parallel), the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-3 by applying control signals CS1 and CS3, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-4 by applying control signals CS2 and CS4, respectively. Current flows from port 1201-1 through circuit 1221-1 to IO port 1204-PA, which is connected to PA line 1111 from the three-phase charging connector 1102. Current bypasses the primary load 101, passes through switch 1108-PA, and passes through array 700-PA. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PA can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-1 (for example, switch S7 of sections 604-PA and 604-PB, or switch S8 of sections 604-PA and 604-PB, as shown in relation to Figure 10E) and through array 700-PB, and can also selectively charge each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PB in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PB, enters routing circuit 1200 via IO port 1204-PB, then passes through circuit 1221-3 and exits through DC port 1201-2.

[0199] DC charging example 2: To DC charge modules 108 (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2) of arrays 700-PB and 700-PC, the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-4 by applying control signals CS2 and CS4, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-3 by applying control signals CS1 and CS3, respectively. Current flows from DC+ port 1201-1 through circuit 1221-2 to IO port 1204-PB, which is connected to PB line 1111 from three-phase charging connector 1102. Current bypasses primary load 101, passes through switch 1108-PB, and passes through array 700-PB. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PB can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-1, then through module 108IC-2 (for example, using switches S7 together or S8 together in parts 604-PB and 604-PC in Figure 10E), then through array 700-PC, and it is also possible to selectively charge each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PC in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PC, enters routing circuit 1200 through IO port 1204-PC, then passes through circuit 1221-4, and exits DC port 1201-2.

[0200] DC charging example 3: To DC charge modules 108 (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2) of arrays 700-PA and 700-PC, the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-4 by control signals CS1 and CS4, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-3 by control signals CS2 and CS3, respectively. Current flows from DC+ port 1201-1 through circuit 1221-1 to IO port 1204-PA. The current bypasses the primary load 101, passes through switch 1108-PA, and then through array 700-PA. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PA can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-1, then through module 108IC-2 (for example, using switches S7 or S8 together on parts 604-PA and 604-PC in Figure 10E), then through array 700-PC, and can selectively charge each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PC in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PC, enters routing circuit 1200 through IO port 1204-PC, then passes through circuit 1221-4, and exits through DC port 1201-2.

[0201] In each of the three DC charging examples described above, interconnect modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 can charge the energy source(s) 206 of these interconnect modules by routing the input current from the array 700 through the source(s) 206 by an appropriate combination of switches in sections 604-PA, 604-PB, and 604-PC before outputting current from module 108IC. In embodiments including an auxiliary converter 430, the energy source(s) 206 may also receive (or output) from the DC bus 415 during charging, in which case modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 can combine the received current using an appropriate combination of switches in sections 604-PA, 604-PB, and 604-PC, and / or appropriate control of the auxiliary converter 430.

[0202] The three DC charging examples described above can also be cycled to effectively implement DC pulse charging of the array 700 of the primary subsystem 1000, so that the module converter 202 does not require individual switching to enable pulse charging. In these cases, the converter 202 can connect the energy source(s) 206 of each module 108 of the array 700 so that the charging source voltage is divided among modules 108-1 to 108-N, and thus each module 108 of the array 700 exhibits the same effective DC charging signal in pulse form. Furthermore, the control system 102 can bypass any (passive) energy buffers 204 that may be implemented on the modules 108 of the array 700 to prevent smoothing or blunting of the pulse DC charging signal (e.g., using the active energy buffer 204 in Figures 5D to 5I).

[0203] For example, to implement DC pulse charging with a 66% duty cycle for a pulse period of 1.5 milliseconds, the control system 102 may perform the following steps: (i) the control system 102 routes the DC+ charge signal and DC- charge signal to arrays 700-PA and 700-PB for 1 millisecond (see DC charging example 1); (ii) the control system 102 swaps the DC+ charge signal and DC- charge signal to arrays 700-PB and 700-PC for 1 millisecond (see DC charging example 2); and (iii) the control system 102 then swaps the DC+ charge signal and DC- charge signal to arrays 700-PA and 700-PC for 1 millisecond (see DC charging example 3). The control system 102 may repeat this procedure until each array 700 is properly charged and the charging port 1202 is still drawing continuous (or nearly continuous) current. Furthermore, the control system 102 can simultaneously cycle the switching of the primary converter 420 on the same duty cycle so that the DC+ charging signal and the DC- charging signal are continuously placed on the DC bus 415. In these charging embodiments and other charging embodiments, a routing circuit 1200 (e.g., Figure 12H) configured to have an internal energy buffer 204 can be used to attenuate current fluctuations that may occur due to the cyclic switching of the SSR circuit 1221. This further stabilizes the current draw from the charging port 1202.

[0204] While an example of DC pulse charging bypassing the energy buffer 204 of module 108 has been described above, in other embodiments, the energy buffer 204 may also function during DC pulse charging. In these cases, the control system 102 may maintain the connection of the energy buffer 204 of one or more modules 108 (e.g., Figures 5A-5C), change the connection (e.g., Figures 5D-5I), and / or change the filter parameters (e.g., Figures 5H-5J) during DC pulse charging. This can enable several other desirable effects. For example, the control system 102 may actively control the filter parameters of the energy buffer 204 to intentionally cause smoothing and blunting of the pulse DC charging signal, providing a charging profile similar to a sine wave. As another example, if a particular module 108's energy source(s) 206 has a high SOC, the control system 102 may reconnect the disconnected energy buffer 204 to approach constant DC charging.

[0205] When the AC signal is positive, single-phase AC charging can be performed in the same manner as described above for the DC charging example, with the SSR circuit 1221 in the same state. When the single-phase AC charging signal is in the negative half of the cycle, the current flows in the opposite direction.

[0206] AC charging example 1: To charge the modules 108 (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2) of arrays 700-PA and 700-PB when the AC signal is negative, the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-3 by applying control signals CS1 and CS3, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-4 by applying control signals CS2 and CS4, respectively. Current flows from AC(N) port 1201-2 through circuit 1221-3 to IO port 1204-PB, bypasses the primary load 101 from IO port 1204-PB, passes through switch 1108-PB, and then through array 700-PB. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PB can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-1 (for example, using switches S7 together or S8 together in parts 604-PA and 604-PB of Figure 10E), through array 700-PA, and can selectively charge each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PA in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PA, enters routing circuit 1200 via IO port 1204-PA, then passes through circuit 1221-1, and exits through AC line (L) port 1201-1.

[0207] AC charging example 2: To charge the modules 108 (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2) of arrays 700-PB and 700-PC when the AC signal is negative, the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-4 by control signals CS2 and CS4, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-3 by control signals CS1 and CS3, respectively. Current flows from AC(N) port 1201-2 through circuit 1221-4 to IO port 1204-PC, bypasses the primary load 101, passes through switch 1108-PC, and then through array 700-PC. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PC can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-2, then through module 108IC-2 (for example, using switches S7 together or S8 together on parts 604-PB and 604-PC in Figure 10E), then through array 700-PB, and can selectively charge each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PB in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PB, enters routing circuit 1200 through IO port 1204-PB, then passes through circuit 1221-2, and exits through AC(L) port 1201-1.

[0208] AC charging example 3: To charge modules 108 (including modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2) of arrays 700-PA and 700-PC when the AC signal is negative, the control system 102 conducts circuits 1221-1 and 1221-4 by control signals CS1 and CS4, respectively, and deconducts circuits 1221-2 and 1221-3 by control signals CS2 and CS3, respectively. Current flows from AC(N) port 1201-2 through circuit 1221-4 to IO port 1204-PC. The current bypasses the primary load 101, passes through switch 1108-PC, and passes through array 700-PA. Each module 108-1 to 108-N of array 700-PC can be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed mode, as described in Section 3. The current passes through module 108IC-2, then through module 108IC-1 (for example, using switches S7 together or S8 together on parts 604-PA and 604-PC in Figure 10E), then through array 700-PA, and each module 108-1 to 108-N in array 700-PA can also be selectively charged in continuous or pulsed form, considering the opposite current direction. The current passes through switch 1108-PA, enters routing circuit 1200 through IO port 1204-PA, then passes through circuit 1221-1, and exits through AC(L) port 1201-1.

[0209] Figure 12F is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of system 100, similar to the system in Figure 12A, except that it has three conductive I / O shared charging ports 1102 / 1202 for use with DC charging, single-phase AC charging, and three-phase AC charging. Figure 12G is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of routing circuit 1200 configured for use with the shared charging ports 1102 / 1202 shown in Figure 12F. Here, SSR circuit 1221-4 is coupled between the charger side of circuit 1221-1 and the charger side of 1221-2, and SSR circuit 1221-5 is coupled between the charger side of circuit 1221-2 and the charger side of 1221-3. To perform three-phase charging, SSR circuits 1221-1, 1221-2, and 1221-3 are closed and SSR circuits 1221-4 and 1221-5 are opened. To perform DC charging and single-phase AC charging of arrays 700-PA and 700-PB, close circuits 1221-1, 1221-3, and 1221-5 and open circuits 1221-2 and 1221-4. To perform DC charging and single-phase AC charging of arrays 700-PB and 700-PC, close circuits 1221-1, 1221-3, and 1221-4 and open circuits 1221-2 and 1221-5. To perform DC charging and single-phase AC charging of arrays 700-PA and 700-PC, close circuits 1221-1 and 1221-3 and open circuits 1221-2, 1221-4, and 1221-5.

[0210] The use of the TCP switch 1108 for the energy system 100, as shown in Figures 11A, 12A, and 12F, results in the automatic disconnection and isolation of the charging connectors 1102 and 1202 when the TCP switch 1108 is in the discharge position 1. Similarly, the primary load 101 is automatically disconnected and isolated from the AC bus 410 when the TCP switch 1108 is in the charging position 2. When using the on / off switch 1108, as in the embodiment of Figure 11B, the primary load 101 is disconnected from the AC bus 410 when the on / off switch 1108 is open in the charging state. The charging connectors 1102, 1202 remain connected when the switch 1108 is closed and the primary load 101 is connected to the AC bus 410 for the discharge state. Figures 13A to 13D show an exemplary embodiment that uses an on / off switch 1108 to selectively disconnect the charging connectors 1102 and 1202 while the primary load 101 is connected to the AC bus 410 and the primary subsystem 1000 is in a discharge state.

[0211] Figure 13A is a block diagram of system 100, which, like the system in Figure 11B, has an on / off switch 1108, but is configured to have a routing circuit 1200 that allows DC charging and / or single-phase AC charging in addition to multi-phase AC charging while bypassing the primary load 101. The conductors of connectors 1102 and 1202 are in a shared configuration 1102 / 1202. As with the embodiments in Figures 12A and 12F, in this embodiment the on / off switch 1108 can be located within an integrated switch assembly device 1250. The embodiment in Figure 13A can be used with a routing circuit 1200 configured as shown in Figure 12G.

[0212] Figure 13B is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 13A, except for separate charging connectors 1102 and 1202. The embodiment in Figure 13B can be used with a routing circuit 1200 configured as described with respect to Figure 13C, which is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the routing circuit 1200, similar to the embodiment in Figure 12B, but with additional SSR circuits 1221-5, 1221-6, and 1221-7 (collectively referred to as switches 1331) configured to selectively disconnect lines 1111-PA, 1111-PB, and 1111-PC connected between the respective AC bus lines 410-PA, 410-PB, and 410-PC and connector 1102. The switches 1331 can alternatively be electromechanical relays. Each of the switches 1331 can be controlled by a control signal received at IO port 1206. (Control connections are not shown.) The control system 102 can generate control signals and output them to switch 1331. The on / off switch 1108 is configured to be in the closed position by default to keep the primary load 101 connected to the system 100, while the switch 1331 is configured to be in the open position by default to keep the charging connectors 1102 and 1202 disconnected from the system 100. For three-phase AC charging, switch 1331 is in the closed position, while SSR circuits 1221-1, 1221-2, 1221-3, and 1221-4 are in the open position. For DC charging and single-phase AC charging, switch 1331 is in the open position, and SSR circuits 1221-1 to 1221-4 can operate as in the embodiment described with respect to Figure 12B.

[0213] Figure 13D is similar to Figure 13B, but the switch 1331 has been moved from the routing circuit 1200 to the switch assembly 1250 (as shown in Figure 13C), and is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment. Within the switch assembly 1250, the switch 1331 can be an SSR circuit 1221, an electromechanical relay, or something else.

[0214] Using various approaches, each pair of arrays 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 can be charged while simultaneously charging the auxiliary subsystem 2000. In one exemplary embodiment, when charging arrays 700-PA and 700-PB, charging can be performed until both arrays 700-PA and 700-PB reach a first threshold (e.g., 40% to 50%). Then, when charging arrays 700-PB and 700-PC, charging can be performed until array 700-PB reaches a second higher threshold (e.g., 80% to 100%) and array 700-PC reaches the first threshold (e.g., 40% to 50%). Then, when charging arrays 700-PA and 700-PC, charging can be performed until both arrays 700-PA and 700-PC reach a second threshold (e.g., 80% to 100%). In another exemplary embodiment, the routing circuit 1200, switch 1108, and module 108 of each array 700 can be controlled and cycled to charge all arrays 700 relatively simultaneously (for example, the array 700-PA module is charged by 1 percent or a few percent, then the array 700-PB module is charged by 1 percent or a few percent, then the array 700-PC module is charged by 1 percent or a few percent, and this process can be repeated until all modules are fully charged). As described above, if the routing circuit 1200 cycles rapidly during DC charging, the arrays 700 can be effectively charged with DC pulse charging. With single-phase AC charging, the switching can be performed rapidly so that each array 700-PA to 700-PC is charged at least once during the positive half of the cycle and again at least once during the negative half of the cycle.

[0215] Section 10: Exemplary Embodiments for Charging an Energy System via a Motor The energy system 100 can also be configured to charge the primary subsystem 1000 through the motor 1100 so that the adaptive routing circuit 1200 is not required. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the energy system 100, similar to the energy system of Figure 11A, but with a dual DC and single-phase AC charging connector 2002 which can be integrated with a three-phase charging connector 1102 in a single user-accessible location, or can be located in a different location separate from a user-accessible location (e.g., on an EV). The dual connector 2002 is connected to a first line 2004-1, which is connected to a phase port of the motor 1100, which in this embodiment is a PC and TCP switch 1108-PC. The connector 2002 is connected to a second line 2004-2, which is connected to a system output port SIO4 of the primary subsystem 1000. System output port SIO4 can be module output port 2 of interconnect module 108IC-2 connected to array 700-PC, or output port 2 of module 108-N of array 700-PC if no IC module is present. Connector 2002 can be connected to positive and negative DC leads for DC charging, or AC(L) and AC(N) leads for single-phase AC charging, in this example these leads are connected to lines 2004-1 and 2004-2, respectively. Other connections can also be implemented.

[0216] Furthermore, DC charging and single-phase AC charging can be performed so that one, two, or all three of the array 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 are charged simultaneously. DC charging and AC charging can be performed in a manner that aims to balance the temperature differences between the modules 108 of the array 700 as described in Section 2, and to reach a balanced SOC across all modules 108 (as also described in Section 2). AC charging is performed to maintain a power factor of 1 or near 1. In all cases, if a measurable current passes through the coils or windings of the motor 1100 and a magnetic flux is generated, the sensors of the energy system 100 (e.g., monitoring circuits 208 and 1110) detect this current, and the control system 102 controls the switching of each module 108 so that the magnitude and phase of all magnetic fluxes passing through all windings cancel each other out or neutralize each other, or so that any fluctuation in magnetic flux is below a threshold and insufficient to rotate the motor 1100.

[0217] In the embodiment described with reference to Figure 14 below, it should be noted that the control system 102 can bypass the primary converter 420 (and the auxiliary converter 430, if present) via the dual connector 2002 during DC charging and single-phase AC charging of the primary subsystem 1000. This effectively isolates the DC bus 415 from the AC bus 410 and DC buses 1131 and 1132, allowing the auxiliary subsystem 2000 to operate continuously on the DC bus 415. Since the DC-charge signal or AC(N) charge signal is provided at the (virtual) zero potential of the primary subsystem 1000 at the system output port SIO4, the DC+ signal or AC(L) signal is generally not suitable for charging the auxiliary subsystem 2000. However, with respect to the three-phase charging of the energy system 100 via the three-phase charging connector 1102, the control system 102 can control the primary converter 420 (and the auxiliary converter 430, if present) to charge the primary subsystem 1000 and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 simultaneously, similar to the control system as described above in Figures 11A and 11B.

[0218] Section 11: Sequential DC charging of each array via motor To charge the array 700-PA, TCP switch 1108-PA is set to position 1 for connecting the array 700-PA to the motor 1100. TCP switches 1108-PB and 1108-PC are set to position 2 or held therein. When the DC charging voltage is applied, current enters the DC+ port of connector 2002, passes through line 2004-1 to the motor 1100, and in the motor 1100, the current passes through the PC and PA windings of the motor 1100. The current exits the motor 1100 and connects to TCP switch 1108-PA and to node N of AC bus 410. PAThe current then passes through the monitor circuit 1110-PA located above. The current then passes through array 700-PA, where each module 108-1 to 108-N can be individually charged by switching their respective transducers 202 according to the techniques described in sections 3 and 5. The charging current for interconnected modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 charges the energy sources 206 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 (in parallel as shown in Figure 10E) at S7 of switch section 604-PA, and can exit module 108IC-2 through module IO port 2, which can be located along the rail (node ​​of IO port 6) as shown in Figure 10E, or between S7 and S8 of an additional switch section 604. The current then exits the energy system 100 through the DC port of connector 2002.

[0219] To charge array 700-PB, TCP switch 1108-PB is set to position 1 for connecting array 700-PB to motor 1100. TCP switches 1108-PA and 1108-PC are set to position 2 or held. Current flows from the DC+ port of connector 2002 through line 2004-1 to motor 1100, and then through the PC and PB windings of motor 1100. The current then flows to node N of AC bus 410. PBThe current passes through the TCP switch 1108-PB and monitor circuit 1110-PB located above. The current then passes through array 700-PB, where each module 108-1 to 108-N can be individually switched by switching their respective transducers 202 according to the techniques described in sections 3 and 5. The charging current for modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 charges the charging source 206 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 (in parallel as shown in Figure 10E) through switch section 604-PB, can exit module 108IC-2 through module IO port 2, and exits the energy system 100 through the DC port of connector 2002.

[0220] To charge the array 700-PC, TCP switch 1108-PC is placed in position 1 to connect the array 700-PC to line 2004-1. Switches 1108-PA and 1108-PB are placed in or held in position 2. Current flows from the DC+ port of connector 2002 through line 2004-1, bypassing motor 1100, switch 1108-PC, and to node N of AC bus 410. PC The current then passes through the monitor circuit 1110-PC located above. The current then passes through the array 700-PC, where each module 108-1 to 108-N can be charged individually by switching their respective transducers 202 according to the techniques described in sections 3 and 5. The charging current for modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 passes through the charging sources 206 of modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 (in parallel as shown in Figure 10E) via switch section 604-PC S7, exits module 108IC-2 through module IO port 2, and exits system 100 through the DC port of connector 2002. To stop the charging source 206 of module 108IC, the current can be directed directly to port 2 of module 108IC-2 by activating the associated switch section 604 S8.

[0221] Section 12: Simultaneous DC charging of two or more arrays via motors To simultaneously charge two or more of the arrays 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 with the DC charging signal provided in connector 2002, the TCP switches 1108 connected to the arrays 700 being charged are then set to position 1 or held, and the TCP switches 1108 connected to any array 700 that are not being charged are then set to position 2 or held. To stop the charging source 206 of module 108 IC, then S8 of each switch portion 604 of the charged array 700 can be activated, or the switch portions 604 of the charged array 700 can be modulated with a 50-50 duty cycle. The current through the charged array 700 is regulated by module 108 to charge the energy source 206 of module 108 while maintaining the cancellation of the magnetic flux through motor 1100 and balancing one or more operating characteristics of module 108 (e.g., temperature and SOC) according to the techniques described in Section 2.

[0222] Section 13: Simultaneous single-phase AC charging of all arrays via motors To simultaneously charge all of the array 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 with a single-phase AC signal provided in connector 2002, the TCP switch 1108 is set to position 1 or held. Current from line 2004-1 is supplied to array 700-PA via the PC and PA windings of motor 1100, to array 700-PB via the PC and PB windings of motor 1100, and directly from line 2004-1 to array 700-PC (bypassing motor 1100). The current then passes through arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC, and through modules 108IC-1 and 108-IC2, respectively, and exits through IO port 2 of module 108IC-2. The current passing through array 700 is regulated by module 108, for example, by making the currents passing through windings PA and PB equal to the current passing through winding PC, thereby maintaining the cancellation of the magnetic flux passing through motor 1100 with all currents of the same phase, and thus neutralizing the magnetic flux. The energy source 206 of module 108 can be charged while balancing one or more operating characteristics of module 108 (e.g., temperature and SOC) according to the techniques described in Section 2.

[0223] Section 14: Simultaneous single-phase AC charging of each array (or subset of arrays) via motors A single-phase AC signal provided in connector 2002 charges one or a subset of the arrays 700 of the primary subsystem 1000. The TCP switch 1108 corresponding to the array 700 being charged is set to position 1 or held, while the other TCP switch 1108 is set to position 2 or held. Current from line 2004-1 is supplied to the array(s) 700 either through the windings of motor 1100 or, if array 700-PC is being charged, by bypassing motor 1100. The current then passes through the charged array(s) 700 and modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 and exits through IO port 2 of module 108IC-2. The current through the charged array(s) 700 is regulated by module 108 to maintain the cancellation of the magnetic flux through motor 1100, which is relatively straightforward when only two windings (e.g., PA and PC, PB and PC, or PA and PB) are used. The energy source 206 of module 108 can be charged while balancing one or more operating characteristics of module 108 (e.g., temperature and SOC) according to the techniques described in Section 2.

[0224] In the aforementioned embodiment of charging the energy system 100, both when bypassing the primary load 101 (e.g., a motor) and when charging via the motor 1100, the switch 1108 is switched to a position that allows current flow through one or more arrays 700 of the primary subsystem 1000 being charged, and prevents current flow through any uncharged array 700. Alternatively, all switches 1108 can be positioned to allow current flow through uncharged arrays 700, and the current flow can be regulated using the module 108 of that array 700 and any interconnection module(s) 108IC coupled to that array 700. Some current flow through uncharged arrays 700 may be desired, for example, to help neutralize the magnetic flux in the motor.

[0225] Section 15: Charging of Delta and Series Topologies The charging subject matter described herein can be used with topologies having a delta-series arrangement of module 108, as described with respect to Figures 7D and 7E. Figure 15A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system 100 having a primary subsystem 1000, which has a delta-series arrangement similar to that of Figure 7E, but with the addition of interconnection modules 108IC-1 and 108IC-2 supplying LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, and a DC bus 1131 connected to an auxiliary converter 430. This embodiment is configured for three-phase charging through connector 1102, or DC charging or single-phase AC charging through connector 1202. Three-phase charging of the primary subsystem 1000 and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 can be performed directly from the three-phase charging connector 1102. For DC charging and single-phase AC charging of the primary subsystem 1000, since arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC are interconnected by line 1211, the DC+ and AC(L) currents from line 1211-1 can be directly input to module 108-1 of array 700-PC and module 108-(M) of array 700-PB, and from there circulated to the remaining modules 108 of the primary subsystem 1000. Currents from DC charging and single-phase AC charging can exit through module 108IC-2 and line 1211-2. Similar to the embodiment described with reference to Figure 14 above, during DC charging and single-phase AC charging of the primary subsystem 1000, the control system 102 can bypass the primary converter 420 (and auxiliary converter 430, if present) so that the DC bus 415 is isolated and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 can operate continuously.

[0226] Figure 15B is a block diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of the energy system 100, having a similar arrangement to that of Figure 15A, but with a routing circuit 1200 coupled between the dual charging connector 1202 and the three-phase charging line 1111. In this embodiment, the routing circuit 1200 may be configured according to Figure 13C. This delta-series topology can be charged using any of three-phase, single-phase, or DC charging sources, as described throughout sections 8-15.

[0227] Section 16: Additional Exemplary Embodiments for Charging and Discharging Energy Systems Figure 16A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system 100 having multiple primary subsystems 1000-1, 1000-2, and 1000-3 for supplying power to three respective primary loads 101-1, 102-1, and 101-3 (e.g., the motors of an EV) via their respective AC buses 410-1, 410-2, and 410-3. The energy system 100 also includes two auxiliary subsystems 2000-1 and 2000-2 for supplying power to two respective HV auxiliary loads 303-1 and 303-2 (e.g., the HVAC and on-board electrical systems of an EV) via their respective DC buses 415-1 and 415-2. The primary subsystems 1000 can be configured according to Figure 16C, which shows an exemplary embodiment of a modular energy system. The auxiliary subsystems 2000 can be configured according to Figures 11E-11G, as described in Section 8. Each of subsystems 1000 and 2000 can be configured as a separate battery pack, housed in a common enclosure and having its own dedicated thermal management system (see, for example, Figures 22A–24J, as described in Section 20). Each array 700 of primary subsystem 1000 may have a different number of modules 108 and / or modules 108 with different characteristics to accommodate different voltage demands of loads 101. For example, modules 108 may use different battery types with different nominal voltages or may use multiple energy sources 206. In certain other embodiments, the number and characteristics of modules 108 may be consistent across primary subsystems 1000.

[0228] As shown in Figure 16C, an interconnection module 108IC exists for each primary subsystem 1000. Each interconnection module 108IC includes three switch sections 604 connected to three different arrays 700 of each primary subsystem 1000 in the array. In this embodiment, each primary subsystem 1000 can be under the control of a separate control system 102 that interacts with the associated loads 101, primary transducers 420, and auxiliary transducers 430 (if present) of that subsystem 1000. The module 108IC is interconnected to provide power to LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 via DC buses 1131 and 1132. In an alternative embodiment, each module 108IC can be coupled to at least two different primary subsystems 1000. In this alternative embodiment, the components of system 100 can be under the control of a common control system 102, which is configured to coordinate with a controller for all three loads 101, collect status information for each primary subsystem 1000, control each primary transducer 420 and auxiliary transducer 430, and perform inter-array balancing between primary subsystems 1000 via an interconnection module 108 IC.

[0229] More specifically, primary subsystem 1000-1 is coupled to auxiliary subsystem 1000-1 via primary converter 420-1, which enables primary subsystem 1000-1 to supply current and power to HV auxiliary load 303-1 from three-phase outputs PA, PB, and PC via DC bus 415-1. DC bus 415-1 is also connected to DC bus 1131 by auxiliary converter 430, which enables DC current and DC power to be transmitted between auxiliary subsystem 2000-1 and the interconnection module 108IC for all three primary subsystems 1000. Similarly, primary subsystem 1000-3 is coupled to auxiliary subsystem 2000-2 via primary converter 420-2, which enables primary subsystem 1000-3 to supply current and power to HV auxiliary load 303-2 from three-phase outputs PG, PH, and PI via DC bus 415-2. It should be noted that auxiliary subsystems 2000-1 and 2000-2 may be configured to output different DC voltages on their respective DC buses 415-1 and 415-2. For example, HV auxiliary load 303-1 may have higher voltage, current, and / or power demands than HV auxiliary load 303-2, and is therefore configured to receive auxiliary power from interconnect module 108IC. In this case, primary subsystem 1000-2 is not coupled to auxiliary subsystem 2000 by primary converter 420, and therefore supplies only three-phase power to load 102-2. In this case, load 101-2 may have higher voltage, current, and / or power demands than loads 101-1 and 101-3, and therefore has its own dedicated primary subsystem 1000-2. For example, loads 101-1 and 101-3 may be motors associated with the front wheels of the EV, and load 101-2 may be motors associated with the two rear wheels of the EV.

[0230] In Figure 16A, line 1111 is connected to TCP switch 1108 in switch assemblies 1250-1, 1250-2, and 1250-3, which selectively connect loads 101-1, 101-2, and 101-3 to the corresponding AC buses 410-1, 410-2, and 420-3, respectively. One, two, or all three switch assemblies 1250 can also be configured to have on / off switches similar to those in Figure 13A for selectively connecting load 101 to AC bus 410. In these cases, one or more of the switch assemblies 1250 may also include an additional set of on / off switches (e.g., switch 1331 in Figure 13D) for selectively connecting line 1111 to one or more of the AC buses 410. Connectors 1102 / 1202 can be shared as shown in Figure 16A, and the routing circuit 1200 can be configured according to Figure 12G. Alternatively, connectors 1102 / 1202 can be separate and isolated connectors 1102 and 1202 having at least five charging conductors, and the routing circuit 1200 can be configured according to Figures 12B, 12H, or 13C. The switch assembly 1250 can selectively connect each AC bus 410 to line 1111, allowing each primary subsystem 1000 and its associated auxiliary subsystem 2000 to be sequentially charged via DC charging signals, single-phase AC charging signals, or three-phase AC charging signals routed to the respective AC bus 410 of these subsystems via the routing circuit 1200. In some cases, the primary subsystem 1000 and all two or three of the primary subsystems 1000 and their associated auxiliary subsystems 2000 can be charged in parallel.

[0231] Figure 16B shows another exemplary embodiment of the energy system 100, including three primary subsystems 1000-1, 1000-2, and 1000-3. This embodiment is configured similarly to the embodiment in Figure 16A, except that the primary subsystem 1000 outputs three-phase AC power in parallel onto a common AC bus 410 to supply a shared primary load 101. For example, the primary load 101 could be an HV motor of an EV with relatively high power demands, e.g., an electric bus or other large EV. A primary converter 420 is coupled between the AC bus 410 and the DC bus 415 to supply auxiliary power to an HV auxiliary load 303 (e.g., an HVAC system for an electric bus or other large EV) and / or charge the auxiliary subsystem 2000. A switch assembly 1250 is configured to connect or disconnect the primary load 101 to or from the AC bus 410 and includes on / off switches 1108 for each phase PA, PB, and PC of the AC bus 410. The routing circuit 1200 routes DC charging signals, single-phase charging signals, or three-phase charging signals from the charging connectors 1102 / 1202, which can be coupled to the AC bus 410 and used by the primary subsystem 1000 for parallel charging and / or converted to DC charging signals by the primary converter 420 for charging the auxiliary subsystem 2000. Similar to the embodiment in Figure 16A, the connectors 1102 / 1202 can be shared as shown in Figure 16B, and the routing circuit 1200 can be configured according to Figure 12G. Alternatively, the connectors 1102 / 1202 can be separate and isolated connectors 1102 and 1202 having at least five charging conductors, and the routing circuit 1200 can be configured according to Figures 12B, 12H, or 13C.

[0232] The energy system 100 has a highly scalable and adaptable configuration that enables numerous different implementations for powering applications with a wide range of voltage requirements and load amounts. Voltage requirements can vary from low-voltage applications of several hundred watts (e.g., electric scooters) to high-voltage industrial applications of megawatts or more (e.g., power grids, nuclear fusion research). The number of loads can vary, and these loads can be powered by multiple primary subsystems 1000 and auxiliary subsystems 2000, which are interconnected under the control of a common control system 102 (or, in some cases, multiple separate control systems) by one or more primary transducers 420, one or more interconnection modules 108IC, and one or more auxiliary transducers 430. The scalability and adaptability of system 100 apply to both stationary and mobile applications. For ease of explanation, many of the embodiments described herein relate to, but are not limited to, various embodiments of mobile applications, particularly electric vehicles.

[0233] Exemplary embodiments can be used with an electric vehicle (EV) having a single motor, one or more associated primary subsystems 1000 (e.g., modular battery packs), and one or more auxiliary subsystems 2000 (e.g., conventional battery packs). Exemplary embodiments of system 100 can also be used with an EV having two or more motors associated with a single primary subsystem 1000, or two or more motors, each having one or more primary subsystems 1000 associated with a motor. Such embodiments of system 100 may include one or more auxiliary subsystems 2000 coupled to the primary subsystem 1000 by one or more primary converters 420 to provide robust power management to the primary load 101 and the HV auxiliary load 303. The motor can be an in-vehicle motor that transmits power to the wheels via a powertrain or drivetrain. Alternatively, the motor can be an in-wheel motor that directly drives wheel motion without a powertrain (or drivetrain). An EV may have in-wheel motors for all of the vehicle's wheels (e.g., two, three, four, five, six, or more) or in-wheel motors for only some of the vehicle's wheels. When multiple motors are present, combinations of approaches can be used, for example, in-wheel motors for the front wheels of the EV and in-body motors and powertrains for the rear wheels, or vice versa.

[0234] This subject provides the ability for different subsystems 1000 and 2000 to power primary and auxiliary loads having different voltage requirements. For example, a single four-wheel EV may have a first motor to drive the front wheels and a second motor to drive the rear wheels. The first motor may operate at a different voltage than the rear motor. Alternatively, the EV may have one motor for each front wheel and one motor for each rear wheel, with the front wheel motors having different voltage requirements than the rear wheel motors. Or, the EV may have one motor for the front wheels and two motors for the rear wheels, with the rear wheel motors having different voltage requirements than the front wheel motors. Furthermore, each wheel may have its own motor, with the front wheel motor having a different voltage requirement than the rear wheel motor. Such variable combinations also apply to multi-motor EVs having two, three, five, six, or more wheels. As another example, the (HV) auxiliary load 303 may have higher voltage requirements than another (LV) auxiliary load 301 and can be located on the DC bus 415, while the LV auxiliary load 301 can be managed by the interconnection module 108 IC, for example, via the DC bus 1131.

[0235] A motor with relatively low voltage requirements, e.g., a motor with a nominal line-to-line peak voltage of 300-400V, may have a primary subsystem 1000 with relatively fewer modules than a high-voltage application. Alternatively or additionally, each module may have a lower nominal voltage than those in a high-voltage application. For a similar effect, an HV auxiliary load 303 with lower voltage requirements than a high-voltage application may have an auxiliary subsystem 2000 with fewer energy sources and / or energy sources with lower nominal voltages. For example, a motor with relatively medium voltage requirements higher than low voltage requirements, e.g., a motor with a nominal line-to-line peak voltage of 400-700V, may have a primary subsystem 1000 with relatively more modules per array than a low-voltage primary subsystem 1000, and / or those modules may have the same or higher nominal voltages as those in a low-voltage application. By further example, a motor with a relatively high voltage requirement, such as a nominal line-to-line peak voltage of 700V-800V, which is higher than the low-voltage and / or medium-voltage requirements, may have a primary subsystem 1000 with relatively more modules per array than the low-voltage and medium-voltage primary subsystems 1000, and / or the nominal voltage of those modules may be relatively higher than the nominal voltage of the low-voltage or medium-voltage primary subsystems 1000. Naturally, all primary subsystems 1000 can be composed of the same number of modules, with only the nominal voltage of the modules varying, or all primary subsystems 1000 can have the same nominal voltage but be composed of modules with a different number of modules per array. Naturally, all auxiliary subsystems 2000 can be configured to have the same number of energy sources, with only the nominal voltage of the energy sources varying, or all auxiliary subsystems 2000 can have the same nominal voltage but be configured to have energy sources with a different number of energy sources.

[0236] This subject also provides the ability to use energy sources of the same class but different types (e.g., different electrochemistry, different physical structure, etc.) for different modules, different subsystems 1000 and 2000, and different systems 100 as a whole. For example, one or more first primary subsystems 1000 in a multi-motor EV may have modules 108 with first type batteries, and one or more second primary subsystems 1000 in a multi-motor EV may have modules 108 with second type batteries. Similarly, one or more auxiliary subsystems 2000 may include first type, second type, or third type batteries different from the first and second types. If interconnection modules 108ICs are present, those modules 108ICs may have a fourth type battery different from the first, second, and third types.

[0237] If one or more primary subsystems 1000 have modules 108 having multiple energy sources per module (for example, modules 108B, 108D, and 108E in Figures 3B, 18A, and 18B, respectively), then (a) one or more first primary subsystems have multiple energy sources per module, and one or more second primary subsystems have only one energy source per module; and (b) one or more first primary subsystems have multiple energy sources per module, including a first type primary energy source 206A and a second type secondary energy source 206B, and one or more second primary subsystems have multiple energy sources per module, including the same first type primary energy source 206A and a third type secondary energy source 206B different from the first and second types. Further combinations can be implemented, such as a combination of (c) one or more first primary subsystems having multiple energy sources per module, including a first type primary energy source 206A and a second type secondary energy source 206B, and one or more second primary subsystems having multiple energy sources per module, including a third type primary energy source 206A different from the first and second types and the same second type secondary energy source 206B, or (d) one or more first primary subsystems having multiple energy sources per module, one or more second primary subsystems having multiple energy sources per module, and the type of energy source in one or more first primary subsystems being different from the type of energy source in one or more second primary subsystems.

[0238] Differences in the types of energy sources can manifest in terms of their operating characteristics. For example, different types of battery energy sources may have different nominal voltages, different C rates, different energy densities, and different capacities, each of which can vary with temperature, charge state, or usage (e.g., number of cycles). Examples of battery types include solid-state batteries, liquid electrolyte-based batteries, liquid-phase batteries, and flow batteries such as lithium (Li) metal batteries, Li-ion batteries, Li-air batteries, sodium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, nickel sulfate batteries, lead-acid batteries, and zinc-air batteries. Some examples of Li-ion battery types include Li-cobalt oxide (LCO), Li-manganese oxide (LMO), Li-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC), Li-iron phosphate (LFP), Li-nickel-cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), and Li-tiantate (LTO).

[0239] Thus, by mixing battery types, performance can be achieved across different operating characteristics. These variations in voltage capability (e.g., low, medium, high) and energy source type can be applied to all embodiments described herein. These variations are particularly applicable to embodiments having two or more separate primary subsystems 1000 for powering multiple motors, interconnected with one or more auxiliary subsystems 2000, such as the primary subsystems described with respect to Figures 16A-16C. When charging primary subsystems 1000 having different voltage capabilities, each primary subsystem 1000 can be charged independently by dedicated charging ports and charging cables (from a dedicated or shared charging source). Alternatively, the primary subsystems 1000 can be charged simultaneously from the same charging cables and connectors, such as in a parallel configuration, taking into account the voltage level of the charging signal, the number of modules 108, and the nominal voltage rating of the modules 108 in the array 700 of each primary subsystem 1000. The auxiliary subsystem 2000 can charge one or more primary subsystems 1000 simultaneously by connecting one or more primary converters 420 to the respective phase outputs of one or more primary subsystems 1000.

[0240] When charging any embodiment of the energy system 100 described herein, if it is desirable to maintain a sufficient margin to balance during the charging process, the available charging source voltages (e.g., peak-to-line voltages for AC charging) are preferably less than the sum of the current voltages of the charging sources 206 at any given time.

[0241] Section 17: Exemplary Embodiments of Energy Systems for Applications Using Intermittent Charging Exemplary embodiments of an energy system 100 for use in applications with intermittently available charging sources are described with reference to Figures 17-20D. These embodiments can be implemented in all aspects of the modular energy system described with reference to Figures 1A-10F, unless otherwise specified or unless logically inappropriate. Thus, many of the variations already described are not repeated with respect to the following embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are particularly suited to mobile applications such as electric vehicles operating on rails (railway EVs), such as trains, trams, streetcars, and other vehicles, where the charging source is intermittently available. For example, the charging source can be a catenary supplying charging signals for EVs via an overhead power supply system. The embodiments can also be used in some stationary applications, as well as in other vehicles such as automobiles, buses, trucks, marine vehicles (e.g., electric ferries), and airplanes. Examples of these and further configurations are described in international application PCT / US2021 / 032295, filed on 13 May 2021, entitled Systems, Devices, and Methods for Rail-Based and Other Electric Vehicles with Modular Cascaded Energy Systems, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0242] Figure 17 is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of an energy system 100 configured for intermittent direct DC charging. The system 100 includes three primary subsystems 1000-1, 1000-2, and 1000-3, as well as an auxiliary subsystem 2000. The primary subsystems 1000 can be configured according to Figures 18A-20D, and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 can be configured according to Figures 11E-11G, or in any other suitable way. Each of subsystems 1000 and 2000 can be configured as a separate battery pack, housed in its own enclosure and having a dedicated thermal management system (see, for example, Figures 22A-24J, described in Section 20). The phase outputs PA, PB, and PC of the primary subsystem 1000 are connected to their respective primary loads 101-1, 101-2, and 101-3 via their respective AC buses 410-1, 410-2, and 410-3 to provide three-phase AC power to load 101. For example, each load 101 may correspond to the motor of an EV, such as a railway-type EV. Primary subsystems 1000-1, 1000-2, and 1000-3 also provide power to a common DC bus 415 via their respective primary converters 420-1, 420-2, and 420-3. In other embodiments, one or two of the primary subsystems 1000 may be coupled to the DC bus 415 via their respective primary converters 420, so that many topologies are possible. An auxiliary subsystem 2000 is connected to the DC bus 415 and outputs a DC voltage onto the DC bus 415, supplying power to the HV auxiliary load 303.

[0243] Each primary subsystem 1000 is connected to a set of shared DC lines 1130 and DC buses 1131 and 1132 to share DC power at various voltage levels. The DC lines 1130 of the energy system 100 can carry high-voltage positive DC signals and negative DC signals, DC_CS+ and DC_CS-, respectively, from the charging source 150 to supply charging voltage to all modules 108 of each primary subsystem 1000 and to the auxiliary subsystem 2000. The shared DC lines 1130 can also exchange lower DC voltages through the modules 108 of the primary subsystem 1000 to supply power to the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302. The DC buses 1131 can carry positive DC signals and negative DC signals, DC1+ and DC1-, respectively, to supply lower DC voltages to the LV auxiliary load 301. For example, DC bus 1131 can be analogous to a line interconnecting ports 3 and 4 of IC module 108IC (and 108C), as described with respect to Figures 3C, 10D, and 10E, and can carry the output DC voltage of the energy source 206 of module 108. DC bus 1132 can carry positive and negative DC signals, DC2+ and DC2-, respectively, to supply a lower DC voltage to the LV auxiliary load 302. For example, DC bus 1132 can be analogous to a line interconnecting ports 5 and 6 of IC module 108IC (and 108C), as described with respect to Figures 3C, 10D, and 10E, and can carry a regulated step-down DC voltage from the source 206 of module 108.

[0244] The auxiliary converter 430-2 can convert the available high DC voltage on the DC line 1130 into DC power for the HV auxiliary load 303 and the auxiliary subsystem 2000. In this embodiment, the auxiliary converter 430-2 is configured to convert the DC power from the DC line 1130 into DC power for the DC bus 415 of an appropriate voltage output by the auxiliary subsystem 2000. When connected to the charging source 150, the auxiliary converter 430-2 can charge the HV auxiliary load 303 and the charging auxiliary subsystem 2000 using the DC voltage provided by the charging source 150 via the DC line 1130. As described with respect to Figure 18B, when not connected to the charging source 150, the primary subsystem 1000 can power the auxiliary converter 430-2 via the DC line 1130 by using the bidirectional DC-DC converter 1610 to output a DC voltage to the DC line 1130 from ports 7 and 8 of one or more modules 108E. The DC output voltages from multiple modules 108E are summed on DC line 1130 to provide the desired amount of power to auxiliary converter 430-2. As shown in Figure 20B, each of the arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC of the primary subsystem 1000 is interconnected by three interconnection modules 108IC-1, 108IC-2, and 108IC-3, which output DC voltages DC1+ / - and DC2+ / - on DC buses 1131 and 1132, respectively. The interconnection modules 108IC provide power to LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302 connected to DC buses 1131 and 1132, as well as to DC bus 415 connected to DC bus 1131 via auxiliary converter 430-1.

[0245] Figure 18A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108D configured for use within the primary subsystem 1000 of the energy system 100 shown in Figure 17. In all embodiments described herein, module 108D may include any number of energy sources 206, such as one or more batteries, one or more high energy density (HED) capacitors, and / or one or more fuel cells. If multiple batteries are included, they may have the same or different electrochemistry as described herein. Similarly, different types of high energy density (HED) capacitors and fuel cells may be used. Each battery may be a single cell or multiple cells connected in series, parallel, or a combination thereof to achieve desired voltage and current characteristics. As shown in Figure 18A, module 108D includes a primary source 206A and a secondary source 206B. Energy sources 206A and 206B can be different types of batteries (e.g., LTO batteries and LFP batteries), or one can be a battery and the other a HED capacitor, or any other combination of energy sources 206 as described herein.

[0246] Module 108D includes a converter 202B or 202C coupled with energy sources 206A and 206B in a similar manner to that described for module 108B in Figure 3B. Energy source 206A is coupled with an energy buffer 204, which is then coupled with a unidirectional isolated DC-DC converter 1600. Module 108D includes IO ports 7 and 8, which are connected to the charge source signals DC_CS+ and DC_CS-, respectively, via the DC line 1130 through the power connection section 111. These signals are input to the DC-AC converter 1602 of the converter 1600, converted to high-frequency AC, and then input to the transformer and rectifier section 1604.

[0247] The transformer and rectifier section 1604 may include a high-frequency transformer and a single-phase diode rectifier. The DC voltage across the power connection section 111 may be lower than the total voltage supplied by the charging source 150, since the primary subsystem 1000 may include many such modules 108 that receive charge simultaneously. The transformer and rectifier section 1604 can, if necessary, modify the voltage of the AC signal from the converter 1602, converting the AC signal back into DC form for use with the charging sources 206A and 206B. Section 1604 also provides high-voltage isolation to the other components 202, 204, 206, and 114 of module 108D.

[0248] The unidirectional diode rectifier allows current to be received from the charging source 150 and passed to the buffer 204, but does not allow current to be output in the reverse manner. For example, when braking in an EV with an energy recovery system, the current from braking can be returned to each module 108D through the power connection 110 and routed to either source 206A or 206B via converters 202B and C. The presence of the unidirectional DC-DC isolated converter 1600 (diode rectifier) ​​prevents the recovered energy from returning to the charging source through the DC line 1130 and module 108D.

[0249] The LCD 114 can monitor the status of the transducer 1600, particularly transducer 1602 and section 1604, via data connections 118-5 and 118-6, respectively. As with other components of module 108D, monitoring circuits for transducer 1602 and section 1604 may be included to measure current, voltage, temperature, faults, etc. These connections 118-5 and 118-6 can also control the switching of transducer 1602 and supply control signals to control any active elements within section 1604. Isolation of the LCD 114 can be maintained by isolation circuits (e.g., isolation gate drivers and isolation sensors) present in lines 118-5 and 118-6.

[0250] Figure 18B is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108E. Module 108E is configured similarly to module 108D, but has a bidirectional DC-DC isolated converter 1610 instead of a unidirectional DC-DC converter 1600, enabling bidirectional energy exchange between source 206 (or power connection 110) and ports 7 and 8 connected to DC line 1130. The bidirectional converter 1610 can route current from the power connection 111 to charge the charging sources 206A and 206B (through converters 202B, C), can route current from the power connection 111 to power the load (by the output from converters 202B, C to the power connection 110), can route current from sources 206A and / or 206B to the power connection 111 (at converters 202B, C) (for example, to power one or more high-voltage auxiliary loads), and can route current from sources 206A and / or 206B to the power connection 111 (through converters 202B, C) to charge other modules 108E of the primary subsystem 1000 via the DC line 1130.

[0251] A bidirectional converter 1610 is connected between ports 7 and 8 and the energy buffer 204. Converter 1610 includes a DC-AC converter 1602 connected to a transformer 1606, which is connected to an AC-DC converter 1608. The DC-AC converter 1602 can convert the DC voltage at ports 7 and 8 to a high-frequency AC voltage, which the transformer 1606 can modify to a lower voltage as needed, and output the modified AC voltage to the AC-DC converter 1608, which can convert the AC signal back to DC form for supply to sources 206A, 206B, or ports 1 and 2 of the module. The transformer 1606 can also isolate module components 202, 204, 206, 1608, and 114 from the DC voltage at ports 7 and 8. Like other components of module 108E, monitoring circuits for the DC-AC converter 1602, transformer 1606, and AC-DC converter 1608 may be included to measure current, voltage, temperature, faults, etc. The LCD 114 can monitor the status of the converters 1610, in particular the DC-AC converter 1602, transformer 1606 (e.g., the monitoring circuit or active components associated with the monitoring circuit), and AC-DC converter 1608, via data connections 118-5, 118-7, and 118-8, respectively. These connections 118-5 and 118-6 can also supply control signals to control the switching of the converter 1602 and any controllable elements associated with the transformer 1606. Isolation of the LCD 114 can be maintained by isolation circuits (e.g., isolation gate drivers and isolation sensors) present on lines 118-5 and 118-6.

[0252] Furthermore, in the case of the electrochemical battery source 206, the length of the charging pulse applied to the source 206 by the AC-DC converter 1608 can be maintained to have a specific length, for example, less than 5 milliseconds, in order to facilitate the occurrence of the electrochemical storage reaction in the cell without the occurrence of significant side reactions that could cause degradation. The charging method can incorporate active feedback from each energy source to ensure that battery degradation is mitigated, if detected, by reducing the voltage, pausing the charging routine of that module, or otherwise. Such pulses can be applied at a high C rate (e.g., 5C to 15C or higher) to enable fast charging of the source 206. The duration and frequency of the charging pulse can be controlled by the control system 102. An example of such technology, which can be used with all embodiments herein, is described in International Publication WO 2020 / 243655, filed on 29 May 2020 and titled Advanced Battery Charging on Modular Levels of Energy Storage Systems, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0253] Figure 19A is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108D. Converter 202B is coupled to secondary source 206B and, in other embodiments, can be configured as converter 202C (Figure 6C). Buffer 204 is configured here as a capacitor. IO ports 7 and 8 are coupled to LC filter 1302, which is coupled to unidirectional DC-DC converter 1600, in particular DC-AC converter 1602 configured as a full-bridge converter having switches S10, S11, S12, and S13. LC filter 1302 can be a distributed DC filter capable of filtering harmonics to and from DC line 1130, providing current reduction functionality as desired, and / or performing other functions. Full-bridge outputs from nodes N1 and N2 are connected to the primary winding of transformer 1606 in section 1604. The secondary winding of transformer 1606 is coupled to nodes N3 and N4 of the diode rectifier of section 1604, which has diodes D1-D4. The switches of DC-AC converter 1602 can be semiconductor switches configured as MOSFETs, IGBTs, GaN devices, or others, as described herein. LCD 114 or another element of control system 102 can provide switching signals for controlling switches S1-S6 and S10-S13. Along with other functions described herein, converter 202B can be controlled to independently route current from ports 7 and 8 to source 206B for charging, or to IO ports 1 and 2 to supply power to primary load 101.

[0254] Figure 19B is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of module 108E. Converter 202B is coupled to secondary source 206B and, in other embodiments, can be configured as converter 202C (Figure 6C). Buffer 204 is configured as a capacitor. IO ports 7 and 8 are coupled to LC filter 1302, which in turn is coupled to a bidirectional DC-DC converter 1610, specifically a DC-AC converter 1602 configured as a full-bridge converter with switches S10, S11, S12, and S13. Full-bridge outputs from nodes N1 and N2 are connected to the primary winding of transformer 1606. The secondary winding of transformer 1606 is coupled to nodes N3 and N4 of a second full-bridge circuit configured as an AC-DC converter 1608, which has switches S14, S15, S16, and S17. The switches of the converter 1608 can be semiconductor switches configured as MOSFETs, IGBTs, GaN devices, or others, as described herein. The LCD 114 or another element of the control system 102 can provide switching signals for controlling switches S1-S6 and S10-S17. Along with other functions described herein, the converter 202B can be controlled to independently route current from ports 7 and 8 to source 206B for charging, or to IO ports 1 and 2 to supply power to the primary load 101.

[0255] Figure 19C is a schematic diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of module 108E, in which the AC-DC converter 1608 is configured as a push-pull converter having a first terminal of buffer 204 connected to one side of the dual secondary winding of transformer 1606 through inductor L2, and switches S18 and S19 connected between the opposite side of the dual secondary winding and a common node (e.g., node 4) coupled with the terminal on the opposite side of buffer 204. This push-pull configuration is more cost-effective than a full-bridge converter because it requires only two switches, although the switches are generally subjected to higher voltages.

[0256] Figure 20A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the primary subsystem 1000 configured to supply three-phase AC power, and the interconnect module 108IC is absent. This embodiment includes three series arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC, each having module 108 arranged in a cascaded configuration with ports 1 and 2 daisy-chained between the modules, as described in Section 4. The primary subsystem 1000 has three arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC for supplying three-phase power to the AC bus 410 via system ports SIO1, SIO2, and SIO3. In this embodiment and the embodiment of Figure 20B, each of module 108 can be configured as module 108D (Figures 18A and 19A) or module 108E (Figures 18B, 19B, and 19C). A neutral signal is available at SIO6(N) as desired. DC voltage signals DC_CS+ and DC_CS- supplied from DC line 1130 are supplied to the primary subsystem 1000 by system I / O ports SIO5 and SIO4, respectively. Ports 7 and 8 of each module 108 are daisy-chained so that the applied charge source voltage is divided across modules 108-1 to 108-N in each array 700. As in other embodiments, the primary subsystem 1000 can be configured to have N modules 108 in each array 700, where N can be any integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0257] Figure 20B is a block diagram showing another exemplary embodiment of the primary subsystem 1000, configured to supply three-phase power and also having modules 108IC-1, 108IC-2, and 108IC-3. Module 108IC may have interconnected energy sources 206 and can be configured for interphase balancing between arrays 700, as described in Section 6. Module 108IC can also be configured to supply DC voltage to DC buses 1131 and 1132 to power one or more LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, as well as an HV auxiliary load 303 via an auxiliary converter 430 connected between DC bus 415 and DC buses 1131 and / or 1132. Exemplary embodiments of the primary subsystem 1000 shown in Figures 20A and 20B can be used in any of the energy systems 100 disclosed herein, depending on whether the primary subsystem 1000 is configured to supply power to the LV auxiliary loads 301 and 302, whether the primary subsystem 1000 is configured to have phase-balancing capability through the interconnection module 108IC, and whether the interconnection module 108IC is connected to the auxiliary converter 430.

[0258] Figures 20C and 20D are schematic diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of interconnect module 108IC configured for use with the embodiment of primary subsystem 1000 in Figure 20B. In the embodiments of Figures 20C and 20D, module 108IC has a single switch section 604 configured to connect IO port 1 to either the DC voltage of the positive terminal of source 206 (port 3) or the DC voltage of the negative terminal of source 206 (port 4). Switch section 602A regulates and steps down the voltage of source 206 to provide as an auxiliary load voltage for DC bus 1132. A filter capacitor C3 may be located across ports 5 and 6. In Figure 20C, module 108IC includes a bidirectional converter 1610 configured to have two full-bridge converters 1602 and 1608 having a transformer 1606 between them, similar to the embodiment of module 108E in Figure 19B. In Figure 20D, similar to the embodiment of module 108E in Figure 19C, the AC-DC converter 1608 of the bidirectional converter 1610 is configured as a push-pull converter.

[0259] Section 18: Exemplary Embodiments of Power and Control Distribution Assemblies As described in Sections 8-17, the interfaces between the energy system 100 and the EV's motor, charging port, control system, and other subsystems can be complex. These interfaces may include control devices, drive units, power converters, switches and relays, routing circuits, sensors, monitoring circuits, and associated power and control interconnects (e.g., busbars and / or wires). Any or all of these interfaces can be housed within a power and control distribution assembly (PCDA) 1250. The EV may have one instance of the PCDA 1250 handling the interface with the system 100, or the PCDA 1250 may be distributed among two or more instances, each instance associated with an interface at a specific location in the EV, such as a front axle PCDA and a rear axle PCDA. As described below, each primary subsystem 1000 and auxiliary subsystem 2000 of the system 100 may also interface with a (local) power distribution unit (PDU) before interface with the PCDA 1250.

[0260] Figure 21A is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the PCDA1250, where the PCDA1250 includes a control section 3002, an auxiliary power distribution section 3004, a primary power distribution section 3006, and a power management section 3005.

[0261] The control section 3002 may include various control devices, such as the MCD 112 and one or more auxiliary control devices (ACDs) 3008-1 to 3008-N. Although shown here as an external component, the control section 3002 may also include the vehicle ECU 104, either as a separate device or integrated with the MCD 112 as a common control device 132. The ACD 3008 can be a control device responsible for controlling one or more auxiliary EV subsystems of the EV, such as active suspension, electric steering (e.g., steer-by-wire (SbW)), headlights and lighting, and / or autonomous driving sensors (e.g., radar devices, millimeter-wave radar devices, cameras, far-infrared (FIR) cameras, and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices). Each control device within the PCDA 1250 may, if necessary, communicate with each other, with devices in other sections of the PCDA 1250, and with external devices (e.g., the vehicle ECU 104). Here, the bidirectional communication interface 105 can communicate control signals and information between the devices of the control section 3002 and the vehicle ECU 104. The bidirectional communication interfaces 3009-1 to 3009-P can communicate control signals and information between the devices of the control section 3002 and any external ACDs 3035-1 to 3035-P, or between the devices of the control section 3002 and other systems that require control inputs or information from the MCD 112 (e.g., the routing circuit 1200 when located outside the PCDA 1250). The bidirectional communication interface 115 can communicate information between the MCD 112 and the LCD 114 of module 108 (and interconnect module 108IC, if present) of each primary subsystem 1000, as described in Section 2. Similarly, the bidirectional communication interface 3031 can communicate control signals from the MCD 112 to the power management section 3005 to control the switching of the primary converter 420 and auxiliary converter 430 of the power management section 3005.

[0262] The power management section 3005 includes one or more AC buses 410 (not shown) for transmitting AC power to one or more primary subsystems 1000-1 to 1000-S via a bidirectional power interface 3038. For example, the power management section 3005 may include a separate AC bus 410 for each primary subsystem 1000 such that each primary subsystem 1000 outputs AC power of a specific voltage and a specific number of phases onto the AC bus 410 (see, for example, Figure 16A). In other embodiments, the AC bus 410 may be coupled to two or more primary subsystems 1000 to sum the output power of these primary subsystems 1000 in parallel (see, for example, Figure 16B). The power management section 3005 also includes one or more DC buses 415 (not shown) for transmitting DC power to one or more auxiliary subsystems 2000-1 to 2000-T via a bidirectional power interface 3042. For example, the power management section 3005 may include a separate DC bus 415 for each auxiliary subsystem 2000 so that each auxiliary subsystem 2000 outputs DC power of a specific voltage on the DC bus 415 (see, for example, Figure 16A). The power management section 3005 further includes one or more primary converters 420-1 to 420-Q for converting AC power on one or more AC buses 410 to DC power for one or more DC buses 415. In some embodiments, the power management section 3005 also includes DC buses 1131 and / or 1132 (not shown) for transmitting DC power, for example, power from ports 3, 4, 5, 6 of the IC module(s) to and from one or more primary subsystems 1000 via a bidirectional power interface 3039. In these cases, the power management section 3005 may also include one or more auxiliary converters 430-1 to 430-R for converting DC power between DC buses 415, 1131, and / or 1132.

[0263] The auxiliary power input connection 3010 can route various auxiliary power signals from the power management section 3005 (e.g., power from various DC buses 415, 1131, and 1132) to the auxiliary power section 3004. The auxiliary power section 3004 may include cables for routing auxiliary power signals from the power management section 3005 to any auxiliary loads 301, 302, or 303 of the EV (e.g., HVAC, in-vehicle network, interior lighting) via auxiliary power output interfaces 3012 and 3014. The auxiliary power section 3004 may also include one or more power converters 3011 (e.g., for converting DC power on DC buses 415, 1131, and 1132 to DC power or AC power of the appropriate voltage). The converter 3011 can be, for example, a DC-DC converter for converting a first DC voltage signal from the connector 3010 (e.g., 48V on DC bus 1131 or 500V on DC bus 415) to a lower DC voltage (e.g., 14V) to be output for use by the LV auxiliary load 301 via the auxiliary output interface 3012. As another example, the converter 3011 can be a DC-AC converter for converting a high-voltage DC signal from the connector 3010 (e.g., 500V on DC bus 415) to a high-voltage single-phase or multi-phase AC signal to be output for use by the HV auxiliary load 303 via the auxiliary output interface 3014. The auxiliary power section 3004 can also include one or more auxiliary drive units 3015-1 to 3015-M for converting auxiliary power from the system 100 to drive signals for associated electromechanical auxiliary subsystems 3033 such as active suspension and electric steering via the drive output interface 3016. The drive unit 3015 can be controlled by the ACD 3008. The auxiliary power section 3004 can supply power to the control section 3002 via the internal power connection section 3018. Control signals between the auxiliary power section 3004 and the control section 3002 can be exchanged via the internal communication interface 3020.

[0264] The primary power distribution section 3006 may include switches 1108 (e.g., relays), routing circuits 1200, transformers, and / or sensors for measuring and routing power between system 100 and one or more motors 1100, between system 100 and charging ports 1102 and / or 1202 (for charging), and between system 100 and any regenerative braking energy recapture devices 2100. In all embodiments described herein, the routing circuits 1200 may be included within the PCDA 1250 as shown herein, or outside the PCDA 1250. If outside the PCDA 1250, the routing circuits 1200 may be located within a charging network distributor 3248 as shown in Figure 21G.

[0265] Figure 21G is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the EV3000 with combined three-phase, single-phase, and DC charging ports 1102 / 1202. A three-phase cable 1111 carries three-phase AC power from ports 1102 / 1202 to routing circuit 1200 in the charging network distributor 3248. A dual single-phase / DC cable 1211 carries single-phase power or DC power from ports 1102 / 1202 to routing circuit 1200 in the charging network distributor 3248.

[0266] Referring again to Figure 21A, the primary power section 3006 may include a switch 1108 and a monitoring circuit 1110 for monitoring various characteristics (e.g., current, voltage, etc.) of the power signals transmitted to and from the system 100. The primary power section 3006 may also include safety disconnect devices 3024 (e.g., fuses and / or circuit breakers) for interrupting the current flow between the system 100, the motor(s) 1100, and / or the charging ports(s) 1102 and / or 1202. In embodiments using one or more AC transformers to provide isolation between the system 100 and the charging ports(s) 1102 and / or 1202, those AC transformers may be located within the PCDA 1250 if sufficient space is available.

[0267] Power to and from the power distribution section 3006 can be exchanged from one or more AC buses 410 of the power management section 3005 via the bidirectional power interface 3030. Power to and from the motor 1100 can be exchanged via the bidirectional power interface 3032, power to and from the charging port(s) 1102 and / or 1202 can be exchanged via the bidirectional power interface 3034 (including the connector 1111), and power to and from the energy recapture device 2100 can be exchanged via the bidirectional power interface 3036. Control signals between the control section 3002 and the primary power distribution section 3006 can be exchanged via the internal communication interface 3040. These control signals can carry control signals output to, for example, the routing circuit 1200 (e.g., CS1-CS4), the monitor circuit 1110, and the switch 1108, and can return monitoring information from the monitor circuit 1110 and disconnection status information from the safety disconnect device 3024. Each communication interface of the PCDA1250 can be electrical or optical and may include one or more electrical or optical wires, as well as external and / or internal connectors (e.g., plugs, receptacles) where applicable.

[0268] Figure 21B is a block diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the PCDA1250 interface with an energy system 100 configured for an EV. In this embodiment, the power management section 3005 includes an AC bus 410, a DC bus 415, and a primary converter 420 that couples them together. This allows power and current to flow from the primary power section 3006 to the auxiliary power section 3004, for example, to charge the auxiliary subsystem 2000 and / or when the auxiliary loads 301, 303, and 3033 have unexpectedly high power demands. Here, the energy system 100 includes one or more primary subsystems 1000-1 to 1000-N and the auxiliary subsystem 2000. The primary subsystems 1000 can be added one by one to the energy system 100 and coupled to the AC bus 410 to meet the required power needs of the EV. In this embodiment, there is no IC module for interconnecting the respective arrays 700-PA, 700-PB, and 700-PC of the primary subsystem 1000. For example, each primary subsystem 1000 can be configured according to any of the embodiments shown in Figures 7C to 7E, and the auxiliary subsystem 2000 can be configured according to any of the embodiments shown in Figures 11E to 11G, or in any other suitable way.

[0269] Each primary subsystem 1000 interfaces with a primary PDU 1251 that generates three-phase AC power and outputs the power in parallel onto the AC bus 410. The auxiliary subsystem 2000 interfaces with an auxiliary PDU 2251 that generates DC power and outputs the power onto the DC bus 415. The primary 1251 PDU or auxiliary 2251 PDU protects the primary subsystem 1000 or auxiliary subsystem 2000 from common commercial power supply issues such as voltage spikes or sags, noise, and harmonic distortion on the AC bus 410. For example, each PDU 1251 and 2251 may include safety disconnect devices (e.g., fuses and / or circuit breakers) to protect against voltage spikes. Each primary PDU 1251 may also include an inductive interface circuit (e.g., configured similarly to interface circuit 426 in Figures 11H-11L) to help reduce circulating currents that may arise from small differences in synchronization between the primary subsystems 1000. Alternatively or additionally, each primary PDU 1251 may include a three-phase transformer for isolating the PCDA 1250 from its respective primary subsystem 1000. The auxiliary PDU 2251 provides similar protection for the auxiliary subsystem 2000, but for DC power. For example, the auxiliary PDU 2251 may include an energy buffer 204 (e.g., a capacitor) for buffering voltage fluctuations on the DC bus 415, for example, due to the switching of the primary converter 420. Alternatively or additionally, the auxiliary PDU 2251 may include an isolated DC-DC converter, for example, a dual active bridge (DAB) converter (e.g., configured similarly to the auxiliary converter 430B in Figure 11N), for isolating the PCDA 1250 from the auxiliary subsystem 2000. Since the primary subsystem 1000 is not interconnected by IC modules, this particular embodiment of the PCDA1250 and energy system 100 offers a high degree of modularity, as subsystems 1000 and 2000 can be isolated from the AC bus 410 and DC bus 415 and new subsystems can be easily connected.

[0270] Figure 21C is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of a PCDA 1250 interfaced with an energy system 100 configured for an EV. The energy system 100 and PCDA 1250 are configured similarly to the embodiment in Figure 21B. In this case, the energy system 100 includes six primary subsystems 1000-1 to 1000-6, each consisting of phases PA, PB, and PC of a primary subsystem 1000 in parallel to provide three-phase power to a motor(s) 1100 at relatively high wattages. Here, the LV auxiliary load 301 includes the EV's auxiliary electrical system, and the HV auxiliary load 303 includes the EV's HVAC system.

[0271] Another exemplary embodiment of the PCDA1250 is described with respect to Figures 21D–21F, which show a detailed layout of the various components of the PCDA1250. Figure 21D is a perspective view showing the exterior of the PCDA1250, Figure 21E is a perspective view showing the interior of the PCDA1250, and Figure 21F is an exploded view of the components of the PCDA1250.

[0272] The PCDA1250 includes a housing 3050 having an upper section 3051 and a lower section 3052. As best seen in Figure 21D, various connectors are present on the housing 3050, each connector for connecting to various power, data, and / or control cables, wires, or fiber optic connections required by the devices interfaced through that connector. A first connector 3054 is for charging and provides power to and from charging ports 1102 and / or 1202 (or routing circuit 1200 as per configuration). Connectors 3055 and 3058 may be for providing drive signals to a first EV auxiliary subsystem (e.g., active suspension for the left and right front wheels). Connectors 3056 and 3057 may be for providing drive signals to a second EV auxiliary subsystem (e.g., steer-by-wire for the left and right front wheels). Connector 3060 can be used to supply auxiliary power (e.g., 12V, 24V, 48V, 60V, 500V) for use by other auxiliary loads of the EV (e.g., HVAC, in-vehicle network, cabin lighting, etc.). Although one is shown here, multiple connectors 3060 can be used to provide various different voltages. Connector 3061 can be used to exchange control signals and data with the vehicle's ECU. Connector 3062 can be used to exchange control signals and data with the ACD 3008.

[0273] As best seen in Figures 21E and 21F, the PCDA1250 includes various devices and cables positioned in close proximity to each other so that the PCDA1250 can function as a centralized hub for power and information routing within the EV. In this embodiment, the PCDA1250 includes the MCD112, ACD3008 (e.g., axle ECU), auxiliary drive 3015-1 (e.g., active suspension), auxiliary drive 3015-2 (e.g., steer-by-wire), and converter 3011 (e.g., a DC-DC converter for downward adjustment of auxiliary voltage from the DC bus 415). The PCDA1250 may also include a number of switches 1108 configured here as SSR relays 3022-1 and 3022-2 for two separate motors, as well as electromechanical relays 3022-3 and 3022-4. The connection 3023 between the switch 1108 and the charging connector 3054 is shown as a wire bundle, but these can also be configured as (solid) busbars in some embodiments. Busbars can be preferable for thermal management purposes as they function as a heatsink for the PCDA1250 and allow for better airflow within the PCDA1250 when space is limited.

[0274] Section 19: Bidirectional capability through the charging port The bidirectional capability provided by the routing circuit 1200 allows charging and discharging of the energy system 100 through the AC charging port(s) and / or DC charging port(s) 1102, 1202. The power output by the energy system 100 can be in DC form, single-phase AC form, or multi-phase AC form. As a result, an EV enabled in system 100 can be used to supply or transmit power from the EV to an externally located load or grid (power-consuming entity). The EV user can then receive compensation in exchange for the supplied power, or other benefits such as offloading power to the user's home during peak energy cost hours to reduce utility costs. Such applications are generally referred to by different names depending on the type of consuming entity. For example, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) refers to an example where an EV returns power to the power grid; vehicle-to-home (V2H) refers to an example where an EV returns power to a home's energy network; vehicle-to-building (V2B) refers to an example where an EV returns power to a building's energy network or to a large load within it; vehicle-to-community (V2C) refers to an example where an EV functions as an energy source and sink as part of a larger surplus energy storage network in a community such as a city; and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) refers to an example where an EV powers other vehicles for energy distribution in a charging environment. Embodiments that can practice two or more of these applications can be referenced under broader categories such as vehicle-to-anything (V2A) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X).

[0275] Embodiments of the energy system 100 configured for use in these applications share several common features. For example, the control system 102 has the ability to communicate with an external energy controller (which may be local or remote to the EV) so that, when the control system 102 is connected to an external energy controller, the control system 102 can control the output of power to external power-consuming entities through the charging ports 1102 and / or 1202. This may involve instructing the module 108 to output power in a format (e.g., voltage, current, frequency, and / or phase) that matches the requirements of the power-consuming entity, while simultaneously disconnecting the motor(s) 1100 from the system 100 (e.g., using a switch 1108) and maintaining a balance between the sources 206 of the module 108 (e.g., SOC and / or temperature).

[0276] The external controller is responsible for communicating energy requirements to system 100 (in a format usable by system 100, such as voltage, current, frequency, and / or phase, based on available power and price signals, for example) and for managing the reception of energy from system 100. If its application involves multiple EVs, the external controller may be responsible for coordinating energy inputs from other EVs. The responsibility for recording the amount of power injected by the EV may rest with the external controller and / or control system 102 for the purpose of monetary payment or profit to the EV operator in exchange for power. In non-limiting examples, the external controller may be a home energy management system (HEMS) or smart home in the case of V2H, a smart building or smart garage in the case of V2B, a transmission or distribution grid controller (local or remote centralized) or energy aggregator in the case of V2G and V2C, or a charging station in the case of V2V.

[0277] In an exemplary embodiment, using an EV having energy system 100 as a power source, a power consuming entity has an associated power cable for receiving power from the EV. The power cable may be the same as the charging cable, and an external charging source 150 also functions as a local consuming entity interface for receiving power from the EV. Alternatively, the local consuming entity interface may be different from the external charging source 150. The user connects an applicable local interface to the EV through the power cable. The power cable is coupled to an applicable charging connector and has conductors for charging ports 1102, 1202 through which power (e.g., DC, single-phase AC, or multi-phase AC) is transmitted. The power cable may also include a communication cable for transmitting digital information between a control system 102 and an external controller which may be located at the local interface or remotely. The control system 102 detects the connection of the communication cable and negotiates with the external controller to identify parameters for power transmission, including the voltage, current, frequency, and / or phase of the power signal. Other parameters may include the time to perform power transmission if following a schedule, the available power (or SOC) within system 100, requests to receive power, confirmation of the power supply (if the application is on-demand rather than scheduled), and requests to stop the power supply. Power transmission can then be performed according to the negotiated parameters. The local interface may also include a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface, display, user input, touchscreen, etc.) to notify the user of the status of power transmission (e.g., in progress or stopped, power transmission history (e.g., kilowatts transmitted), alerts, etc.).

[0278] Section 20: Exemplary Embodiments of Thermal Management Systems The amount of heat generated by system 100 during operation can be quite large. One or more thermal management systems can be used to circulate a heat transfer fluid (e.g., coolant, antifreeze, water, or a mixture thereof) in close proximity to various subsystems of system 100 and / or motors and any other elements of the EV (or stationary system) that require cooling (or heating in some cases). Figure 22A shows an example of a thermal management system 3100 in which coolant is pumped by pump 3101 through various elements of system 3100. The coolant can be circulated so that components with the greatest cooling requirements are cooled first, and components with less severe thermal requirements are cooled last. For example, in this embodiment, pump 3101 circulates coolant first to a battery module 206 which may require coolant at a relatively low temperature of 20-30°C, then to module electronics 3104 which may require coolant at a relatively higher temperature of up to 40°C or 50°C, and finally to one or more motors 1100 which may require coolant at an even higher temperature, but preferably below 60°C. With respect to a primary subsystem 1000 including multiple modules 108, the electronics 3104 for module 108 may include switching circuits for the converter 202 (e.g., S3-S6 or S1-S6), an energy buffer 204, an LCD 114, a monitor circuit 208 for module 108, and a battery management system (BMS) for the battery 206 of module 108. With respect to an auxiliary subsystem 2000 including multiple battery modules 206, the electronics 3104 for battery modules 206 may include monitor circuits and any peripheral circuits associated with the battery modules 206, such as a BMS. After circulating in close proximity to these components to cool them, the coolant can proceed through a heat exchanger 3108, where its temperature drops to a temperature close to the requirements of the battery modules 206, at which point the coolant is circulated again through the pump 3101, and this loop is repeated.

[0279] The primary subsystem 1000 and auxiliary subsystem 2000 described herein can each be housed in a common enclosure (or pack). Figure 22B shows an example of a common enclosure 3110 for subsystems of energy system 100. The enclosure 3110 includes a bottom enclosure 3112, such as a base, and an upper enclosure 3111 on the opposite side, such as a lid. For the primary subsystem 1000, the enclosure 3110 can house each of the modules 108 of the primary subsystem 1000, and any interconnection modules 108IC that may be present in the primary subsystem 1000. The battery module 206 and electronics 3104 of each module 108 are contained within the enclosure 3110. Similarly, for the auxiliary subsystem 2000, the enclosure 3110 can house each of the battery module 206 of the auxiliary subsystem 2000, and any electronics 3104 associated with the battery module 206. In some embodiments, the enclosure 3110 may house multiple subsystems of the energy system 100. For example, a common enclosure 3110 may house modules 108 of two (or more) primary subsystems 1000 and any interconnection modules 108IC that can interconnect the modules so that the thermal management system 3100 is shared among the two (or more) primary subsystems 1000. Similarly, battery modules 206 and electronic equipment 3104 of two (or more) auxiliary subsystems 2000 can also be housed in the common enclosure 3110 so that the thermal management system 3100 is shared among the two (or more) auxiliary subsystems 2000. In other embodiments, the enclosure 3110 may house parts of one or more subsystems of the energy system 100. For example, each array 700 of a multiphase primary subsystem 1000 may be housed in its own enclosure 3110 so that each array 700 has its own dedicated thermal management system 3100.Similarly, each set 800 of the battery modules 206 of the auxiliary subsystem 2000 (e.g., Figures 11F-11G) can be housed in its own enclosure 3110, such that each set 800 has its own dedicated thermal management system 3100. Such a situation can be appropriate when a number of energy sources 206 and associated electronic equipment 3104 are implemented in an energy system 100, which generally involves a number of heat sources and space constraints.

[0280] As shown in Figures 22C and 22D, both the upper enclosure 3111 and the lower enclosure 3112 may each include a network of conduits 3222 or bladder 3223 for guiding coolant through their respective embodiments and cooling subsystems of the energy system 100, in this example the subsystem being the primary subsystem 1000. Here, the conduits 3114 provide cooling to module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000, primarily by convective heat transfer with the coolant, for example, by circulating the coolant at a specific rate and / or volumetric flow rate in close proximity to the battery module 206 and / or electronics 3104 of module 108. On the other hand, the bladder 3115 provides cooling to module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000 primarily by conductive heat transfer with the coolant, for example, by maintaining a relatively large amount of coolant in close proximity to the battery module 206 and / or electronics 3104 of module 108. Since the coolant-filled bladder 3115 functions as a heat reservoir with high heat capacity, the large surface area and temperature gradient between the bladder 3115 and the battery module 206 and / or electronics 3104 are advantageous in maximizing heat transfer from these components. Adjacent bladder 3115s can be connected to each other via conduits so that the coolant flows between the bladder 3115s, for example by advection, which helps facilitate a uniform temperature distribution across the enclosure 3110.

[0281] Either the conduit 3114 or bladder 3115 approach can be implemented for different subsystems of the energy system 100. In some cases, both approaches can be implemented within the same enclosure 3110. For example, the uppermost enclosure 3111 may contain a network of bladder 3223, the lowermost enclosure 3112 may contain a network of conduit 3222, or vice versa. As shown here, coolant from pump 3101 can be circulated to the lowermost enclosure 3112, where the coolant passes through the network of conduit 3222 or the network of bladder 3223, as shown for the uppermost enclosure 3111, and thus proceeds close to the battery module 206, cooling the battery module 206. The coolant exits the lower enclosure 3112 and proceeds to the upper enclosure 3111 (through external conduits of enclosure 3110, or through conduits on the sides or inside enclosure 3110), circulating through another network of conduits 3222 or bladder network 3223, in which it can proceed in close proximity to the electronic equipment 3104 and cool the electronic equipment 3104. The coolant then exits the upper enclosure 3111, and the coolant can proceed to the next component of the thermal management system 3100, such as the motor(s) 1100.

[0282] Figure 22E is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000 located within enclosure 3110. Here, the electronics 3104 is located above the battery module 206 and is contained within the electronics housing 3122. The electronics 3104 is mounted on one or more substrates 3124, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) and / or insulating metal substrate (IMS) substrate, which provide electrical connections between the various components of the electronics 3104. The substrates 3124 are located directly adjacent to a heat sink plate 3132-1 made of a high thermal conductivity material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, or steel.

[0283] In an EV mounting configuration where the upper or top orientation generally points closer to the EV's passenger compartment (e.g., passenger side) and the lower or bottom orientation generally points closer to the road or railway (e.g., road side or railway side), the substrate 3124 is oriented above the electronic equipment 3104 so that the electronic equipment 3104 is mounted upside down or inverted (e.g., the semiconductor power transistors are located below the soldered PCB or IMS). This provides a large surface area contact between the substrate 3124 and the heatsink 3132-1, enabling efficient heat dissipation from the electronic equipment 3104 through the substrate 3124 to the heatsink 3132-1. The battery module 206 is located below the housing 3122, with a second heatsink 3132-2 located above the bottom enclosure 3112, between the battery module 206 and the bottom enclosure 3112. The battery module 206 has positive and negative terminals 3128 located at the top of the battery 206. The electrical connection section 3130 extends from terminals 3128 through the housing 3122 (or alternatively, outside the housing 3122) to the circuit board 3124 and / or to the converter 202 for switching. The connection section 3130 can be configured as a wiring connection section, but more preferably as a busbar. The busbar can improve heat conduction away from the electronics 3104 and increase airflow within the housing 3122.

[0284] The uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112 include conduits 3114 for guiding the coolant 3136 (see, for example, Figure 22C). The conduits 3114 are made of a highly thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, or steel, and can have a polygonal cross-section as shown here, but other shapes can be used, such as elliptical or circular, or a combination of rounded and polygonal shapes. The conduits 3114 are located within channels 3120 in the uppermost enclosure 3111 or the lowermost enclosure 3112, and the channels 3120 have a shape corresponding to the conduits 3114. For example, if the conduits 3114 have a polygonal cross-section, the channels 3120 may also have a polygonal cross-section, allowing the conduits 3114 to be located within them. The uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112 can also be constructed of a highly thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, or steel. The channel 3120 can be machined or etched into the uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112, and the conduit 3114 can be press-fitted into the channel 3120.

[0285] As shown here, two sections of the conduit 3114 in the uppermost enclosure 3111 pass over module 108, and three sections of the conduit 3114 in the lowermost enclosure 3112 pass below module 108. Optionally, an interface layer 3134 may be present between the surface of the conduit 3114 and the surface of the heat sink 3132. The interface layer 3134 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity and some degree of deformability or elasticity to form a continuous and durable contact between the heat sink 3132 and the surface of the conduit 3114 (as well as the surfaces of the uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112). For example, the interface layer 3134 can be made of a thermally conductive polymer that is relatively thinner than the heat sink 3132.

[0286] In this embodiment, multiple conduits 3114 are shown passing above and below a single module 108, but the density and layout of the conduits 3114 will vary based on the thermal requirements of the application. Preferably, at least one conduit 3114 passes above (and below) each module 108, but this is not mandatory. One conduit 3114 can be shared by two or more modules 108. The conduits 3114 can be routed above the center of the module 108 or at a distance of about one-third from the side of the module 108.

[0287] Figure 22F is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000 located within enclosure 3110. This exemplary embodiment is similar to the embodiment in Figure 22E, except that instead of conduits 3114, the uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112 include bladder 3115 for guiding the coolant 3136 (see, for example, Figure 22D). Similar to conduits 3114, bladder 3115 is made of a highly thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, copper alloy, or steel, and can have a polygonal cross-section as shown here, but other shapes can be used, such as elliptical or circular, or a combination of rounded and polygonal shapes. Bladder 3115 is located within a cavity 3121 in either the uppermost enclosure 3111 or the lowermost enclosure 3112, the cavity 3121 having a shape corresponding to bladder 3115. For example, if the bladder 3115 has a polygonal cross-section, the cavity 3121 may also have a polygonal cross-section, allowing the bladder 3115 to be located within the cavity 3121. The cavity 3121 can be machined or etched into the uppermost enclosure 3111 and the lowermost enclosure 3112, and the bladder 3115 can be press-fitted into the cavity 3121.

[0288] As shown in Figure 22F, a heatsink 3132 is not required in this embodiment because the bladder 3115 provides sufficient conductive heat transfer. The first bladder 3115-1 is located in the uppermost enclosure 3111, above the module 108. The first bladder 3115-1 substantially covers the upper surface of the substrate 3124 to provide a thermal reservoir for the electronic equipment 3104. Similarly, the second bladder 3115-2 is located in the lowermost enclosure 3112, below the module 108. The second bladder 3115-2 substantially covers the lower surface of the battery module 206, providing a thermal reservoir for the battery 206. Although not shown in Figure 22F, an interface layer 3134 may optionally be present between the surface of the first bladder 3115-1 and the surface of the substrate 3124, and between the surface of the second bladder 3115-2 and the surface of the battery module 206.

[0289] In this embodiment, the upper enclosure 3111 and the lower enclosure 3112 each include a bladder 3115 for each module 108, although the density and layout of the bladder 3115 vary based on the thermal requirements of the application. For example, the upper enclosure 3111 and the lower enclosure 3112 may include a network of bladder 3223 arranged such that each module 108 is covered by multiple (e.g., two, three, four, or more) bladder 3115s. Similarly, the upper enclosure 3111 and the lower enclosure 3112 may include a network of bladder 3223 arranged such that each bladder 3115 covers multiple (e.g., two, three, four, or more) adjacent modules 108. For example, if enclosure 3110 contains multiple modules 108 of different sizes, different combinations of these network arrangements may also be used.

[0290] In some embodiments, such as those shown in Figures 23A-23F, it is possible to cool all components of the primary subsystem 1000 and auxiliary subsystem 2000 by providing coolant through only the upper enclosure 3111, without first cooling the battery module 206 and then the electronics 3104. Figure 23A shows another embodiment of the thermal management system 3100, where the coolant circulates simultaneously from the pump 3101 to both the battery module 206 and the associated electronics 3104, then to the motor(s) 1100, and subsequently to the heat exchanger 3108. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 23B, each subsystem of the system 100 can be housed in a common enclosure 3110 (or pack) having only the upper enclosure 3111 configured for cooling. Figures 23C and 23D show exemplary embodiments of enclosure 3110 for primary subsystem 1000, similar to those in Figures 22C and 22D, except that the coolant is guided only within the uppermost enclosure 3111 by a network of conduits 3222 or a network of bladder 3223. Figures 23E and 23F are cross-sectional views showing exemplary embodiments of module 108 of primary subsystem 1000 located within enclosure 3110, similar to those in Figures 22E and 22F, respectively, except that module 108 is located on a base 3126 and is provided with cooling only from the uppermost enclosure 3111.

[0291] Figures 23G to 23L show additional embodiments for simultaneously cooling the battery module 206 and the electronics 3104, which can be implemented, for example, using the thermal management system 3100 of Figure 23A. As shown in Figure 23G, each subsystem of system 100 can be housed in a common enclosure 3110 (or pack) having an intermediate panel 3113 configured for cooling. Figure 23H shows an exemplary embodiment of the enclosure 3110 for the primary subsystem 1000, in which the intermediate panel 3113 is positioned between the battery module 206 and the electronics housing 3122 of each module 108. In this case, the coolant circulates within the intermediate panel 3113 in close proximity to both the battery module 206 and the electronics 3104 housed in the housing 3122. Figures 23I and 23J show exemplary embodiments of the intermediate panel 3113 configured to have a network of conduits 3222 or a network of bladder 3223 for circulating coolant, similar to that of the uppermost enclosure 3111 or the lowermost enclosure 3112 (e.g., Figures 22C–22D).

[0292] Figures 23K and 23L are cross-sectional views showing exemplary embodiments of module 108 of the primary subsystem 1000, located within an enclosure 3110, similar to those in Figures 23E and 23F, respectively, except that cooling water is guided within an intermediate panel 3113 between the battery module 206 and the electronics housing 3122. In this embodiment, the electronics 3104 and the substrate 3124 are oriented in a non-inverted orientation to position the electronics 3104 closer to the intermediate panel 3113. The battery module 206 rests on the base 3126, the substrate 3124 rests on the intermediate panel 3113, and the cover 3125 covers the uppermost surface of the electronics housing 3122. An int...

Claims

1. An energy system that can be controlled to supply power to multiple loads, wherein the energy system is A primary subsystem coupled to an AC bus, the primary subsystem comprising one or more arrays, each array comprising a plurality of modules connected together to generate an AC voltage signal, the AC voltage signal comprising a superposition of the output voltages generated by each module of the array, each module Energy sources, A primary subsystem comprising a converter connected to the aforementioned energy source, An auxiliary subsystem coupled to a DC bus, the auxiliary subsystem comprising one or more energy sources connected together to generate a DC voltage signal, A primary converter connected to the AC bus and the DC bus, A control system that is communicatively coupled to each module of the primary converter and the primary subsystem, wherein the control system is The converter of each module is controlled to generate the output voltage via the power connection section for the module, An energy system comprising: a control system configured to control the primary converter to convert AC power on the AC bus into DC power for the DC bus.

2. The converter of each module is configured to receive a charging signal via the power connection part of the module. The control system is The energy system according to claim 1, further configured to (i) convert the charging signal into a continuous signal or a pulsed signal, and (ii) control the converter of each module so as to apply the continuous signal or the pulsed signal to the energy source of the module.

3. The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the energy source of each module is a battery module.

4. The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the converter in each module is a DC-AC converter.

5. The energy system according to claim 4, wherein the converter in each module is a full-bridge converter.

6. Each module is, The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, further comprising an energy buffer connected between the energy source and the converter of the module.

7. The energy system according to claim 6, wherein the energy buffer is a passive energy buffer.

8. The energy system according to claim 7, wherein the passive energy buffer is a capacitor.

9. The energy system according to claim 6, wherein the energy buffer is an active energy buffer.

10. The active energy buffer is Passive energy buffer and The energy system according to claim 9, further comprising one or more switches configured to selectively connect the passive energy buffer to the energy source and the converter of the module.

11. The energy system according to claim 10, wherein the passive energy buffer is a capacitor.

12. The energy system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein one or more switches are dual-conducting position (TCP) switches or on / off switches.

13. The control system is The energy system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further configured to control one or more switches to selectively connect the passive energy buffer to the energy source and the converter of the module.

14. The converter in each module is a first converter, The power connection section for each module is the first power connection section, Each module is, The module further comprises a second converter connected to the energy source, the second converter being configured to receive a charging signal via a second power connection of the module, The control system is The energy system according to any one prior claim, further configured to (i) convert the charging signal into a continuous signal or a pulsed signal, and (ii) control the second converter of each module to apply the continuous signal or the pulsed signal to the energy source of the module.

15. The energy system according to claim 14, wherein the second transducer of each module is unidirectional.

16. The second converter of each module is bidirectional, The output voltage of each module is the first output voltage, The control system is The energy system according to claim 14, further configured to control the second converter of each module so as to generate the second output voltage via the second power connection of the module.

17. The energy system according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the second converter of each module is a DC-DC converter equipped with a transformer.

18. The energy system according to claim 17, wherein the second converter of each module comprises a DC-AC converter connected between the second power connection and the transformer.

19. The energy system according to claim 18, wherein the DC-AC converter is a full-bridge converter.

20. The energy system according to claim 18 or 19, as also dependent on claim 15, wherein the second converter of each module further comprises a diode rectifier connected between the transformer and the energy source.

21. The energy system according to claim 18 or 19, as also dependent on claim 16, wherein the second converter of each module further comprises an AC-DC converter connected between the transformer and the energy source.

22. The energy system according to claim 21, wherein the AC-DC converter is a full-bridge converter or a push-pull converter.

23. The energy source for each module is the first energy source, The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein each module further comprises a second energy source connected to the first converter.

24. The energy system according to claim 23, wherein the second energy source is connected to the first converter by an inductor.

25. The first energy source is a first type of lithium-ion battery module, The energy system according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the second energy source is a second different type of lithium-ion battery module.

26. The first energy source is a battery module, The energy system according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the second energy source is a high-energy-density (HED) capacitor.

27. Each module further comprises a monitoring circuit configured to (i) monitor the status information of the module and (ii) output the status information to the control system, The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the control system is configured to control the converter of the module based on the status information.

28. The energy system according to claim 27, wherein the status information includes data characterizing the temperature and charge state of each module.

29. The energy system according to claim 28, wherein the control system is configured to control the converters of the modules to balance the temperature and charge state of all modules of the primary subsystem.

30. The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein each energy source of the auxiliary subsystem is a battery module.

31. The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the primary converter is unidirectional.

32. The primary converter is bidirectional, The control system is The energy system according to any one of claims 1 to 30, further configured to control the primary converter so as to convert DC power on the DC bus into AC power for the AC bus.

33. The primary converter is An AC-DC converter connected to the aforementioned AC bus, The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, comprising a DC-DC converter connected to the DC bus.

34. The primary converter is The energy system according to claim 33, further comprising a capacitor connected between the AC-DC converter and the DC-DC converter.

35. The energy system according to claim 33 or 34, wherein the AC-DC converter is a full-bridge converter.

36. The primary converter is The energy system according to any one of claims 33 to 35, further comprising an inductive interface circuit connected between the AC bus and the AC-DC converter.

37. The energy system according to claim 36, wherein the inductive interface circuit comprises one or more line filters.

38. The energy system according to claim 37, wherein each line filter is an inductor.

39. The energy system according to any one of claims 33 to 38, as also dependent on claim 31, wherein the DC-DC converter is a DC-DC boost converter or a DC-DC buck converter.

40. The energy system according to claim 39, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises a switch, a diode, an inductor, and a capacitor.

41. The energy system according to any one of claims 33 to 38, as also dependent on claim 32, wherein the DC-DC converter is a DC-DC boost-back converter or a DC-DC buck-boost converter.

42. The energy system according to claim 41, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises two switches, an inductor, and a capacitor.

43. The control system is A plurality of local control devices, each configured to control the converter of one or more modules of the primary subsystem, The system according to any one of the prior claims, comprising a main control device which is communicatively coupled to the local control device and configured to control the primary converter.

44. The energy system according to claim 43, wherein each local control device is configured to control a corresponding module among the modules of the primary subsystem.

45. The energy system according to claim 44, wherein each module of the primary subsystem comprises a corresponding local control device from among the local control devices.

46. The primary subsystem comprises a plurality of arrays, according to any one of the prior claims.

47. The energy system according to claim 46, wherein each array comprises the same number of modules.

48. The energy system according to claim 46 or 47, wherein the AC voltage signals generated by each array have different phase angles.

49. The energy system according to any one of claims 46 to 48, wherein the AC bus comprises a node for each array of the primary subsystem.

50. The energy system according to claim 49, further comprising a charging port coupled to the AC bus and configured to conduct a charging source signal.

51. The energy system according to claim 50, wherein the charging source signal is a multiphase AC charging signal.

52. The control system is Using the multiphase AC charging signal on the AC bus, the converter of the module is controlled to charge the energy source of the module. The energy system according to claim 51, further configured to control the primary converter so as to convert the multiphase AC charging signal on the AC bus into DC power for the DC bus.

53. The energy system according to claim 50, wherein the charging source signal is a DC charging signal or a single-phase AC charging signal.

54. The system further comprises a routing circuit connected between the charging port and the AC bus, The energy system according to claim 53, wherein the routing circuit is controllable to selectively route the DC charging signal or the signal-phase AC charging signal to each node of the AC bus.

55. The control system is communicatively coupled to the routing circuit, The control system is The energy system according to claim 54, further configured to control the routing circuit to selectively route the DC charging signal or the single-phase AC charging signal from the charging port to each node of the AC bus.

56. The control system is The converter of the module is controlled to charge the energy source of the module using the DC charging signal on the AC bus or the single-phase AC charging signal. The energy system according to claim 55, further configured to control the primary converter to convert the DC charging signal on the AC bus or the single-phase AC charging signal into DC power for the DC bus.

57. The control system is The energy system according to claim 56, further configured to control the routing circuit to cycle the DC charging signals routed to each node of the AC bus.

58. The energy system according to claim 57, wherein the control system cycles the DC charging signal at a period of 1.5 milliseconds (ms) or less.

59. The energy system according to any one of claims 54 to 58, wherein the routing circuit comprises a plurality of solid-state relay (SSR) circuits.

60. The energy system according to claim 59, wherein each SSR circuit is a triac.

61. The energy system according to claim 59, wherein each SSR circuit comprises one or more transistors.

62. The energy system according to claim 61, wherein each transistor is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

63. The energy system according to any one of claims 59 to 62, wherein the routing circuit further comprises a capacitor.

64. The auxiliary subsystem comprises a plurality of energy sources, as described in any one of the prior claims.

65. The energy system according to claim 64, wherein the energy sources of the auxiliary subsystem are connected in series.

66. The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the primary subsystem is the first primary subsystem among a plurality of primary subsystems, each of which is coupled to the AC bus.

67. Each of the multiple main power distribution units is connected between the corresponding primary subsystem of the primary subsystem and the AC bus, The energy system according to claim 66, further comprising an auxiliary power distribution unit connected between the auxiliary subsystem and the DC bus.

68. The energy system according to claim 67, wherein each of the main distribution unit and the auxiliary distribution unit comprises one or more safety disconnect devices.

69. The energy system according to claim 68, wherein each safety disconnect device is a fuse or a circuit breaker.

70. Each main distribution unit is equipped with a transformer, The energy system according to any one of claims 67 to 69, wherein the auxiliary power distribution unit comprises an isolated DC-DC converter.

71. The energy system according to any one of claims 66 to 70, further comprising a plurality of enclosures, each housing a corresponding subsystem or auxiliary subsystem from among the primary subsystem or auxiliary subsystem.

72. The energy system according to claim 71, as also dependent on claim 67, wherein each enclosure further comprises a corresponding main distribution unit or auxiliary distribution unit among the main distribution unit or the auxiliary distribution unit.

73. Each enclosure is, Multiple conduits configured to guide coolant, or The energy system according to claim 71 or 72, comprising a plurality of bladders configured to guide a coolant.

74. The aforementioned multiple loads include a primary load, The energy system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the AC bus is configured to supply power to the primary load.

75. The system further comprises a plurality of switches connected between the primary load and the AC bus, The energy system according to claim 74, wherein the plurality of switches can be controlled to selectively connect the primary load to the AC bus.

76. The energy system according to claim 75, wherein the plurality of switches are two-conducting position (TCP) switches or on / off switches.

77. The control system is communicatively coupled to the plurality of switches, The control system is The energy system according to claim 75 or 76, further configured to control the plurality of switches so as to selectively connect the primary load to the AC bus.

78. The aforementioned plurality of loads further include auxiliary loads, The energy system according to any one of claims 74 to 77, wherein the DC bus is configured to supply power to the auxiliary load.

79. The energy system according to claim 78, further comprising a DC-AC converter connected between the auxiliary load and the DC bus.

80. The control system is communicatively coupled to the DC-AC converter, The control system is The energy system according to claim 79, further configured to control the DC-AC converter so as to convert DC power on the DC bus into AC power for the auxiliary load.

81. An electric vehicle comprising an energy system according to any one of claims 78 to 80, The primary load is coupled to the AC bus, and the primary load includes one or more motors of the electric vehicle. The auxiliary load is coupled to the DC bus, and the auxiliary load includes the electric vehicle's HVAC system.

82. The electric vehicle according to claim 81, as also dependent on claim 71, wherein the enclosure housing each of the primary subsystem and the auxiliary subsystem is located on the roof of the electric vehicle, inside the chassis of the electric vehicle, or both.

83. An electric vehicle according to claim 81 or 82, configured as an electric bus.

84. An electric vehicle according to claim 81 or 82, configured as a railway-type electric vehicle.

85. A railway-type electric vehicle according to claim 84, configured as an electric train or electric tram.

86. A method for supplying power to a plurality of loads using an energy system according to any one of claims 78 to 80, The primary load is coupled to the AC bus, The auxiliary load is coupled to the DC bus, A method comprising supplying power to the AC bus and the DC bus from the primary energy system and the auxiliary energy system.

87. Supplying power from the main energy system and the auxiliary energy system to the AC bus and the DC bus is, The control system is used to control the first converter of each module so as to generate the output voltage via the first power connection of the module, The method according to claim 86, comprising controlling the primary converter using the control system to convert AC power on the AC bus into DC power for the DC bus.

88. Supplying power from the main energy system and the auxiliary energy system to the AC bus and the DC bus is, The method of claim 87, as also dependent on claim 32, further comprising using the control system to control the primary converter so as to convert DC power on the DC bus to AC power for the AC bus.

89. Using a charging source, the charging source signal is applied to the charging port, The method according to claim 87 or 88, as also dependent on claim 50, further comprising charging the primary subsystem and the auxiliary subsystem using the charging source signal.

90. Using the aforementioned charging source signal, the primary subsystem and the auxiliary subsystem are charged as follows: The control system is used to control the converter of the module so as to charge the energy source of the module using the multiphase AC charging signal on the AC bus, The method of claim 89, as also dependent on claim 52, comprising using the control system to control the primary converter so as to convert the multiphase AC charging signal on the AC bus into DC power for the DC bus.

91. Using the aforementioned charging source signal, the primary subsystem and the auxiliary subsystem are charged as follows: The control system is used to control the routing circuit so as to selectively route the DC charging signal or the single-phase AC charging signal from the charging port to each node of the AC bus. The control system is used to control the converter of the module so as to charge the energy source of the module using the DC charging signal on the AC bus or the single-phase AC charging signal, The method of claim 89, as also dependent on claim 56, comprising controlling the primary converter using the control system to convert the DC charging signal on the AC bus or the single-phase AC charging signal into DC power for the DC bus.

92. The method of claim 91, as also dependent on claim 56, further comprising using the control system to control the routing circuit to cycle the DC charging signals routed to each node of the AC bus.

93. The method according to any one of claims 89 to 92, also dependent on claim 13, further comprising using the control system to control one or more switches so as to isolate the passive energy buffer from the energy source and the first transducer of the module.

94. The method according to any one of claims 86 to 93, also dependent on claim 73, further comprising guiding cooling water through either the conduit or the bladder housed in the enclosure.

95. An energy system that can be controlled to supply power to a load, wherein the energy system is It comprises one or more arrays, each array comprising multiple modules connected together to generate an AC voltage signal, the AC voltage signal comprising a superposition of the output voltages generated by each module of the array, each module Energy sources, A converter connected to the aforementioned energy source, Energy buffer and An energy system comprising one or more switches controllable to selectively connect the energy buffer to the energy source and the converter.

96. The energy system according to claim 95, wherein the energy buffer is a capacitor.

97. Each module is equipped with a control system that is communicatively coupled to it, and the control system is The energy system according to claim 95 or 96, configured to control the converters of each module so as to generate the output voltage via the power connection for the module.

98. The converter of each module is configured to receive a charging signal via the power connection part of the module. The control system is Control one or more switches in each module to disconnect the energy buffer from the energy source and the converter of the module. The energy system according to claim 97, further configured to (i) convert the charging signal into a pulse signal, and (ii) control the converter of each module so as to apply the pulse signal to the energy source of the module.

99. The energy system according to any one of claims 95 to 98, wherein the one or more arrays are a plurality of arrays.

100. A charging port configured to conduct a DC charging signal or a single-phase AC charging signal, The array further comprises a routing circuit connected between the charging port and the array, The energy system according to claim 99, wherein the routing circuit is controllable to selectively route the DC charging signal or the single-phase AC charging signal to each of the arrays.

101. The energy system according to claim 100, wherein the routing circuit comprises a plurality of solid-state relay (SSR) circuits.

102. The energy system according to claim 101, wherein the routing circuit further comprises a capacitor.

103. The control system is communicatively coupled to the routing circuit, The control system is The energy system according to any one of claims 100 to 102, as dependent on claim 98, further configured to control the routing circuit to selectively route the DC charging signal or the single-phase AC charging signal from the charging port to each of the arrays.

104. The control system is The energy system according to claim 103, further configured to control the routing circuit to cycle the DC charging signals routed to each array.

105. The energy system according to claim 104, wherein the control system cycles the DC charging signal at a period of 1.5 milliseconds (ms) or less.

106. An energy system that can be controlled to supply power to a load, wherein the energy system is It comprises one or more arrays, each array comprising multiple modules connected together to generate an AC voltage signal, the AC voltage signal comprising a superposition of the output voltages generated by each module of the array, each module Energy sources, A converter connected to the energy source, wherein the converter comprises a plurality of power transistors interconnected by a plurality of electrical connection parts, A substrate on which the power transistor is mounted, the substrate comprising the electrical connection portion, A housing supporting the power transistor between the energy source and the substrate, An energy system comprising: a plurality of bladders arranged to spread out on the substrate of the module, wherein the plurality of bladders are configured to guide a coolant.

107. The energy system according to claim 106, wherein the energy source for each module is a battery module.

108. The energy system according to any one of claims 106 to 107, wherein each module has the same size and shape.

109. The energy system according to any one of claims 106 to 108, wherein the housing of each module is positioned between the energy source of the module and the substrate, and the housing comprises the power transistor.

110. The energy system according to any one of claims 106 to 109, wherein each bladder is arranged to spread out on the substrate of the corresponding module among the modules.

111. The aforementioned plurality of bladders are the first plurality of bladders, The energy system further comprises a plurality of second bladders arranged to extend over the energy source of the module, the plurality of second bladders configured to guide coolant, The energy system according to any one of claims 106 to 110, wherein the module is positioned between the first plurality of bladders and the second plurality of bladders.

112. The energy system according to claim 111, wherein each of the second plurality of bladders is arranged to extend over the energy source of the corresponding module among the modules.

113. The energy system according to any one of claims 106 to 112, further comprising an enclosure housing each of the modules and the bladder.

114. The energy system according to claim 113, wherein the enclosure comprises recesses that support each of the bladders internally.

115. The energy system according to any one of claims 113 to 114, wherein the enclosure comprises a lid and a base.

116. The system according to any one of claims 113 to 115, wherein the enclosure further comprises a frame in which the modules are arranged in a common plane, and the frame comprises a plurality of struts extending between the modules.

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