Charging control-based power augmented mobile charger having phase-locked loop

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charging control-based power augmentation mobile charger, wherein the charging control-based power augmentation mobile charger includes: a first power supply unit; a second power supply unit which is a separate power supply different from the first power supply unit; a battery charged by the second power supply unit; a phase-locked circuit connected to an output terminal of the battery; and an adder having an input terminal connected to each output terminal of the first power supply unit and the phase-locked circuit, and summing power output from the first power supply unit and power output from the phase-locked circuit to output increased power toward a load.

Description

Power-boosting mobile charger based on charge control with phase-locked loop

[0001] This invention was made with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the research management specialized organization is the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology Planning and Evaluation, the research project name is "Automobile Industry Technology Development", the research subject name is "Development of Mobile Wired / Wireless Electric Vehicle Automatic Charging System Element Components and Operation Technology", the main organization is SK Eleclink Co., Ltd., and the research period is from 2023.04.01 to 2024.12.31.

[0002] The present invention relates to a power-augmenting mobile charger based on charge control having a phase-locked loop, and more particularly, to a power-augmenting mobile charger based on charge control that uses two different power sources, commercial power and external power, and converts the DC power of a battery charged using the external power into an AC output in phase with the commercial power through a phase-locked loop, thereby amplifying the output power to a load by adding the AC output of the commercial power and the AC output converted from the external power.

[0003] As concerns about fossil fuel depletion and environmental issues grow, green energy, based on highly efficient and environmentally friendly energy sources, is gaining traction across industries. In particular, with internal combustion engine vehicles identified as a primary culprit in the energy crisis and global warming, active research is underway on eco-friendly vehicles powered by electric energy.

[0004] Electric vehicles do not use internal combustion engines, but rather use rechargeable batteries to generate the energy needed to drive the vehicle. Therefore, the batteries must be charged in order to operate the vehicle.

[0005] There are two ways to charge the batteries of electric vehicles: using a stationary charger and using a mobile charger.

[0006] In the case of fixed chargers, there is a problem in that the space where the fixed charger must be installed must be specified, so the parking space occupied by the vehicle during charging is required, and the cost incurred accordingly arises.

[0007] Accordingly, the installation of electric vehicle chargers is increasing in places where securing space is relatively easy, such as apartment complexes, public parking lots, and public institutions. However, even these are limited to specific areas and the number of chargers that can be installed is limited. In addition, it is difficult to install fixed chargers in general houses, buildings, hotels, and restaurants due to issues of installation cost and time.

[0008] In comparison, in the case of mobile chargers, there is no need to fix the installation location, so there are no significant restrictions on installation space and the resulting cost issues are not significant either.

[0009] As such a portable charger, a portable charger that converts output from a commercial AC power source into direct current output or adds the output of a battery to the output of a commercial power source can be used.

[0010] However, in the case of charging using both commercial power and a battery, the AC output of the commercial power and the DC output of the battery are converted into the same output and then added together. For example, the AC output of the commercial power is converted into a DC output through an AC-DC converter, and the DC output from the battery is also converted into a DC output with an appropriate voltage range to be input to the adder through a DC-DC converter. Then, the outputs from both power sources are added together through the adder, and the increased power can be applied to the electric vehicle.

[0011] The present invention is to increase the amount of power applied to a load by adding a portable battery to a commercial power source with a simple configuration.

[0012] The present invention is to increase the size of power applied to a load by combining power from a commercial power source and power converted and output from a battery.

[0013] The present invention is to perform a stable power supply toward a load by using a plurality of battery modules constituting a battery.

[0014] A power-increasing mobile charger based on charge control of the present invention comprises: a first power supply unit; a second power supply unit that is a separate power supply unit from the first power supply unit; a battery charged by the second power supply unit; a phase-locked circuit connected to an output terminal of the battery; and an adder having input terminals connected to output terminals of the first power supply unit and the phase-locked circuit, respectively, and adding power output from the first power supply unit and power output from the phase-locked circuit and outputting the increased power to a load.

[0015] Additionally, the first power supply unit outputs AC power, and the battery outputs DC power.

[0016] In addition, the DC power output from the battery is converted into AC power by the phase-locked circuit and output, and the adder adds the AC power output from the first power supply unit and the AC power output from the phase-locked circuit and outputs the increased power to the load.

[0017] Additionally, the output of the first power supply is input as a reference signal to the phase-locked circuit.

[0018] Additionally, the output of the battery is converted into an AC output having the same frequency and phase as the reference signal in the phase-locked circuit.

[0019] Additionally, the battery includes a plurality of battery modules, and the plurality of battery modules are movable battery modules that are separated from each other.

[0020] In addition, it further comprises a first switching unit connected between the second power supply unit and the battery and having a plurality of switches; a second switching unit connected between the battery and the current detection unit and having a plurality of switches; and a current detection unit connected between the second switching unit and the phase locking circuit.

[0021] In addition, the present invention further includes a control unit that is connected to the current detection unit, the first switching unit, and the second switching unit, determines the current output current using a current detection signal applied from the current detection unit, and controls the operation of the second switching unit according to the state of the determined current output current to switch the currently discharged battery module that is currently supplying power to the load among the plurality of battery modules to another battery module, and controls the operation of the first switching unit to control the charging operation of the currently discharged battery module.

[0022] In addition, each switch of the second switching unit includes a diode having an anode terminal connected to an output terminal of a corresponding battery module; a first switching element having one terminal connected to a cathode terminal of the diode and the other terminal connected to the current sensing unit; and a second switching element having one terminal connected to an output terminal of a corresponding battery module and the other terminal connected to the current sensing unit.

[0023] In addition, the control unit determines the current output current of the current discharge battery module using the current detection signal applied from the current detection unit, and if the output current difference between the determined current output current and the previous output current is greater than a set value, the control unit outputs a control signal for controlling a switching operation from the current discharge battery module to the next discharge battery module to the second switching unit.

[0024] Additionally, the control unit controls only one switching element among the first switching element and the second switching element in the current discharge switch connected to the current discharge battery module and the next discharge switch connected to the next discharge battery module to change its switching state.

[0025] In addition, a third switching unit connected between the adder and the load is further provided, and through the third switching unit, a first path for directly applying an output from the adder to the load and a second path for converting an output from the adder from alternating current to direct current or from direct current to alternating current and applying the same to the load are switched.

[0026] According to the present invention, the power ultimately output to the load can be increased by adding the direct current power from the battery, which is an additional power source, and the alternating current power from the commercial power source.

[0027] Additionally, the battery provided as an additional power source can increase power by a desired amount by increasing or decreasing the number of battery modules, including multiple battery modules designed separately, or by changing the connection status between battery modules to series or parallel.

[0028] Additionally, depending on the remaining charge of the battery being discharged, the discharged battery module can be replaced with a new battery module.

[0029] Due to this, in the mobile charger of the present invention, the amount of power transmitted to the load can be maintained constant, so that the charging efficiency, such as the charging time of the load, can be improved.

[0030] Additionally, since charging operations can be performed on other battery modules while one battery module is being discharged, the charging time for charging the entire battery pack can be significantly reduced.

[0031] In addition, by simply combining a battery and a phase-locking circuit, the output of the battery can be converted into an AC output having the same frequency and phase as commercial power, thereby reducing the production and maintenance costs of a power-boosting mobile charger and increasing the charging efficiency due to reduced heat loss.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power-boosting mobile charger based on charge control having a phase-locked circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a phase-locked circuit in a power boosting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a battery and a switch in a power boosting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 4 is a graph showing changes in current capacity values ​​according to the discharge state of the battery of a power boosting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of a control unit of a power-augmenting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIGS. 6A to 6G are operation state diagrams of a second switching unit for switching from a current discharge battery module to a next discharge battery module under the control of a control unit in a power boosting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0039] The power boosting mobile charger described in this application is an example of a power boosting device and can be used for electric charging in various fields, not limited to charging electric vehicles.

[0040] The power boosting described in this application refers to converting battery power (DC) into alternating current (AC) in phase with the commercial power (AC) using a phase-locked loop (PLL), and then adding the two AC powers to boost the power supplied to the charger. Power boosting increases the total amount of power supplied to the load by connecting the commercial power supply and a separate power source from an external power source separate from the commercial power supply in parallel, thereby reducing the charging speed of the load and improving charging efficiency. Therefore, a significant reduction in charging time can be achieved not only in fast charging but also in slow charging.

[0041]

[0042] Hereinafter, a power boosting mobile charger based on charge control having a phase-locked loop according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043]

[0044] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power-augmenting mobile charger based on charge control having a phase-locked circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. The power auger of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, can increase the amount of power applied to a load by combining AC power converted from the power of a separate direct current power source (battery) and AC power of a commercial power source and transmitting the combined power to the load. Referring to the drawing, the output from a commercial power source (10), which is an AC power source, and the output of the power of a battery (30) charged by an external power source (110), which is converted through a phase-locked circuit (60), can be added in an adder and output to the load.

[0045] Specifically, the DC output applied from the battery (30) charged by an external power source (110) such as solar power is input as a reference (reference frequency, f) to the AC output from the commercial power source (10). R ), and is output as an AC output waveform having the same frequency and phase as the input reference signal through a phase lock circuit (PLL, Phase Lock Loop) (60) block. This output waveform is added to the AC output from the commercial power source (10) in the adder (70) and applied to the load (100) by the third switching unit (80). That is, through the phase lock circuit (60), the DC output from the battery (30) is converted into an AC output that has the same frequency and phase as the commercial power source (10). At this time, it can be applied directly to the load (100) in the form of AC output and used for slow charging of the load, or it can be applied to the load (100) in the form of DC output through an AC-DC converter (81) and used for rapid charging of the load.

[0046] Through this configuration, there is an advantage in that a greater amount of increased power can be transmitted to the load than when only a commercial power source (10) is used for the load (100) or when only a battery (30) charged by an external power source (110) is used for the load.

[0047]

[0048] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a phase-locked circuit (60) in a power-boosting mobile charger according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the drawing, the phase-locked circuit (60) includes a phase detector, a loop filter, and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO).

[0049] The phase detector uses the reference frequency (f) of the reference signal as the input reference. R) and the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator, and outputs a phase error signal corresponding to the difference. In one embodiment of the present invention, the reference frequency (f R ) can be the frequency of commercial power of 60 Hz or 50 Hz.

[0050] A loop filter is a filter composed of a low-pass filter (LPF) structure and includes capacitors arranged in parallel. Specifically, the loop filter converts a signal corresponding to a phase error into a direct current (DC) voltage, and the phase error is adjusted in a voltage-controlled oscillator according to this magnitude.

[0051] A voltage-controlled oscillator is an oscillator that outputs a specific frequency depending on the input voltage. The oscillator generates an AC signal or pulse signal as a periodic signal from a DC voltage. In one embodiment of the present invention, the voltage-controlled oscillator converts the DC output from the battery (30) into an AC signal and outputs it.

[0052] Since the phase of the output frequency corresponding to the input voltage of a voltage-controlled oscillator may change due to influences of temperature and weather, circuit influences, and electromagnetic environment such as surrounding equipment, the frequency is fixed through a phase-locking circuit (60).

[0053] Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the voltage controlled oscillator of the phase-locked circuit (60) uses the DC voltage from the battery (30) of the present invention as the power supply voltage (Vcc) and converts the DC output output from the battery (30) into an AC output having a frequency. That is, the DC output is converted into an AC output through the phase-locked circuit (60), and the battery (30) power becomes the power required to start the phase-locked circuit (60), and the DC power of the battery (30) is consumed to output AC power from the voltage-controlled oscillator. The frequency of the AC output converted from the voltage-controlled oscillator is fed back to the phase detector, and the phase detector determines the reference frequency (f R) is used to detect the phase error with the fed-back output frequency using the frequency of the AC output of the commercial power source (10). The detected phase error is converted into a compensated adjustment voltage corresponding to the DC value output through the loop filter. The voltage controlled oscillator, which receives the adjusted voltage whose error is compensated by feedback, converts the voltage output from the battery (30) to the same frequency (f) as the commercial power source (10). R ) and is converted into an AC output having a phase. As this operation goes through the loop, the error between the reference signal and the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator, that is, the error of the phase and frequency, is reduced, and when the phase and frequency of the reference signal and the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator match, the phase-locked circuit (60) enters a locked state with the phase locked. When the phase is locked, the output signal of the voltage-controlled oscillator is output as a signal having the same phase and frequency as the reference signal as the input signal.

[0054] Through this configuration, in the present invention, the direct current output from the battery (30) is converted into an alternating current output having the same frequency and phase as the commercial power source (10), that is, an undistorted signal having the same frequency and phase as the power source (10) can be output, and the converted alternating current output and the output of the commercial power source (10) are added in an adder (70) and transmitted to the load (100) as an enhanced output power.

[0055] In this way, through the simple configuration of the commercial power supply (10), battery (30), phase locking circuit (60), and adder (70) of Fig. 1, the augmented AC output can be applied to the load.

[0056]

[0057] Next, FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a battery and a switch in a power boosting mobile charger according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a change in a current capacity value according to a battery discharge state in a power boosting mobile charger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The power boosting mobile charger based on the charging control of the present invention comprises an external power source (110) (e.g., a second power source), a first switching unit (20) having an input terminal connected to the external power source (110), a battery (30) having a plurality of battery modules each having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of the first switching unit (20), a second switching unit (40) having each input terminal connected to an output terminal of each battery module (31-3n) of the battery (30), a current detection unit (50) connected to an output terminal of the second switching unit (40), a phase locking circuit (60) connected to the current detection unit (50), a commercial power source (10) (e.g., a first power source), an adder (70) having an input terminal connected to an output terminal of the commercial power source (10) and the phase locking circuit (60) and an output terminal connected to a load (100), and a control unit (90) connected to the first switching unit (20), the second switching unit (40), and the current detection unit (50). Also, although not shown, a first converter (not shown) connected between an external power source (110) and a first switching unit (20), and a second converter (not shown) connected between a current detection unit (50) and a phase locking circuit (60) may be provided as needed.

[0059] In this embodiment, the load (100) may be, for example, an electric vehicle (100), and in this case, the power output from the adder (70) may be for charging a battery mounted on the electric vehicle (100).

[0060] However, the load (100) is not limited thereto, and may be a device such as a mobile charger that can perform a charging operation or a driving operation of an installed battery using power output from an adder (70).

[0061] The external power source (110) is a power source for charging each battery module (31-3n), and may be a separate power source from the commercial power source, such as a renewable energy source such as a solar power generator or a wind power generator, as well as a commercial power source.

[0062] When the external power source (110) is a separate power source different from a commercial power source, the external power source (110) can output power in a direct current (DC) state. At this time, when a first converter is connected between the external power source (110) and the first switching unit (20), it can be a DC-DC converter (DC-DC converter) that outputs the DC state power output from the external power source (110) as DC power of a predetermined size. Accordingly, the DC power of the size converted by the first converter can be applied to the first switching unit (20) and used as power to charge the battery module (31-3n) of the battery (30).

[0063] The first switching unit (20) is for applying direct current power supplied from an external power source (110) or a first converter to one of a plurality of battery modules (31-3n) constituting the battery (30) under the control of the control unit (90). To this end, the first switching unit (20) may be provided with an input terminal connected to the external power source (110) or the first converter and a plurality of output terminals connected to the input terminals of each battery module (31-3n).

[0064] An example of such a first switching unit (20) may include a plurality of switching elements (SW21-SW2n) connected to each battery module (31-3n), as illustrated in FIG. 3. The plurality of switching elements (SW21-SW2n) may all have the same structure, and as an example, may include a switching element whose operating state changes to be turned on or off according to the control of the control unit (90). The switching elements (SW21-SW2n) may be switching elements such as a relay or transistor whose operating state changes according to a control signal applied from the control unit (90). Accordingly, one side of each switching element (SW21-SW2n) is commonly connected to an external power source (110) or a first converter, and the other side can be connected to the input side of each corresponding battery module (31-3n), so that, under the control of the control unit (90), one switching element of the plurality of switching elements (SW21-SW2n) is electrically and physically connected to one battery module of the plurality of battery modules (31-3n), so that the voltage output from the external power source (110) or the first converter can be supplied to the connected battery module. Accordingly, the corresponding battery module, which receives the output voltage of the external power source (110) or the first converter through the corresponding switching element (SW21-SW2n), can perform a charging operation by the supplied voltage.

[0065] The battery (30), as described above, is a battery pack and may include a plurality of battery modules (31-3n), and may include at least one mounting portion (not shown) on which each battery module (31-3n) is mounted, and a mounting detection portion (not shown) located at each mounting portion to detect whether a battery module (31-3n) is mounted on the corresponding mounting portion. At this time, the mounting detection portion may be a photo sensor having a light-emitting diode and a photo transistor, and may be connected to the control portion (90), so that a mounting detection signal (S1-Sn) output from each mounting detection portion may be input to the control portion (90).

[0066] Accordingly, the control unit (90) can determine whether a battery module is mounted on the corresponding mounting unit by using the mounting detection signal (S1-Sn) received from each mounting detection unit. At this time, each mounting unit can be assigned a unique identification number, and thus, the control unit (90) can determine the mounting position of the mounting detection unit (i.e., the position of the mounting unit) by using the position of the input terminal to which each mounting detection signal is input, and can determine whether a battery module is positioned on each mounting unit.

[0067] The plurality of battery modules (31-3n) may be modular batteries manufactured as separate modules. Accordingly, each battery module may be equipped with a battery cell that outputs a DC voltage of a predetermined size as a single portable battery, and may individually perform charging and discharging operations. Accordingly, each battery module (31-3n) may be equipped with at least one input terminal for receiving a voltage for charging the battery cell and at least one output terminal for outputting the voltage toward a load (100) located at the rear end.

[0068] Additionally, the battery module may be equipped with an additional handle attached to the external case for convenience, such as for portability. Thus, if the battery module is equipped with a handle, the user can easily position and use the desired number of battery modules in a desired location.

[0069] In the present embodiment, the battery cells of each battery module may be lithium-ion battery cells, and in this case, the charging and discharging operations for a single battery module cannot be performed simultaneously. Accordingly, when one battery module is electrically connected to a load (100) by the operation of the second switching unit (40) and performing a discharging operation, another battery module may be connected to an external power source (110) by the operation of the first switching unit (20) and be charged.

[0070] In this way, when one battery module (e.g., the current discharging battery module) performs a discharging operation, another battery module (e.g., the current charging battery module) performs a charging operation, so that the charging and discharging operations for multiple battery modules can be performed efficiently, and thus the management of the charging operations of the battery modules can be performed efficiently.

[0071] In addition, when the battery cell of the battery module is a lithium-ion battery cell, as shown in Fig. 4, the discharge speed may be rapidly reduced when the remaining internal charge of the battery module exceeds a threshold value (e.g., 18 Ah).

[0072] However, in the present embodiment, since there is another battery module that has been fully charged in addition to the currently discharged battery module, if the remaining charge (e.g., residual charge) of the currently discharged battery module is less than or equal to a set amount, the currently discharged battery module can be changed to another battery module using the second switching unit (40). Accordingly, since the amount of power supplied to the electric vehicle (100), which is the load (100), does not change significantly, the charging speed of the electric vehicle (100) can be maintained without decreasing regardless of the remaining charge of the battery module. Therefore, the charging speed of the electric vehicle (100) according to the present embodiment can be greatly improved compared to when the charging operation of the electric vehicle (100) is performed using a single battery module.

[0073] The second switching unit (40) may have multiple input terminals and one output terminal connected to the output terminals of each battery module. Accordingly, the second switching unit (40) may be electrically and physically connected to one of the multiple battery modules under the control of the control unit (90), and may output the voltage output from the connected battery module toward the load (100). Similar to the first switching unit (20), the second switching unit (40) may have multiple switches (41-4n) having the same structure, and the structure of each switch (41-4n) may include one diode (D41-D4n) and two switching elements (SW411-SW4n1, SW412-SW4n2).

[0074] Accordingly, as an example, each switch (41-4n) may include a diode (D41-D4n) having an anode terminal connected to an output terminal of the corresponding battery module, a switching element (e.g., a first switching element) (SW411-SW4n1) having one terminal connected to the cathode terminal of the diode (D41-D4n) and the other terminal connected to a current detection unit (50), and a switching element (e.g., a second switching element) (SW412-SW4n2) having one terminal connected to the output terminal of the corresponding battery module and the other terminal connected to the current detection unit (50). The second switching element (SW412-SW4n2) may be connected in parallel to the diode (D41-D4n) and the first switching element (SW411-SW4n1) that are connected in series.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first and second switching elements (SW411-SW4n1, SW412-SW4n2) may also be relays or transistors whose operating states change according to a control signal applied from the control unit (90). Accordingly, the second switching unit (40) is electrically and physically connected to one of the plurality of switches (41-4n) and one of the plurality of battery modules (31-3n) under the control of the control unit (90), so that power output from the connected battery module can be output toward the load (100) to charge the load (100).

[0076] The current detection unit (50) may include a shunt resistor. One terminal of the current detection unit (50) is connected to the output terminal of each switch (41-4n) of the second switching unit (40), and the other terminal may be connected to the input terminal of the phase locking circuit (60) or may be connected to the input terminal of the phase locking circuit (60) through the second converter. Accordingly, the control unit (90) can detect the potential difference of the voltages (Vst+, Vst-) detected at both terminals of the current detection unit (50) to measure the current flowing through the current detection unit (50), thereby determining the current charge amount of the currently discharged battery module, i.e., the current charging state.

[0077] Accordingly, the control unit (90) can control the operation of the second switching unit (40) according to the determined current charging state of the current discharge battery module to control the switching operation to a new discharge battery module, and can also control the operation of the first switching unit (20) to control the charging operation of the discharge battery module requiring charging (e.g., the current discharge battery module before switching).

[0078] In the present embodiment, when a second converter is connected between the current detection unit (50) and the phase locking circuit (60), the second converter can receive the voltage supplied from the currently discharged battery module currently connected to the second switching unit (40) through the current detection unit (50), convert it into a DC voltage of the corresponding size, and then output it to the phase locking circuit (60). At this time, the second converter may be a DC-DC converter.

[0079] The commercial power source (10) may be a power source supplied from a power plant to a home, and may output an AC voltage of approximately 100-220 V. The AC voltage supplied from this commercial power source (10) may be output to an adder (70). As a modified embodiment, instead of the commercial power source (10), a power source converted using the commercial power source (10), such as an external power source (110), or a separate external power source different from the commercial power source (10) supplied from the outside may be used. In this case, the power of these power sources may be AC ​​or DC. If the power of the separate external power source is DC, the DC voltage may be converted into AC voltage by an inverter (not shown) and then output to the adder (70).

[0080] In this embodiment, the output from the commercial power source (10) and the output from the external power source (110) are both added in the form of AC power in an adder (70) and output as augmented AC power. The output augmented power may be applied to the load (100) as AC power as is (first path), or may be applied to the load (100) after being converted to DC through a third converter (81, A / D converter), which is an AC-DC converter (second path). Both paths may be switched through a third switching unit (80), and the third switching unit (80) may be equipped with a switching element (SW80) that switches the connection path according to the control of an output control unit (not shown). The switching element (SW80) may be a switching element such as a relay or a transistor whose operating state changes according to a control signal applied from the output control unit.

[0081] The adder (70) may have two (+) input terminals [e.g., a first (+) input terminal and a second (+) input terminal] respectively connected to the output terminal of a commercial power source (10) and the output terminal of a phase-locked circuit (60) and one output terminal connected to a load (100). Accordingly, the adder (70) may add two AC voltages respectively input to the first (+) input terminal and the second (+) input terminal and output the increased power to an electric vehicle (100), which is a load (100), through the output terminal. The electric vehicle (100) may perform a charging operation of a vehicle battery mounted on the electric vehicle using the power output through the adder (70).

[0082] In the power boosting mobile charger based on charge control of the present embodiment, when the output terminal of the adder (70) is connected to a path that is directly supplied to the electric vehicle (100), which is a load (100), through the third switching unit (80), the electric vehicle (100) can perform a charging operation of the vehicle battery through a slow charging mode. In addition, when the output terminal of the adder (70) is connected to a path that passes through the third converter (81) through the third switching unit (80), the power of the direct current component converted by the third converter (81) can be supplied to the electric vehicle (100), which is a load (100), and thus, the electric vehicle (100) can perform a charging operation of the vehicle battery through a rapid charging mode.

[0083] In this way, the power-augmenting mobile charger based on charge control of the present embodiment can add the power from the commercial power source (10) to the power from the portable battery (30) that is easy to move, and apply the amplified power to the load (100). As a result, the output power can be conveniently and easily amplified using the portable battery that is easy to move and install. In addition, compared to the commercial power source (10) whose power level is fixed, the number of battery modules can be increased or decreased depending on the power level to be amplified through the battery (30), so that the user's convenience can be greatly improved in terms of reducing the charging time.

[0084] In addition, the power-augmented mobile charger based on the charge control of the present embodiment can convert the DC power output from the battery (30) into AC power having the same frequency and phase as the AC component of the commercial power source (10) through the phase-locking circuit (60) based on the frequency and phase of the AC component of the commercial power source (10) and output it, so that it is easy to add up these powers in the adder (70), and the step of converting the power from each power source (10, 110) into DC, adding it, and converting it back into AC power, as well as the structure required for that, can be omitted, so that the power amplified by adding it can be easily transferred to the load (100).

[0085] The control unit (90) is a control module that controls the power-boosting mobile charger based on charging control of the present embodiment, and may be a processor and may have a storage unit such as a memory (91) inside. However, in another embodiment, the memory (91) may be provided as a separate component from the control unit (90) and connected to the control unit (90).

[0086] As already described, the control unit (90) can detect the voltage (Vst+, Vst-) of both terminals of the current detection unit (50) to detect the current output from the current discharge battery module currently connected to the second switching unit (40). Therefore, the control unit (90) can use the detected current to determine the amount of charge remaining in the current discharge battery module to control the operation of the second switching unit (40), and can also control the switching operation of the first switching unit (20). At this time, the control unit (90) can determine the status of the battery module currently mounted on the mounting unit by using the mounting detection signals (S1-Sn) respectively applied from the mounting detection unit, and can control the operation of the second switching unit (40) according to the mounting status.

[0087] Although not shown, the above control unit (90) may also serve as an output control unit that controls the connection path of the switching element (SW80) of the third switching unit (80) to be switched. In this case, the switching element (SW80) may directly transfer the output power from the adder (70) to the load (100) or transfer it to the load (100) through the third converter (81) by the control unit (90).

[0088]

[0089] Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit (90) according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the operation starts (S10), the control unit (90) reads the voltages (Vst+, Vst-) output from both terminals of the current detection unit (50) (S11), and then calculates the difference between the two voltages to calculate the current output from the current discharge battery module (e.g., current output current) (S12). Then, the control unit (90) can store the calculated current as the current output current in the memory (91) (S12).

[0090] Next, the control unit (90) can read the previous output current stored in the memory (91), calculate the output current difference (e.g., previous output current - current output current) with the calculated current output current, and compare it with the set value (S13, S14). At this time, the set value can be determined with reference to the threshold value for the remaining amount of internal charge of the battery module. If the output current difference is greater than the set value, the remaining amount of internal charge of the currently discharging battery module is close to or reaches the threshold value, so that the discharge speed of the currently discharging battery module can be rapidly reduced.

[0091] Accordingly, if the output current difference is less than the set value (S14), the control unit (90) maintains the operating state of the second switching unit (40) as the current state, so that the battery module currently performing the discharge operation is maintained as the current discharge battery module, and the current output current can be stored in the memory (91) as the previous output current (S15).

[0092] However, if the output current difference is greater than or equal to the set value (S14), the control unit (90) can determine that the residual charge of the current discharge battery module is less than or equal to the set amount. Accordingly, the control unit (90) changes the current discharge battery module supplying power to the electric vehicle (100) to another battery module, so that power can be supplied to the electric vehicle (100) from the changed other battery module without interruption. Through this switching operation of the current discharge battery module, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the charging speed of the electric vehicle (100) due to the residual charge of the battery module, and to continuously maintain a normal charging speed.

[0093] In addition, when switching from the current discharging battery module to the next discharging battery module (e.g., the next discharging battery module), if the power supply to the electric vehicle (100) is cut off during the switching operation, the charging operation of the electric vehicle (100) may also be stopped. Therefore, when the switching operation from the current discharging battery module to the next discharging battery module is performed, the power supply due to the switch switching operation of the second switching unit (40) must be prevented from being cut off. To this end, the control unit (90) can determine the next discharging battery module from among the plurality of battery modules, if the output current difference is equal to or greater than a set value (S14). The discharging order for the plurality of battery modules may already be stored in the memory (91), and for example, the discharging order of the battery modules may be determined in the memory (91) according to the position of the mounting portion of the battery (30) (e.g., the mounting order of the battery modules). For example, the battery (30) may be equipped with four mounting portions, and the positions of the input terminals input to the control unit (90) may be determined according to the positions of the mounting portions from the top to the bottom. Accordingly, the control unit (90) may determine the position of the mounting portion where the battery module is currently located based on the status of the mounting detection signal input through each corresponding input terminal and the position of each corresponding input terminal.

[0094] As another embodiment of the discharge order of the battery modules, each mounting portion may be assigned a unique identification number, and the mounting detection signal output from each corresponding mounting portion may include not only whether the battery module is mounted but also the corresponding identification number and output to the control unit (90). Accordingly, the control unit (90) may determine the position of the mounting portion where the battery module is currently located using the identification number included in the input mounting detection signal. For example, the discharge order of the battery modules stored in the memory (91) may be changed according to the positional order of the battery modules, and the order may be changed sequentially starting from the battery module currently located at the top or front. Accordingly, after the control unit (90) determines the position of the currently discharging battery module (e.g., the first battery module (31)), the battery module located immediately following (e.g., immediately below) the currently discharging battery module (e.g., the second battery module (32)) may become the next discharging battery module. Alternatively, if the current discharge battery module (e.g., the fourth battery module) is at the bottom or the rearmost position, the control unit (90) may determine the battery module (e.g., the first battery module (31)) located at the top or the frontmost position as the next discharge battery module. In this way, the control unit (90) may determine the next discharge battery module to be discharged based on the position of the battery module.

[0095] As described above, when the next discharge battery module is determined among a plurality of discharge battery modules, the control unit (90) can control the switching operation from the current discharge battery module to the next discharge battery module using a control signal applied to the second switching unit (40) (S17).

[0096]

[0097] Next, referring to FIGS. 6A to 6G, the switching control operation (S17) of the discharge battery module by the control unit (90) will be described in detail. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as an example, it is assumed that the current discharge battery module is the first battery module (31) and the next discharge battery module is the second battery module (32). Accordingly, FIGS. 6A to 6G sequentially show state changes of only the first switch (41) (e.g., the current discharge switch) and the second switch (42) (e.g., the next discharge switch) connected to the first battery module (31), which is the current discharge battery module, and the second battery module (32), which is the next discharge battery module.

[0098] When the discharge battery module is switched from the first battery module (31) to the second battery module (32), the other battery modules, the third battery module (33) to the n-th battery module (3n), are not electrically connected to the second switching unit (40), so all switching elements (SW431-SW4n1, SW432-SW4n2) provided in the third to n-th switches (43-4n) respectively connected to the third battery module (33) to the n-th battery module (3n) are maintained in the off state.

[0099] First, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, since the first battery module (31) is currently a discharge battery module, the first switching element (SW411) of the first switch (41) of the second switching unit (40) connected to the first battery module (31) is in the off state, and the second switching element (SW412) is in the on state. At this time, the first switching element (SW421) and the second switching element (SW422) of the second switch (42) connected to the second battery module (32), which is the next discharge battery module, are currently both in the off state. In the state of FIG. 6A, the power applied to the load (100) may be the power of the first battery module (31) transmitted through the second switching element (SW412) of the first switch (41) which is in the on state.

[0100] In the state of Fig. 6a, the control unit (90) can turn on the first switching element (SW411) connected to the diode (D41) of the first switch (41) and maintain the second switching element (SW412) in the on state, as shown in Fig. 6b, for the discharge switching operation to the second battery module (32). At this time, all switching elements of the second switch (42), namely the first switching element (SW421) and the second switching element (SW422), can still maintain the off state. In the state of Fig. 6b, the power applied to the load (100) may be the power of the first battery module (31) transmitted through the second switching element (SW412) of the first switch (41) that is still in the on state.

[0101] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6c, the control unit (90) can maintain the on state of the first switching element (SW411) connected to the diode (D41) of the first switch (41) and switch the second switching element (SW412) from the on state to the off state. Even at this time, all switching elements of the second switch (42), namely the first switching element (SW421) and the second switching element (SW422), can still maintain the off state. In the state of FIG. 6c, the power applied to the load (100) is still the power applied from the first battery module (31), but unlike the cases of FIGS. 6a and 6b, the power from the first battery module (31) is applied to the load (100) via the diode (D41), and therefore, it may be the power in which a voltage drop occurs due to the diode (D41) of the first switch (41).

[0102] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6d, the control unit (90) can convert the first switching element (SW421) of the second switch (42) connected to the second battery module (32) from the off state to the on state. By this on operation of the second switch (42), the power applied to the load (100) may be the power of the second battery module (32), which is the next discharging battery module. That is, since the current charge amount of the first battery module (31) of the current discharging battery module is significantly less than that of the second battery module (32) in which discharging has not occurred, the output voltage of the first battery module (31) is thought to be lower than the output voltage of the second battery module (32). Due to this, even if the first switching element (SW411) of the first switch (41) remains in the on state, the power of the second battery module (32) can be transferred to the load (100) through the first switching element (SW421) of the second switch (42) connected to the second battery module (32). At this time, since a reverse voltage is applied to the diode (D41) located in the first switch (41), the power of the first battery module (31) through the diode (D41) of the first switch (41) and the turned-on first switching element (SW411) can no longer be applied to the load (100) and can be blocked. Accordingly, the diode (D41) can function as a reverse current prevention diode, and from this point on, the power applied to the load (100) can be switched from the first battery module (31) to the second battery module (32). Due to this, the second battery module (32) is a new current discharge battery. It may be a module, and the first battery module (31) may be a new previously discharged battery module.

[0103] In addition, at the point in time of FIG. 6d, when the first switching element (SW421) of the second switch (42) is turned on, a voltage difference occurs between the output voltage of the first battery module (31) and the output voltage of the second battery module (32), and a spark may occur due to this voltage difference. However, the size of the spark generated due to the voltage difference between the output voltage of the first battery module (31) and the output voltage of the second battery module (32) does not cause damage to the battery (30). The operation for suppressing the occurrence of a spark due to the simultaneous switching operation of the first switch (41) connected to the first battery module (31) and the second switch (42) connected to the second battery module (32) is completed up to the operation of FIG. 6d.

[0104] Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 6e, since the on state of the first switch (41) connected to the first battery module (31) is no longer necessary, the control unit (90) can switch the first switching element (SW411) of the first switch (41) that is maintained in the on state to the off state. Accordingly, all switching elements (SW411, SW412) of the first switch (41) connected to the first battery module (31), which is the previous discharge battery module, can all be maintained in the off state until the first battery module (31) is designated as the next discharge battery module and a switching operation to the next discharge battery module is performed.

[0105] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6f, the control unit (90) turns on the second switching element (SW422) of the second switch (42) connected to the second battery module (32) so that the power of the second battery module (32) can be transferred to the load (100) directly through only the second switching element (SW422) without passing through the diode (D42). As a result, the load (100) can receive power from the second battery module (32) without a voltage drop occurring due to the diode (D42).

[0106] Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 6g, the control unit (90) turns off the first switching element (SW421) of the second switch (42), i.e., the first switching element (SW421) connected to the diode (D42), so that the power of the second battery module (32) can be transferred to the load (100) through the second switching element (SW422) that is normally maintained in the on state. As a result, the current discharge battery module is completely switched from the first battery module (31) to the second battery module (32), so that power can be supplied to the load (100) until the remaining charge of the second battery module (32) decreases below a set amount.

[0107] In this way, as the switching operation of the switch (e.g., 41) connected to the current discharge battery module (e.g., 31) and the switch (e.g., 42) connected to the next discharge battery module (e.g., 32) is sequentially performed, power can be smoothly transmitted to the load (100) without interruption.

[0108] As described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6G, the control unit (90) controls the switching state of only one of the first switching elements (SW411, SW421) and the second switching elements (SW412, SW422) in the current discharge switch (41) connected to the current discharge battery module (31) and the next discharge switch (42) connected to the next discharge battery module (32) to change so that different switching elements are not turned on or off simultaneously. Accordingly, sparks that occur when different switching elements are switched simultaneously can be prevented.

[0109] In this embodiment, for the convenience of explanation, an operation is described in which one battery module among a plurality of battery modules (31-3n) is electrically connected to a load (100) and only the power of one battery module is supplied to the load (100). However, in contrast to this, by the operation of the second switching unit (40), two or more battery modules may be electrically connected to the load (100) simultaneously, and the power output from each of the plurality of battery modules may be added up to transmit a desired amount of power toward the load (100). Even in this case, as described with reference to FIGS. 6a to 6g, a switching operation to another battery module is performed according to the current charge amount of the battery module, so that a desired amount of power can be transmitted to the load (100) without interruption.

[0110]

[0111] Again, returning to FIG. 5, when the switching control operation from the current discharge battery module to the next discharge battery module is completed (S17), the charging operation for the battery module that needs to be charged because the current charge amount is less than the set amount, i.e., the previous battery module (e.g., the first battery module (31)), can be controlled (S18). Accordingly, the control unit (90) outputs a control signal to the first switching unit (20), so that the first switch (21) connected to the first battery module (31) can be turned from the off state to the on state, thereby electrically connecting the external power source (110) or the first converter (DC-DC) connected to the external power source (110) to the first battery module (31). As a result, power from the external power source (110) is applied to the previous discharge battery module (e.g., 31) that needs to be charged, so that the charging operation of the previous discharge battery module (31) can be performed. At this time, the control unit (90) can control the charging operation of the previous discharge battery module (31) for a set time, and in this case, when the charging time of the previous discharge battery module (31) reaches the set time, the control unit (90) can turn the switch (21) from the on state to the off state to cut off the power applied to the previous discharge battery module (31).

[0112]

[0113] As an alternative embodiment, the charging operation of the previously discharged battery module may be controlled using the current charge state, such as the current charge amount, for each battery module. In this case, the power-boosting mobile charger based on charge control may additionally include a charge state detection unit (not shown) that detects the charge state (e.g., the remaining charge amount) of each battery module, and the control unit (90) may determine the current charge state of each battery module using a charge state detection signal received from each charge state detection unit. Accordingly, the control unit (90) may read the charge state detection signal input from the corresponding charge state detection unit connected to the previously discharged battery module that is currently undergoing a charging operation to determine the current charge state, and then control the corresponding switch connected to the previously discharged battery module from the on state to the off state when the current charge state reaches a set amount. In this way, when the charging operation of each battery module is controlled using the charge state detection unit, the control unit (90) can precisely control the charge state of the corresponding battery module to a desired state, and thus the charge amounts of all battery modules waiting for discharge can be maintained at the same state, thereby greatly improving the reliability of the charging operation.

[0114] In this way, the final power delivered to the load (100) may be an enhanced power that is the sum of the power delivered via the commercial power source (10) and the power output from at least one battery module (31-3n). Accordingly, the size of the final power delivered to the load (100) may increase compared to when only the commercial power source (10) is used, and thus, the charging efficiency may be improved, such as by shortening the charging speed of the battery of the load (100).

[0115] In addition, since each battery module is freely movable and can be easily combined with other battery modules, the user can select the number of battery modules to be used according to the amount of power to be increased, thereby improving user convenience.

[0116] In addition, by using multiple battery modules to increase power, a switching operation to another battery module is performed according to the remaining charge of each battery module, so that the power increase operation using the battery module can be performed without interruption, and at the same time, a charging operation can be performed for another battery module that requires charging.

[0117] When the battery module is a lithium ion battery module having lithium ion battery cells, the charging and discharging operations for one battery module cannot be implemented simultaneously. However, in the case of the present embodiment, since the battery (30) has a plurality of battery modules (31-3n), the charging and discharging operations for different battery modules are performed simultaneously using the first switching unit (20) and the second switching unit (40), so that the charging efficiency of each battery module (31-3n) can be greatly improved.

[0118] In addition, when performing a charging operation of a load (100) using a single battery module, the charging efficiency can be improved, such as a decrease in the charging speed, and problems due to discharge of the battery module can also be greatly improved.

[0119] Additionally, since charging and discharging operations for different battery modules can be performed simultaneously, power supply to the load (100) can be maintained while switching the discharging battery module to charge the load (100).

[0120] In addition, since the number of battery modules can be increased as desired by the user, a spare battery module is provided to maintain a fully charged state even if the charging speed of one battery module is slower than the discharging speed, thereby enabling an uninterrupted power supply to the load (100). As the number of battery modules used (i.e., expanded) increases, the burden of the difference between the charging speed and the discharging speed of the battery modules can be further reduced.

[0121] The technical features disclosed in each embodiment of the present invention are not limited to that embodiment, and, unless they are mutually incompatible, the technical features disclosed in each embodiment may be combined and applied to different embodiments.

[0122] Therefore, although each embodiment focuses on its own technical features, each technical feature can be applied in combination with each other as long as they are not mutually incompatible.

[0123] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the attached drawings, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be defined not only by the claims of this specification but also by equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. As a power-boosting mobile charger based on charge control, 1st power supply; A second power supply unit which is a separate power supply unit from the first power supply unit; A battery charged by the second power supply; A phase locking circuit connected to the output terminal of the above battery; A power boosting mobile charger based on charging control, comprising: an adder having an input terminal connected to each output terminal of the first power supply unit and the phase locking circuit, and which adds the power output from the first power supply unit and the power output from the phase locking circuit and outputs the increased power to a load; 2. In paragraph 1, The above first power supply unit outputs AC power, The above battery is a power boosting mobile charger based on charge control that outputs direct current power.

3. In paragraph 2, The DC power output from the above battery is converted into AC power in the phase-locked circuit and output, A power-augmenting mobile charger based on charging control, wherein the adder adds the AC power output from the first power supply and the AC power output from the phase-locked circuit and outputs the amplified power to the load.

4. In paragraph 2, A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, wherein the output of the first power supply is input as a reference signal to the phase locking circuit.

5. In paragraph 3, A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, wherein the output of the battery is converted into an AC output having the same frequency and phase as the reference signal in the phase locking circuit.

6. In paragraph 1, The above battery comprises a plurality of battery modules, A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, wherein the above plurality of battery modules are mobile battery modules that are separated from each other.

7. In paragraph 6, A first switching unit connected between the second power supply unit and the battery and having a plurality of switches; A second switching unit connected between the battery and the current sensing unit and having a plurality of switches; A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, further comprising a current detection unit connected between the second switching unit and the phase locking circuit.

8. In paragraph 7, A power boosting mobile charger based on charging control, further comprising: a control unit connected to the current detection unit, the first switching unit, and the second switching unit, and determining a current output current using a current detection signal applied from the current detection unit, and controlling the operation of the second switching unit according to the state of the determined current output current to switch the currently discharged battery module supplying power to the current load among the plurality of battery modules to another battery module, and controlling the operation of the first switching unit to control the charging operation of the currently discharged battery module; 9. In paragraph 8, Each switch of the above second switching unit is: A diode having its anode terminal connected to the output terminal of the corresponding battery module; A first switching element having one terminal connected to the cathode terminal of the diode and the other terminal connected to the current sensing unit; and A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, comprising a second switching element having one terminal connected to an output terminal of a corresponding battery module and the other terminal connected to the current sensing unit.

10. In paragraph 9, The above control unit, A power boosting mobile charger based on charging control, which determines the current output current of the current discharge battery module using a current detection signal applied from the current detection unit, and outputs a control signal to the second switching unit for controlling a switching operation from the current discharge battery module to the next discharge battery module when the output current difference between the determined current output current and the previous output current is greater than a set value.

11. In paragraph 10, A power boosting mobile charger based on charge control, wherein the control unit controls only one switching element among the first switching element and the second switching element to change its switching state in the current discharge switch connected to the current discharge battery module and the next discharge switch connected to the next discharge battery module.

12. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a third switching unit connected between the adder and the load; A power boosting mobile charger based on charging control, which switches between a first path that directly applies the output from the adder to the load through the third switching unit and a second path that converts the output from the adder from AC to DC or from DC to AC and applies it to the load.

Images