DESC:SYSTEM FOR CHARGE CONTROL OF DOMESTIC UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority from Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202321007587 filed on 06/02/2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by a reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to an uninterrupted power supply system. The present disclosure particularly relates to a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply.
BACKGROUND
Recently, there has been a rapid development in the battery technology as the batteries are being used in the energy storage solutions for storing clean energy. The battery packs are utilized in stationary applications such as energy storage stations or uninterrupted power supplies for power backups and in mobility applications such as powering electric vehicles.
Generally, the domestic uninterrupted power supply systems have battery pack specifically designed for providing power backup to the domestic load. The swappable battery packs are generally charged at large battery swapping stations where a lot of batteries are charged simultaneously. However, the such battery swapping stations are not available at most of the locations, thus, the users using the swappable battery pack for mobility application face challenges in charging the swappable battery packs.
To overcome the issue of unavailability of battery swapping stations, external chargers are available to charge the swappable battery packs. The user has to buy separate charger for charging the swappable battery packs despite having a domestic power supply system to provide power backup. The swappable battery is removed from the vehicle and connected to the charger for charging. Such external charger for charging the swappable battery packs add additional cost for the user. Moreover, there is no integration and interoperability between the domestic energy storage and the mobility energy storage of the user. In other words, the swappable battery packs owned by the user cannot be utilised for providing domestic backup in case of requirement. Such, lack of integration and interoperability causes inefficient and unoptimized utilization of the battery packs available to the user.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved domestic uninterrupted power supply that overcomes one or more problems associated as set forth above.
SUMMARY
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply. The domestic uninterrupted power supply comprises an internal battery pack. The system comprises an active front-end AC-DC converter; a bidirectional DC-DC converter a control unit configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter and the bidirectional DC-DC converter; and at least one electro-mechanical connector for connecting at least one external battery pack with the domestic uninterrupted power supply.
The present disclosure provides a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply. The system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of charging the external swappable battery pack. Beneficially, the system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of eliminating the requirement of external charger for charging external (swappable) battery packs. Beneficially, the system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of extending the power backup of the domestic uninterrupted power supply. Beneficially, the system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of providing the capability to charge the external battery packs even during the power outage by utilizing the internal battery pack of the domestic uninterrupted power supply system. Beneficially, the system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of enabling the user to set priority of charging/discharging of the battery packs available with the user. Beneficially, the system of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of charging and discharging the plurality of swappable battery packs in a most optimized manner. Beneficially, the system is capable of providing choice to the user to prioritize charging of the at least one battery pack of the plurality of swappable battery packs intended to be used in the mobility application.
Additional aspects, advantages, features, and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments constructed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.
It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.
In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.
The description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of a system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilized. The description sets forth the various structures and/or functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising”, “include(s)”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, or system that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or system. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which are shown by way of illustration-specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The present disclosure will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.
As used herein, the terms “power source” “battery pack”, “battery”, and “power pack” are used interchangeably and refer to multiple individual battery cells connected to provide a higher combined voltage or capacity than what a single battery can offer. The battery pack is designed to store electrical energy and supply it as needed to various devices or systems. Battery packs, as referred herein may be used for various purposes such as power electric vehicles and other energy storage applications. Furthermore, the battery pack may include additional circuitry, such as a battery management system (BMS), to ensure the safe and efficient charging and discharging of the battery cells. The battery pack comprises a plurality of cell arrays which in turn comprises a plurality of battery cells. It is to be understood that the battery pack is a swappable battery pack.
As used herein, the terms “internal battery pack” and “fixed battery pack” are used interchangeably and refer to a battery pack fixed inside a domestic uninterrupted power supply. The internal battery pack is used as a primary energy storage by the system to provide power backup in the domestic uninterrupted power supply.
As used herein, the terms “external battery pack”, “external swappable battery pack” and “swappable battery pack” are used interchangeably and refer to a removable (swappable) battery pack connected with the system for charging. The external battery pack may be used as a secondary energy storage system by the system to provide power backup in the domestic uninterrupted power supply.
As used herein, the terms “domestic uninterrupted power supply system”, “uninterrupted power supply system”, “power supply”, and “uninterrupted power supply” are used interchangeably and refer to an electronic device that provides backup power to domestic appliances and electronics in the event of a power outage from the grid.
As used herein, the terms “electro-mechanical connector”, and “battery pack connector” are used interchangeably and refer to an electrical device that establishes electrical and mechanical contact with the external battery packs. The electro-mechanical contactor may receive the terminals of the external battery pack to establish electrical connection with the external battery pack.
As used herein, the term “active front end AC-DC converter” refers to a device that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). The AC-DC converter converts the high-voltage AC power from power source to the DC power. Preferably, the active front end AC-DC converter is a switching converter that uses a semiconductor switch to convert the AC to DC. Beneficially, the active front end AC-DC converter is more efficient than conventional linear converters. Moreover, the active front end AC-DC converter is bidirectional, hence, can act as inverter to convert DC power into AC power.
As used herein, the term “DC-DC converter” refers to a device that converts direct current (DC) from one voltage level to another. The DC-DC converter is responsible for converting the high-voltage DC power from the AC-DC converter to the lower voltage DC power that is required to charge the internal battery pack and/or the external battery pack. Preferably, the DC-DC converter is a switching converter that offers the best combination of efficiency, cost, and performance.
As used herein, the terms “rectification bridge”, and “rectifier” are used interchangeably and refer to an electrical device that converts alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
As used herein, the term “power source” refers to an AC power supply received from the grid. The power source may be a domestic AC power supply.
As used herein, the terms “DC link capacitor”, “DC bus capacitor”, and “capacitor” are used interchangeably and refer to a capacitor that is used to smooth out the fluctuating DC voltage coming from a converter. The DC link capacitor functions to smooth out the power between the two components, stabilize the DC bus voltage, and act as energy storage for transient loads.
As used herein, the term “gate drivers” refers to electronic components responsible for controlling the switching of switches including Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFET), Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) that may be used as switches in the charger. It is to be understood that the gate drivers convert the control signal into precise voltage and current pulses required to turn the power electronics switches on and off rapidly.
As used herein, the term “switches” and “plurality of switch” are used interchangeably and refers to power electronics devices that control the flow of electrical current. The switches are responsible for converting the DC voltage from the DC link capacitor into an AC waveform. The switches may be at least one of MOSFETs, IGBTs, transistors, or a combination thereof.
As used herein, the terms “control unit”, “microcontroller” and ‘processor’ are used interchangeably and refer to a computational element that is operable to respond to and process instructions that operationalize the system for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply. Optionally, the control unit may be a micro-controller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or any other type of processing unit. Furthermore, the term “processor” may refer to one or more individual processors, processing devices, and various elements associated with a processing device that may be shared by other processing devices. Furthermore, the control unit comprises a software module residing in the control unit and executed by the microcontroller to control the operation of the active bridge modules of the bidirectional DC-DC converter. It is to be understood that the software module may comprise algorithms and control instructions to control the operation of the active bridge modules of the bidirectional DC-DC converter.
As used herein, the term “state of health” refers to the overall condition and remaining capacity of the battery pack compared to its original state. It is to be understood that the state of health of the battery pack represents the degradation of the battery pack over its life. Moreover, the state of health may be an absolute number in percentage or may be a range of numbers in percentage.
As used herein, the term “state of charge” refers to an amount of available charge in the battery pack relative to its total capacity of holding the charge. The state of charge is represented as a percentage.
As used herein, the term “cell chemistry” refers to the specific combination of materials and chemical reactions responsible for generating electricity within the battery pack. It essentially dictates the performance characteristics of the battery pack, including voltage, capacity, power density, lifespan, safety, and operating temperature.
As used herein, the term “user input” refers to an input from the user on the type of battery and/or charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack and the external battery pack.
As used herein, the term “input unit” refers to an input mechanism present on the domestic uninterrupted power supply system. The user interface may comprise at least one of a touch screen, a combination of a display and input buttons, and so forth.
As used herein, the term “communicably coupled” refers to a bi-directional connection between the various components of the system. The bi-directional connection between the various components of the system enables exchange of data between two or more components of the system. Similarly, bi-directional connection between the system and other elements/modules enables exchange of data between system and the other elements/modules.
As used herein, the term “user” refers to an owner of the domestic uninterrupted power supply system.
Figure 1, in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, describes a system 100 for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply. The domestic uninterrupted power supply comprises an internal battery pack 102. The system 100 comprises an active front-end AC-DC converter 106; a bidirectional DC-DC converter 108; a control unit 112 configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108; and at least one electro-mechanical connector 110 for connecting at least one external battery pack 104 with the domestic uninterrupted power supply.
The system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of charging the external swappable battery pack 104. Beneficially, the system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of eliminating the requirement of external charger for charging external (swappable) battery packs 104. Beneficially, the system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of extending the power backup of the domestic uninterrupted power supply. Beneficially, the system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of providing the capability to charge the external battery packs 104 even during the power outage by utilizing the internal battery pack 102 of the domestic uninterrupted power supply system. Beneficially, the system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of enabling the user to set priority of charging/discharging of the external battery packs 104 available with the user. Beneficially, the system 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of charging and discharging the plurality of swappable battery packs 104 in a most optimized manner. Beneficially, the system 100 is capable of providing choice to the user to prioritize charging of the at least one battery pack of the plurality of swappable battery packs 104 intended to be used in the mobility application.
In an embodiment, the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 comprises a rectification bridge configured to convert AC input received from a power source into DC voltage for the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108. Beneficially, the rectification bridge converts the AC input received from the power source into a stable DC voltage for the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108. In an embodiment, the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 comprises an inductor for power factor correction of the AC input received from the power source. Beneficially, the inductor improves the power factor of the AC input received from the power source to reduce losses in the AC-DC converter.
In an embodiment, the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 is configured to convert the DC voltage into DC voltage output for charging the at least one of: the internal battery pack 102, and the external battery pack 104. Beneficially, the DC voltage output is generated according to charging capacity of the at least one of: the internal battery pack 102, and the external battery pack 104. It is to be understood that the DC voltage output is provided to the at least one of: the internal battery pack 102, and the external battery pack 104 for charging at least one of: the internal battery pack 102, and the external battery pack 104.
In an embodiment, the system 100 comprises an input unit 114 configured to receive a user input, wherein the user input comprises at least one of: at least one parameter associated with the external battery pack 104, and a charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104. In an embodiment, the at least one parameter associated with the external battery pack 104 comprises at least one of: a voltage rating of the external battery pack 104 and a current rating of the external battery pack 104. It is to be understood that the charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104 comprises user selection according to the requirement of the user. Beneficially, the user input enables the user to control the charging/discharging of the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104 according to the user requirement. In an example, the user may require the prioritized charging of the external battery pack 104 as the user may need to travel. In another example, the user may require the prioritized charging of the internal battery pack 102 as the user may not need to travel. It is to be understood that in case when the user does not select the charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104, the control unit 112 would prioritize the charging/discharging of the internal battery pack 102 over the external battery pack 104.
In an embodiment, the control unit 112 is communicably coupled to the input unit 114, and wherein the control unit 112 is configured to control the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 based on the received user input, to charge the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104. Beneficially, the DC voltage output provided to the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104 is modulated based on the received user input. Beneficially, it would enable charging of different external battery packs using the system 100. It is to be understood that the external battery packs of different voltage and current ratings may be charged by providing the same information to the control unit 112 as the user input.
In an embodiment, the control unit 112 is configured to control operation of the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 to the at least one external battery pack 104, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Beneficially, the power transfer from the charged internal battery pack 102 to the at least one external battery pack 104 enables the charging of the external battery pack 104 during power outage, so that the user may be able to utilize the external battery pack 104 for mobility application.
In an embodiment, the control unit 112 is configured to control operation of active front-end AC-DC converter 106 to operate as an inverter, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Beneficially, the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 operates as the inverter to provide power backup to the domestic loads.
In an embodiment, the control unit 112 is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Beneficially, the system 100 provides power backup to the domestic loads using the charged internal battery pack 102.
In an embodiment, the control unit 112 is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 and the at least one external battery pack 104 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source, based on the user input. Beneficially, the system 100 provides power backup to the domestic loads using the charged internal battery pack 102 and the at least one external battery pack 104 according to the requirement of the user. Beneficially, the user may provide the user input to the system 100 to utilize the at least one external battery pack 104 along with the internal battery pack 102 for providing the power backup during extended power cuts.
In an embodiment, the at least one external battery pack 104 is removably connected to the at least one electro-mechanical connector 110. Beneficially, the at least one external battery pack 104 may be removed from the system 100 for use in the mobility application.
In an embodiment, the domestic uninterrupted power supply comprises an internal battery pack 102. The system 100 comprises an active front-end AC-DC converter 106; a bidirectional DC-DC converter 108; a control unit 112 configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108; and at least one electro-mechanical connector 110 for connecting at least one external battery pack 104 with the domestic uninterrupted power supply. Furthermore, the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 comprises a rectification bridge configured to convert AC input received from a power source into DC voltage for the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108. Furthermore, the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 is configured to convert the DC voltage into DC voltage output for charging the at least one of: the internal battery pack 102, and the external battery pack 104. Furthermore, the system 100 comprises an input unit 114 configured to receive a user input, wherein the user input comprises at least one of: at least one parameter associated with the external battery pack 104, and a charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104. Furthermore, the control unit 112 is communicably coupled to the input unit 114, and wherein the control unit 112 is configured to control the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 based on the received user input, to charge the internal battery pack 102 and the external battery pack 104. Furthermore, the control unit 112 is configured to control operation of the bidirectional DC-DC converter 108 to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 to the at least one external battery pack 104, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Furthermore, the control unit 112 is configured to control operation of active front-end AC-DC converter 106 to operate as an inverter, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Furthermore, the control unit 112 is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Furthermore, the control unit 112 is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack 102 and the at least one external battery pack 104 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source, based on the user input. Furthermore, the at least one external battery pack 104 is removably connected to the at least one electro-mechanical connector 110.
In the description of the present invention, it is also to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms “disposed,” “mounted,” and “connected” are to be construed broadly, and may for example be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, either mechanically or electrically. They may be connected directly or indirectly through intervening media, or they may be interconnected between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific cases to those skilled in the art.
Modifications to embodiments and combinations of different embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, and “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural where appropriate.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the present disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

,CLAIMS:WE CLAIM:
1. A system (100) for charge control of a domestic uninterrupted power supply, wherein the domestic uninterrupted power supply comprises an internal battery pack (102), wherein the system (100) comprises:
- an active front-end AC-DC converter (106);
- a bidirectional DC-DC converter (108);
- a control unit (112) configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and the bidirectional DC-DC converter (108); and
- at least one electro-mechanical connector (110) for connecting at least one external battery pack (104) with the domestic uninterrupted power supply.
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) comprises a rectification bridge configured to convert AC input received from a power source into DC voltage for the bidirectional DC-DC converter (108).
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bidirectional DC-DC converter (108) is configured to convert the DC voltage into DC voltage output for charging the at least one of: the internal battery pack (102), and the external battery pack (104).
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) comprises an input unit (114) configured to receive a user input, wherein the user input comprises at least one of: at least one parameter associated with the external battery pack (104), and a charging/discharging priority of the internal battery pack (102) and the external battery pack (104).
5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (112) is communicably coupled to the input unit (114), and wherein the control unit (112) is configured to control the bidirectional DC-DC converter (108) based on the received user input, to charge the internal battery pack (102) and the external battery pack (104).
6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to control operation of the bidirectional DC-DC converter (108) to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack (102) to the at least one external battery pack (104), when the AC input is unavailable from the power source.
7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to control operation of active front-end AC-DC converter (106) to operate as an inverter, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source.
8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack (102) to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source.
9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to transfer power from the charged internal battery pack (102) and the at least one external battery pack (104) to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source, based on the user input.
10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one external battery pack (104) is removably connected to the at least one electro-mechanical connector (110).