DESC:HOME INVERTER CUM SWAPPABLE BATTERY CHARGING STATION
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority from Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202321007588 filed on 06/02/2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by a reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to a swappable battery charging system. The present disclosure particularly relates to a home inverter cum swappable battery charging station.
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, the swappable battery packs may be charged at domestic charging stations. However, the domestic swappable battery charging systems require a lot of time to charge the swappable battery packs due to the slow charging capabilities. Moreover, the existing domestic swappable battery charging systems lacks the capability to efficiently manage the charging of the plurality of swappable battery packs. Furthermore, the existing domestic swappable battery charging systems are not capable to be used as home inverters (providing power backup) during power outage.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved domestic swappable battery charging system that overcomes one or more problems associated as set forth above.
SUMMARY
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a home inverter cum swappable battery charging station.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a home inverter cum swappable battery charging station. The home inverter comprises a plurality of battery packs comprising at least one swappable battery pack, at least one battery pack compartment for receiving the plurality of battery packs, an active front-end AC-DC converter, a DC-DC converter, and a control unit configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter and the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter comprises a hybrid network configured within the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter comprises a high frequency DC-AC converter, a high frequency transformer, and a high frequency AC-DC converter.
The present disclosure provides a home inverter cum swappable battery charging station. The home inverter of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of fast charging the swappable battery pack. Beneficially, the home inverter of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of eliminating the requirement of external charger for charging swappable battery packs. Beneficially, the home inverter of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of providing domestic power backup along with the charging swappable battery packs for mobility application. Beneficially, the home inverter 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 home inverter 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 home inverter cum swappable battery charging station, 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 home inverter cum swappable battery charging station 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 “swappable power pack”, “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 “home inverter” “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 “battery pack compartment”, and “power pack compartment” are used interchangeably and refer to holding compartment in the home inverter for receiving the plurality of battery packs. The battery pack compartment may comprise a cover to enclose the plurality of swappable battery packs in the home inverter.
As used herein, the terms “electromechanical connector”, and “battery pack connector” are used interchangeably and refer to an electrical device that establishes electrical and mechanical contact with the swappable battery packs. The electromechanical contactor may receive the terminals of the swappable battery pack to establish electrical connection with the swappable 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 plurality of swappable 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 term “hybrid network” refers to a charging system that uses a combination of two or more different types of chargers to provide fast charging capabilities.
As used herein, the terms “switching legs”, “inverter legs”, and “phase legs” are used interchangeably and refer to individual circuit blocks of the charger which are responsible for converting the DC power into high frequency AC power for the high frequency transformer. It is to be understood that the switching legs are designed based on the configuration of the converter. It is to be understood that the switching legs comprise a pair of switches.
As used herein, the term “high frequency transformer” refers to a transformer that operates at a higher frequency than a traditional transformer and efficiently converts high frequency AC power from the switching circuit to DC power for the swappable battery packs. Beneficially, the high frequency transformer is small in size and lightweight compared to a traditional transformer.
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 home inverter. 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 “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 “communication unit” relates to an arrangement of interconnected programmable and/or non-programmable components that are configured to facilitate data communication between one or more electronic devices and/or databases, whether available or known at the time of filing or as later developed. Furthermore, the communication unit may utilise, but is not limited to, a public network such as the global computer network known as the Internet, a private network, Wi-Fi, a cellular network including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G LTE etc. and any other communication system or systems at one or more locations. Additionally, the communication unit may utilise wired or wireless communication that can be carried out via any number of known protocols, including, but not limited to, Internet Protocol (IP), Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), Frame Relay, or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). Moreover, any other suitable protocols using voice, video, data, or combinations thereof, can also be employed. Moreover, although the communication unit described herein as being implemented with TCP/IP communications protocols, the communication unit may also be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI, any tunnelling protocol (e.g., IPsec, SSH), or any number of existing or future protocols. It would be appreciated that internal components of the home inverter would utilise communication methods including Controller Area Network, Local Interconnect Network, FlexRay, Ethernet, Modbus, Profibus, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP/IP, Profinet and so forth, via the communication unit. Similarly, it would be appreciated that the home inverter would utilise communication methods including Wi-Fi, cellular network, Bluetooth for communication with external modules/units/components, via the communication unit.
As used herein, the term “server arrangement, and “server”” are used interchangeably and refer to a remote computing unit with organization of one or more CPUs, memory, databases, network interfaces etc. to provide required information via network-based communication.
As used herein, the term “user” refers to an owner of the home inverter.
As used herein, the term “user device” refers to a handheld computing unit comprising processing, networking and storage capabilities. The user device may include a smartphone, a tablet, a handheld terminal and so forth. It would be appreciated that the user device is associated/owned by the user.
Figure 1, in accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, describes a home inverter cum swappable battery charging station 100. The home inverter 100 comprises a plurality of battery packs 102 comprising at least one swappable battery pack; at least one battery pack compartment 104 for receiving the plurality of battery packs; an active front-end AC-DC converter 106; a DC-DC converter 108; and a control unit 116 configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108. The DC-DC converter 108 comprises a hybrid network configured within the DC-DC converter 108. The DC-DC converter 108 comprises a high frequency DC-AC converter 110, a high frequency transformer 112, and a high frequency AC-DC converter 114.
The home inverter 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of fast charging the swappable battery pack 102. Beneficially, the home inverter 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of eliminating the requirement of external charger for charging swappable battery packs 102. Beneficially, the home inverter 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of providing domestic power backup along with the charging swappable battery packs 102 for mobility application. Beneficially, the home inverter 100 of the present disclosure is advantageous in terms of charging and discharging the plurality of swappable battery packs 102 in a most optimized manner. Beneficially, the home inverter 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 102 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 DC-DC converter 108. Beneficially, the rectification bridge converts the AC input received from the power source into a stable DC voltage for the 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 106.
In an embodiment, the home inverter 100 comprises a first DC link capacitor installed between the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 to minimize voltage ripple between the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and high frequency DC-AC converter 110. Beneficially, the first DC link capacitor absorbs the periodic voltage and/or current spikes between the AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 110. It would be appreciated that the first DC link capacitor would absorb the excess amount of voltage and/or current between the AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 110, and would supply the same to the DC-DC converter 110 when there is a drop in voltage and/or current between the AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 110.
In an embodiment, the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 comprises at least two switching legs configured in a bridge configuration, wherein each of the switching leg comprises a pair of switches, wherein the control unit 116 is configured to control switching sequence of the pair of switches of each of the switching leg. It is to be understood that the switching sequence plays an important role in the efficient functioning of the DC-DC converter 110. Beneficially, the control unit 116 accurately controls the switching sequence for the efficient functioning of the DC-DC converter 110.
In an embodiment, the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 operates the pair of switches to convert the DC voltage received from the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 into a high frequency AC input for the high frequency transformer 112. Beneficially, the high frequency operation of the DC-AC converter 110 enables fast charging of the swappable battery packs 102.
In an embodiment, the high frequency transformer 112 steps up or steps down the received high frequency AC input to provide high frequency AC output. Beneficially, the high frequency transformer 112 varies the high frequency AC output as per the requirement.
In an embodiment, the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 converts the high frequency AC output received from the high frequency transformer 112 into a DC voltage to charge the plurality of battery packs 102. Beneficially, the high frequency operation of the AC-DC converter 114 enables fast charging of the swappable battery packs 102.
In an embodiment, the home inverter 100 comprises a second DC link capacitor installed between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102 to minimize voltage ripple between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102. Beneficially, the second DC link capacitor absorbs the periodic voltage and/or current spikes between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102. It would be appreciated that the second DC link capacitor would absorb the excess amount of voltage and/or current between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102, and would supply the same to the plurality of battery packs 102 when there is a drop in voltage and/or current between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102.
In an embodiment, the home inverter 100 comprises a display unit 118 configured to execute a user interface and provide at least one information to a user. Beneficially, the display unit is presents charging and/or discharging information to the user.
In an embodiment, the home inverter 100 comprises a communication unit 120, wherein the communication unit 120 is configured to communicate with at least one of: the display unit 118, a user device 122 and a server arrangement 124. It is to be understood that the communication unit 120 is communicably coupled with the control unit 116 to receive various information pertaining to the plurality of battery packs 102 including state of charge, state of health and so forth.
In an embodiment, the control unit 116 is configured to receive at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102 from a battery management system of the plurality of battery packs 102. Beneficially, the control unit 116 communicates with the battery management system of the plurality of battery packs 102 to charge/discharge the plurality of battery packs 102 in optimum manner.
In an embodiment, the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102 comprises at least one of: a voltage requirement of the plurality of battery packs 102, a current requirement of the plurality of battery packs 102, a state of health of the plurality of battery packs 102 and a state of charge of the plurality of battery packs 102. Beneficially, the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102 is communicated to the control unit 116 for manage charging/discharging of the plurality of battery packs 102.
In an embodiment, the control unit 116 is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108 based on the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102, to regulate the DC voltage provided to charge the plurality of battery packs 102. Beneficially, the control unit 116 optimizes the charging/discharging of the plurality of battery packs 102 by controlling operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108.
In an embodiment, the control unit 116 is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108 to operate in inverter mode, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Beneficially, the home inverter 100 is capable of providing power back to the domestic load when operating in the inverter mode.
In an embodiment, the control unit 116 is configured to transfer power from the charged plurality of battery packs 102 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Beneficially, during the power outage, the plurality of battery packs 102 provide power backup to the domestic load connected with the home inverter 100.
In an embodiment, the communication unit 120 is configured to communicate at least one of: the state of charge of the plurality of battery packs 102 and the state of health of the plurality of battery packs 102 to at least one of: the display unit 118, the user device 122 and the server arrangement 124. Beneficially, the state of charge of the plurality of battery packs 102 and the state of health of the plurality of battery packs 102 are provided to the user for user’s decision making on deciding the usage of the plurality of battery packs 102. It is to be understood that the user may decide to use at least one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs 102 in domestic application. Similarly, the user may decide to use at least one battery pack of the plurality of battery packs 102 in mobility application.
In an embodiment, each of the battery pack compartment 104 comprises an electromechanical connector to removably connect the plurality of battery packs 102 with the home inverter 100. Beneficially, the at least one swappable battery pack 102 may be removed from the battery pack compartment 104 for use in the mobility application.
In an embodiment, the home inverter 100 comprises a plurality of battery packs 102 comprising at least one swappable battery pack; at least one battery pack compartment 104 for receiving the plurality of battery packs; an active front-end AC-DC converter 106; a DC-DC converter 108; and a control unit 116 configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108. The DC-DC converter 108 comprises a hybrid network configured within the DC-DC converter 108. The DC-DC converter 108 comprises a high frequency DC-AC converter 110, a high frequency transformer 112, and a high frequency AC-DC converter 114. 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 DC-DC converter 108. Furthermore, the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 comprises an inductor for power factor correction of the AC input received from the power source. Furthermore, the home inverter 100 comprises a first DC link capacitor installed between the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 to minimize voltage ripple between the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and high frequency DC-AC converter 110. Furthermore, the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 comprises at least two switching legs configured in a bridge configuration, wherein each of the switching leg comprises a pair of switches, wherein the control unit is configured to control switching sequence of the pair of switches of each of the switching leg. Furthermore, the high frequency DC-AC converter 110 operates the pair of switches to convert the DC voltage received from the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 into a high frequency AC input for the high frequency transformer 112. Furthermore, the high frequency transformer 112 steps up or steps down the received high frequency AC input to provide high frequency AC output. Furthermore, the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 converts the high frequency AC output received from the high frequency transformer 112 into a DC voltage to charge the plurality of battery packs 102. Furthermore, the home inverter 100 comprises a second DC link capacitor installed between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102 to minimize voltage ripple between the high frequency AC-DC converter 114 and the plurality of battery packs 102. Furthermore, the home inverter 100 comprises a display unit 118 configured to execute a user interface and provide at least one information to a user. Furthermore, the home inverter 100 comprises a communication unit 120, wherein the communication unit 120 is configured to communicate with at least one of: the display unit 118, a user device 122 and a server arrangement 124. Furthermore, the control unit 116 is configured to receive at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102 from a battery management system of the plurality of battery packs 102. Furthermore, the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102 comprises at least one of: a voltage requirement of the plurality of battery packs 102, a current requirement of the plurality of battery packs 102, a state of health of the plurality of battery packs 102 and a state of charge of the plurality of battery packs 102. Furthermore, the control unit 116 is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108 based on the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs 102, to regulate the DC voltage provided to charge the plurality of battery packs 102. Furthermore, the control unit 116 is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter 106 and the DC-DC converter 108 to operate in inverter mode, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Furthermore, the control unit 116 is configured to transfer power from the charged plurality of battery packs 102 to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source. Furthermore, the communication unit 120 is configured to communicate at least one of: the state of charge of the plurality of battery packs 102 and the state of health of the plurality of battery packs 102 to at least one of: the display unit 118, the user device 122 and the server arrangement 124. Furthermore, each of the battery pack compartment 104 comprises an electromechanical connector to removably connect the plurality of battery packs 102 with the home inverter 100.
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 home inverter cum swappable battery charging station (100), wherein the home inverter (100) comprises:
- a plurality of battery packs (102) comprising at least one swappable battery pack;
- at least one battery pack compartment (104) for receiving the plurality of battery packs;
- an active front-end AC-DC converter (106);
- a DC-DC converter (108) comprising a hybrid network configured within the DC-DC converter (108), wherein the DC-DC converter (108) comprises:
- a high frequency DC-AC converter (110);
- a high frequency transformer (112); and
- a high frequency AC-DC converter (114); and
- a control unit (116) configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and the DC-DC converter (108).
2. The home inverter (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 DC-DC converter (108).
3. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) comprises an inductor for power factor correction of the AC input received from the power source.
4. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home inverter (100) comprises a first DC link capacitor installed between the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and the high frequency DC-AC converter (110) to minimize voltage ripple between the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and high frequency DC-AC converter (110).
5. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high frequency DC-AC converter (110) comprises at least two switching legs configured in a bridge configuration, wherein each of the switching leg comprises a pair of switches, wherein the control unit (116) is configured to control switching sequence of the pair of switches of each of the switching leg.
6. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high frequency DC-AC converter (110) operates the pair of switches to convert the DC voltage received from the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) into a high frequency AC input for the high frequency transformer (112).
7. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high frequency transformer (112) steps up or steps down the received high frequency AC input to provide high frequency AC output.
8. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the high frequency AC-DC converter (114) converts the high frequency AC output received from the high frequency transformer (112) into a DC voltage to charge the plurality of battery packs (102).
9. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home inverter (100) comprises a second DC link capacitor installed between the high frequency AC-DC converter (114) and the plurality of battery packs (102) to minimize voltage ripple between the high frequency AC-DC converter (114) and the plurality of battery packs (102).
10. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home inverter (100) comprises a display unit (118) configured to execute a user interface and provide at least one information to a user.
11. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the home inverter (100) comprises a communication unit (120), wherein the communication unit (120) is configured to communicate with at least one of: the display unit (118), a user device (122) and a server arrangement (124).
12. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control unit (116) is configured to receive at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs (102) from a battery management system of the plurality of battery packs (102).
13. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs (102) comprises at least one of: a voltage requirement of the plurality of battery packs (102), a current requirement of the plurality of battery packs (102), a state of health of the plurality of battery packs (102) and a state of charge of the plurality of battery packs (102).
14. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control unit (116) is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and the DC-DC converter (108) based on the at least one parameter associated with the plurality of battery packs (102), to regulate the DC voltage provided to charge the plurality of battery packs (102).
15. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (116) is configured to control operation of the active front-end AC-DC converter (106) and the DC-DC converter (108) to operate in inverter mode, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source.
16. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control unit (116) is configured to transfer power from the charged plurality of battery packs (102) to the power source, when the AC input is unavailable from the power source.
17. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the communication unit (120) is configured to communicate at least one of: the state of charge of the plurality of battery packs (102) and the state of health of the plurality of battery packs (102) to at least one of: the display unit (118), the user device (122) and the server arrangement (124).
18. The home inverter (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the battery pack compartment (104) comprises an electromechanical connector to removably connect the plurality of battery packs (102) with the home inverter (100).