Switched battery and capacitor arrangement and related operating methods

摘要

Systems and methods are provided for regulating the state of charge of a battery. An exemplary electrical system includes a fuel cell coupled to a bus and a battery coupled to the bus via a switching arrangement coupled to a capacitor. An exemplary method for operating the electrical system involves operating the switching arrangement such that a voltage of the battery is substantially equal to a voltage of the fuel cell when a state of charge of the battery is greater than a lower threshold value and less than an upper threshold value, and operating the switching arrangement to couple the capacitor electrically in series between the battery and the bus when the state of charge of the battery is not between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value.

主权项

1. A method for operating an electrical system, the electrical system comprising a fuel cell coupled to a bus and a switching arrangement, the bus comprising a positive rail and a negative rail coupled to a negative battery terminal of a battery, the switching arrangement comprising a first switching element coupled between a positive capacitor terminal of a capacitive element and the positive rail and configured to allow current from the positive capacitor terminal to the positive rail when closed, a second switching element coupled between a negative capacitor terminal of the capacitive element and the positive rail and configured to allow current from the positive rail to the negative capacitor terminal when closed, a third switching element coupled between the positive capacitor terminal and a positive battery terminal of the battery and configured to allow current from the positive capacitor terminal to the positive battery terminal when closed, and a fourth switching element coupled between the negative capacitor terminal and the positive battery terminal and configured to allow current from the positive battery terminal to the negative capacitor terminal when closed, the method comprising:
operating the switching arrangement such that a battery voltage of the battery is substantially equal to a fuel cell voltage of the fuel cell when a state of charge of the battery is greater than a lower threshold value and less than an upper threshold value; operating the switching arrangement to couple the capacitive element electrically in series between the battery and the bus when the state of charge of the battery is less than or equal to the lower threshold value; and operating the switching arrangement to couple the capacitive element electrically in series between the battery and the bus when the state of charge of the battery is greater than or equal to the upper threshold value.