US 12,266,952 B2
Method for reducing wear of an energy storage device
Simon Brunet, Landvetter (SE); Tommy Hjelle, Torslanda (SE); and Martin Myhre, Gothenburg (SE)
Assigned to VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed by VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/450,515.
Claims priority of application No. 20202042 (EP), filed on Oct. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0123561 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. H02J 7/00 (2006.01); B60L 50/60 (2019.01); B60L 53/00 (2019.01)
CPC H02J 7/0013 (2013.01) [B60L 50/60 (2019.02); H02J 7/0063 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for reducing contactor wear of an energy storage device in an energy storage system connected to a load, the energy storage system comprising at least two energy storage devices, the method comprising:
connecting the energy storage system to an electrical energy source,
electrically powering the load by electrical energy from the electrical energy source via the energy storage system by connecting at least one of the energy storage devices to directly transfer electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load and thereby using the connected energy storage device as a buffer or load buffer in the direct transfer of the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load, and disconnecting at least one other energy storage device to not transfer any electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load, such that the electrical energy source is directly electrically powering the load via the energy storage system such that at the same time at least one energy storage device of the energy storage system is active and used as buffer or load buffer in the energy storage system, and at least one energy storage device of the energy storage system is inactive, and not subject to any contactor wear, and
cycling the energy storage devices in the energy storage system in such a way that over a period of time no energy storage device is connected for transferring electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load for a total time of more than 10% compared to any other energy storage device in the energy storage system.
 
7. A switching arrangement for reducing contactor wear of an energy storage device in an energy storage system connectable to an electrical energy source and to a load, the energy storage system comprising at least two energy storage devices, the switching arrangement being configured to electrically connect and disconnect each of the energy storage devices to the electrical energy source and/or the load, wherein the switching arrangement is configured to electrically power the load by electrical energy from the electrical energy source via the energy storage system in such a way that at least one energy storage device is connected for transferring electrical energy directly from the electrical energy source to the load and thereby using the connected energy storage device as a buffer or load buffer in the direct transfer of the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load, and at least one other energy storage device is disconnected and is not transferring any electrical energy, such that the electrical energy source is directly electrically powering the load via the energy storage system in such a way that at the same time at least one energy storage device of the energy storage system is active and used as buffer or load buffer in the energy storage system, and at least one energy storage device of the energy storage system is inactive, and thus not subject to any contactor wear, and
to cycle the energy storage devices in the energy storage system in such a way that over a period of time no energy storage device is connected for transferring electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the load for a total time of more than 10% compared to any other energy storage device in the energy storage system.