A charging device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a battery adapted and configured to store a DC voltage, first and second motors adapted and configured to operate as a motor or a generator, first and second inverters adapted and configured to operate the first and second motors, a voltage transformer adapted and configured to boost the DC voltage of the battery to supply it to the first and second inverters and boosts the DC voltage of the inverter to supply it to the battery, and a charging controller adapted and configured to operate the first and second inverters as a booster or operate the voltage transformer as a buck booster according to a voltage that is input through a neutral point of the first and second motors and the voltage of the battery.

An electric power retention distribution cell apparatus and method of operation of the cell includes a rechargeable battery assembly, a bi-directional inverter and a switch control operatively connectable to an electric utility grid, an outside power charging supply and at least one end user wherein the cell is selectively switched between the electric utility grid and the battery assembly to supply electric power to the one or more end users. The cell is connected to the power charging supply for charging the battery assembly, and for dividing the battery assembly into groups of batteries for storage at a lower terminal output voltages of each group than the battery assembly output voltage when in use as the primary power supply. Electric power supply networks are also described for a utility hub network formed using two or more cells, and for a regional utility hub network formed using multiple utility hubs.

An electric power retention distribution cell apparatus and method of operation of the cell includes a rechargeable battery assembly, a bi-directional inverter and a switch control operatively connectable to an electric utility grid, an outside power charging supply and at least one end user wherein the cell is selectively switched between the electric utility grid and the battery assembly to supply electric power to the one or more end users. The cell is connected to the power charging supply for charging the battery assembly, and for dividing the battery assembly into groups of batteries for storage at a lower terminal output voltages of each group than the battery assembly output voltage when in use as the primary power supply. Electric power supply networks are also described for a utility hub network formed using two or more cells, and for a regional utility hub network formed using multiple utility hubs.

An electric multimode power converter module includes an AC/DC converter, including a first AC port; a DC/AC converter, including a second AC port; a DC/DC converter, including a DC port; a controller; and a communication bus interconnecting the converters. The controller includes a hardware configuration port and sets the module in the following states, based on the value read from the configuration port: a first state in which the module transfers power between the first AC port and the DC port, a second state in which the module transfers power between the DC port and the second AC port, and a third state in which the module transfers power between the AC ports and the DC port. A power supply system includes a shelf device including at least one compartment, and an electric multimode power converter module as mentioned above is inserted in the at least one compartment.

An electric multimode power converter module includes an AC/DC converter, including a first AC port; a DC/AC converter, including a second AC port; a DC/DC converter, including a DC port; a controller; and a communication bus interconnecting the converters. The controller includes a hardware configuration port and sets the module in the following states, based on the value read from the configuration port: a first state in which the module transfers power between the first AC port and the DC port, a second state in which the module transfers power between the DC port and the second AC port, and a third state in which the module transfers power between the AC ports and the DC port. A power supply system includes a shelf device including at least one compartment, and an electric multimode power converter module as mentioned above is inserted in the at least one compartment.

A hybrid power plant is characterized by a substantially constant load on generators regardless of momentary swings in power load. Short changes in power load are accommodated by DC components such as capacitors, batteries, resistors, or a combination thereof. Resistors are used to consume power when loads in the power plant are generating excess power. Capacitors are used to store and deliver power when the loads in the power plant demand additional power. Reducing rapid changes in power load as seen by the generators allows the generators to operate at higher efficiencies and with reduced emissions. Additionally, power plants employing combinations of generators, loads, and energy storage devices have increased dynamic performance.

A hybrid power plant is characterized by a substantially constant load on generators regardless of momentary swings in power load. Short changes in power load are accommodated by DC components such as capacitors, batteries, resistors, or a combination thereof. Resistors are used to consume power when loads in the power plant are generating excess power. Capacitors are used to store and deliver power when the loads in the power plant demand additional power. Reducing rapid changes in power load as seen by the generators allows the generators to operate at higher efficiencies and with reduced emissions. Additionally, power plants employing combinations of generators, loads, and energy storage devices have increased dynamic performance.

Disclosed is a novel and innovative class of buck-boost bidirectional inverters achieve ultra high efficiency in applications requiring converting of one or more low and variable DC voltages of one or more power sources (which may include a battery, a low-voltage DC source, or a set of PV solar panels) to an AC voltage (e.g., connected to a grid) through a single-stage power conversion with step modulation.

The present invention aims to provide a power converter, which includes a plurality of switching power supply devices connected in parallel, with a circuit configuration that enables reduction of cost and a size of the power converter. The present invention relates to a power converter including at least a first switching power supply device and a second switching power supply device connected in parallel. A part of high-voltage-compatible switching elements is commonly used between the first switching power supply device and the second switching power supply device, and a drive gate signal of one of the high-voltage-compatible switching elements of the first switching power supply device and the second switching power supply device and a phase difference of a drive gate signal of the commonly used switching power supply device are set to be equal when a load current is a first current value or lower.

This power supply device includes: a power interconnection path connecting a power interconnection port to a power conversion unit via a first switch; a stand-alone power supply path leading from an auxiliary input port via a second switch to an output port to which a load is connected; a storage-battery-side power supply path leading from a storage battery via the power conversion unit to the output port; and a control unit, the control unit causing the power conversion unit to charge/discharge the storage battery when interconnected with a commercial power grid, the control unit supplying power to the load via one of the stand-alone power supply path and the storage-battery-side power supply path when disconnected from the commercial power grid, the control unit switching the power supply path from the one to the other within an extremely short time period such as not to influence the load.