IP Library Granted Patent US 12,438,374
Granted Patent B2
US 12,438,374 · App. 18/279,303 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Energy storage system associated with solar system and method for controlling energy storage system

Inventor: Jongcheol Kim (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
H02J3/32H02J3/381H02J7/35H02J2207/20H02J2300/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,438,374
App. No.
18/279,303
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An energy storage system, connected with a photovoltaic system and a power grid, may include a plurality of DC/DC converters for controlling a plurality of battery racks, a power conversion system for controlling power in connection with the plurality of DC/DC converters and the photovoltaic system, and a power management controller for determining operating modes and outputting references of the power conversion system and the plurality of DC/DC converters according to a state of the photovoltaic system.

Claims (54)

1. An energy storage system connected with a photovoltaic system and a power grid, the energy storage system comprising:

a plurality of direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converters configured to control a plurality of battery racks including a plurality of batteries;

a power conversion system configured to control power in connection with the plurality of DC/DC converters and the photovoltaic system; and

a power management controller configured to determine operating modes and output references of the power conversion system and the plurality of DC/DC converters according to a state of the photovoltaic system.

2. The energy storage system of claim 1 , wherein the power management controller is configured to determine the operating mode of the power conversion system and the operating mode of each DC/DC converter according to whether the photovoltaic system is generating power or not.

3. The energy storage system of claim 1 , wherein the power management controller is further configured to set the operating mode of the power conversion system to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode and set the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a constant power (CP) mode when the photovoltaic system is generating power.

4. The energy storage system of claim 3 , wherein the output reference of the power conversion system is determined by MPPT control.

5. The energy storage system of claim 3 , wherein the output reference of each DC/DC converter is calculated based on a difference between an amount of power required by the power grid and an amount of power generation by the photovoltaic system.

6. The energy storage system of claim 1 , wherein the power management controller is further configured to set the operating mode of the power conversion system to a constant power mode and set the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a droop mode when the photovoltaic system is not generating power.

7. The energy storage system of claim 6 , wherein the output reference of the power conversion system is set equal to an output reference of the power grid, and the output reference of each DC/DC converter is set using a droop curve determined by a battery section controller of the energy storage system.

8. The energy storage system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a battery section controller configured to receive information about the operating mode of each DC/DC converter and an output reference value of the plurality of batteries in a constant power mode from the power management controller and control an output of each DC/DC converter.

9. The energy storage system of claim 8 , wherein the battery section controller is further configured to determine an output reference of each DC/DC converter in the constant power mode based on a state of each battery rack in real time and provide the output reference of each DC/DC converter to a corresponding DC/DC converter.

10. The energy storage system of claim 8 , wherein the battery section controller is further configured to set a droop curve for each DC/DC converter based on a state of each battery rack in a droop mode, and provide information on the droop curve to a corresponding DC/DC converter before each DC/DC converter starts operating.

11. A method for controlling an energy storage system including a plurality of batteries, a plurality of direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converters, a power conversion system, and a power management controller, wherein the energy storage system is connected with a photovoltaic system and a power grid, the method comprising:

determining, by the power management controller, a state of the photovoltaic system based on whether the photovoltaic system is generating power or not;

determining, by the power management controller, an operating mode of the power conversion system and an operating mode of each DC/DC converter according to the state of the photovoltaic system; and

determining, by the power management controller, an output reference of the power conversion system and an output reference of each DC/DC converter according to the determined operating mode of the power conversion system and the determined operating mode of each DC/DC converter.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the operating mode of the power conversion system and the operating mode of each DC/DC converter includes:

upon the photovoltaic system generating power,

setting the operating mode of the power conversion system to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode; and

setting the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a constant power (CP) mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the output reference of the power conversion system is determined by MPPT control.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the output reference of each DC/DC converter is calculated based on a difference between an amount of power required by the power grid and an amount of power generation by the photovoltaic system.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determining the operating mode of the power conversion system and the operating mode of each DC/DC converter includes:

upon the photovoltaic system not generating power,

setting the operating mode of the power conversion system to a constant power mode; and

setting the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a droop mode.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the output reference of the power conversion system is set equal to an output reference of the power grid, and the output reference of each DC/DC converter is set by a droop curve determined by a battery section controller of the energy storage system.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by a battery section controller of the energy storage system, information about the operating mode of each DC/DC converter and an output reference value of the plurality of batteries in a constant power mode from the power management controller; and

controlling, by the battery section controller, an output of each DC/DC converter according to a decided operating mode information.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the controlling, by the battery section controller, the output of each DC/DC converter, comprises:

determining an output reference of each DC/DC converter in the constant power mode based on a state of the plurality of batteries included in each battery rack in real time; and

providing the output reference of each DC/DC converter to a corresponding DC/DC converter.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the controlling, by the battery section controller, the output of each DC/DC converter, comprises:

setting a droop curve for each DC/DC converter based on a state of the plurality of batteries included in each battery rack in a droop mode; and

providing information on the droop curve to a corresponding DC/DC converter before each DC/DC converter starts operating.

20. A power management controller located in an energy storage system including a plurality of batteries, a plurality of direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converters, and a power conversion system, wherein the energy storage system is connected with a photovoltaic system and a power grid, the power management controller comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory configured to store at least one instruction executed by the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one instruction includes:

an instruction to determine a state of the photovoltaic system based on whether the photovoltaic system is generating power or not;

an instruction to determine an operating mode of the power conversion system and an operating mode of each DC/DC converter according to the state of the photovoltaic system; and

an instruction to determine an output reference of the power conversion system and an output reference of each DC/DC converter according to the determined operating mode of the power conversion system and the determined operating mode of each DC/DC converter.

21. The power management controller of claim 20 , wherein the at least one instruction further comprises an instruction to provide information about the operating mode of each DC/DC converter and the output reference of each DC/DC converter for the plurality of batteries in a constant power mode to a battery section controller of the energy storage system.

22. The power management controller of claim 20 , wherein the instruction to determine the operating mode of the power conversion system and the operating mode of each DC/DC converter includes:

upon the photovoltaic system generating power,

an instruction to set the operating mode of the power conversion system to a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) mode; and

an instruction to set the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a constant power (CP) mode.

23. The power management controller of claim 20 , wherein the instruction to determine the operating mode of the power conversion system and the operating mode of each DC/DC converter includes:

upon the photovoltaic system not generating power,

an instruction to set the operating mode of the power conversion system to a constant power mode; and

an instruction to set the operating mode of each DC/DC converter to a droop mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: KIM, JONGCHEOL
To: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
Reel/Frame 064738/0586 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0132117 · Oct 6, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Related Publication 20240136821A1 · Apr 25, 2024
Related Publication 20240235201A9 · Jul 11, 2024
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