DC Building System With Energy Storage and Control System

Abstract

A DC building electrical system includes a DC power consuming device connected to a DC bus. A source of DC power is connected to the DC bus and powers the DC power consuming device. An energy storage device is connected to the DC bus and to a DC emergency load. The energy storage device powers the DC power consuming device in conjunction with the source of DC power, and powers the DC emergency load when source of power other than the energy storage device is available to the DC power consuming device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A charging device for a battery of a vehicle comprising:
 a converter circuit connected to a voltage bus of a power distribution system of a building, the converter circuit being configured to (i) connect to the battery of the vehicle, (ii) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting voltages of the voltage bus to direct-current voltages of the battery, and (iii) provide power to the voltage bus by converting the direct-current voltages of the battery to the voltages of the voltage bus.   
     
     
         2 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the voltage bus of the power distribution system is an alternating-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, and (ii) provide power to the alternating-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         3 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the voltage bus of the power distribution system is a direct-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, and (ii) provide power to the direct-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         4 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the voltage bus of the power distribution system includes an alternating-current voltage bus and a direct-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is connected to the alternating-current voltage bus and the direct-current voltage bus and configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, (ii) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, (iii) provide power to the alternating-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus, and (iv) provide power to the direct-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         5 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to power consuming devices connected to the voltage bus during at least one of (i) a peak load time of an electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus and (ii) a peak load time of the voltage bus. 
     
     
         6 . The charging device according to  claim 5 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to the power consuming devices in response to a signal indicating the peak load time of the electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus. 
     
     
         7 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to power consuming devices connected to the voltage bus during an outage of an electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus. 
     
     
         8 . The charging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The charging device according to  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is an electric fork lift. 
     
     
         10 . The charging device according to  claim 8 , wherein the vehicle is an electric golf cart. 
     
     
         11 . A power distribution system for a building comprising:
 a voltage bus;   a power consuming device connected to the voltage bus and configured to receive power from the voltage bus; and   a charging device for a battery of a vehicle, the charging device having a converter circuit connected to the voltage bus and configured to (i) connect to the battery of the vehicle, (ii) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting voltages of the voltage bus to direct-current voltages of the battery, and (iii) provide power to the voltage bus by converting the direct-current voltages of the battery to the voltages of the voltage bus.   
     
     
         12 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the voltage bus is an alternating-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, and (ii) provide power to the alternating-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         13 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the voltage bus is a direct-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, and (ii) provide power to the direct-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         14 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the voltage bus includes an alternating-current voltage bus and a direct-current voltage bus; and   the converter circuit is connected to the alternating-current voltage bus and the direct-current voltage bus and configured to (i) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, (ii) charge the battery of the vehicle by converting direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus to the direct-current voltages of the battery, (iii) provide power to the alternating-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the alternating-current voltages of the alternating-current voltage bus, and (iv) provide power to the direct-current voltage bus by converting direct-current voltages of the battery to the direct-current voltages of the direct-current voltage bus.   
     
     
         15 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to the power consuming device during at least one of (i) a peak load time of an electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus and (ii) a peak load time of the voltage bus. 
     
     
         16 . The power distribution system according to  claim 15 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to the power consuming device in response to a signal indicating the peak load time of the electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus. 
     
     
         17 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein the converter circuit is configured to provide power from the battery of the vehicle to the power consuming device during an outage of an electrical grid that provides power to the voltage bus. 
     
     
         18 . The power distribution system according to  claim 11 , wherein the charging device is a charging device for a battery of an electric vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The power distribution system according to  claim 18 , wherein the charging device is a charging device for a battery of an electric fork lift. 
     
     
         20 . The power distribution system according to  claim 18 , wherein the charging device is a charging device for a battery of an electric golf cart.