Prioritized power delivery for facilitating transport climate control
AssigneeThermo King Corporation
InventorsRyan Wayne Schumacher, Michael James Vanous, Mark D. Leasure, Nicholas Allan Cregan, Matt Srnec, Alessandro Silvestri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Technologies are described herein to prioritize delivery of power to electrical components associated with a vehicle and an electrically powered accessory. A power distribution unit may assess real-time power needs for the electrical storage system associated with the vehicle and electrical storage device of the electrically powered accessory and direct incoming power to the electrical storage system associated with the vehicle and the electrical storage device of the electrically powered accessory based on a prioritization of various factors.
Claims18
A method to distribute power in an electrical power delivery environment, the method comprising:
- detecting incoming electrical power provided by a connection with a power source;
- and
- determining power needs for a vehicle electrical storage system by:
- determining power needs for a climate control unit used in a transport climate control system,
- determining electrical power source priorities among the vehicle electrical storage system and the climate control unit based on at least the determined power needs, wherein the determining of electrical power source priorities including assessing a time required to power the vehicle electrical storage system, and
- apportioning the incoming electrical power between the vehicle electrical storage system and the climate control unit based on at least in part the determined electrical power source priorities.
A power distribution unit associated with a vehicle that is at least partially electrically powered and a climate control unit used in a transport climate control system providing climate control to at least one of an internal space of the vehicle, an internal space of a trailer, and an internal space of a shipping container, the power distribution unit comprising:
- a power detector to detect an incoming electrical connection;
- a power meter to assess electrical power needs for electrical components associated with the vehicle and electrical power needs for the climate control unit;
- and
- a power source manager to:
- determine power source priorities of the electrical components associated with the vehicle and the climate control unit based on, at least, the assessed electrical power needs for the electrical components associated with the vehicle and electrical power needs for the climate control unit and an assessed time required to power the electrical components of the vehicle, and
- apportion the incoming electrical power among the electrical components associated with the vehicle and the climate control unit based at least in part on the power source priorities.
A computer-readable medium that stores executable instructions that, upon execution, cause a power distribution unit associated with an electrical storage system associated with a vehicle that is at least partially electrically powered and an electrical storage device of a climate control unit providing climate control to an internal space of the vehicle to deliver power to the electrical storage system associated with the vehicle and to deliver power to the climate control unit by performing functions comprising:
- assessing a time required to power the electrical storage system associated with the vehicle and real-time power needs for the climate control unit;
- and
- apportioning incoming electrical power to the electrical storage system associated with the vehicle and the electrical storage device of the climate control unit by:
- prioritizing transport load integrity over other considerations, and
- prioritizing power delivery to the climate control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.