Electric vehicle charging via grid and engine

• US 10,000,129 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dunlap, Brock, Lovett, Karin, Bolger, Bryan Michael, Treharne, William David
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US14/800,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20170015208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a traction battery, a generator coupled to the engine and battery, and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to a current flowing from a battery charge station to the battery being less than a maximum charge current, a selection of a fast charge mode, and a temperature of the engine being less than a predetermined temperature, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a traction battery; and

a controller configured to,

responsive to battery charge current from a battery charge station being less than a maximum charge current while the vehicle is parked and in fast charge mode, operate the engine to generate current to increase a charge rate of the battery, and

responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone, inhibit operation of the engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate a cooling fan for the engine when the engine is rotating.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to a temperature of the engine being greater than a predetermined temperature, activate a cooling fan at a speed greater than a standard speed.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a level of carbon monoxide in an area proximate to the vehicle being greater than a predetermined concentration.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

9. A powertrain control module for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to,

responsive to selection of a fast charge mode and flow of electric charge from a battery charge station to a traction battery, operate an engine to drive a generator to generate current to increase a rate of charge of the battery, and

responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone, inhibit operation of the engine.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

11. The module of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

12. The module of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

13. The module of claim 9, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

14. A method to supplement current from a battery charge station comprising:

while a traction battery is receiving current from a charge station, operating an engine to drive a generator electrically coupled with a traction battery to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery; and

inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone.

15. The method of claim 14 further including inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

17. The method of claim 14 further including inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.