Method and apparatus to control an off-board charging device

• US 10,065,518 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Steele, Russell K., Chiang, Peter Kung, Jones, Brandon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cass, Jean Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/157,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An off-board charging device disposed to electrically charge an electric energy storage system via an electrical charging system on-board a vehicle is described. This includes an electric machine electrically connected to the electric energy storage system and is disposed to supply propulsion effort to the vehicle. A method for controlling the off-board charging device includes determining severity of a drive cycle that occurs prior to a charging event for the electric energy storage system. A charging profile is determined based upon the severity of the drive cycle. A controller commands operation of the off-board charging device based upon the charging profile.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an off-board charging device disposed to electrically charge an electric energy storage system via an electrical charging system on-board a vehicle, wherein an electric machine is electrically connected to the electric energy storage system and is disposed to supply propulsion effort, the method comprising:

monitoring, via a sensor, current supplied to the electric machine during a drive cycle occurring prior to a charging event;

determining a severity of the drive cycle occurring prior to the charging event for the electric energy storage system based upon the monitored current;

determining a charging profile based upon the severity of the drive cycle; and

commanding, via the controller, operation of the off-board charging device when the vehicle is stationary based upon the charging profile;

wherein determining the charging profile based upon the severity of the drive cycle includes;

determining vehicle on-time,

monitoring a temperature of a component of the electrical charging system and an ambient temperature,

determining a modified vehicle on-time based upon the component temperature, the severity of the drive cycle, and the vehicle on-time,

determining vehicle off-time, and

determining a charging profile based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a temperature of a component of the electrical charging system during the drive cycle;

comparing the temperature of the component to an upper temperature threshold; and

selecting a default charging profile when the temperature of the component is greater than an upper temperature threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the default charging profile comprises selecting a default charging current.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging profile comprises a magnitude of charging current and an elapsed time for charging.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a default charging profile including a default charging current based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising selecting a modified charging profile including a charging current that is greater than the default charging current based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein commanding operation of the off-board charging device based upon the charging profile comprises commanding electric current flow and an elapsed charging time for the commanded electric current flow form the off-board charging device to the electric energy storage system.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the severity of the drive cycle occurring prior to the charging event for the electric energy storage system based upon the monitored current, wherein the severity of the drive cycle is determined based upon an RMS value for the monitored current occurring prior to the charging event.

8. A method for controlling an off-board charging device disposed to electrically charge an electric energy storage system via an electrical charging system on-board a vehicle, wherein an electric machine is electrically connected to the electric energy storage system and is disposed to supply propulsion effort, the method comprising:

monitoring, via a sensor, current supplied to the electric machine during a drive cycle occurring prior to a charging event;

determining severity of the drive cycle occurring prior to the charging event for the electric energy storage system based upon the monitored current;

monitoring a temperature of a component of the electrical charging system during the drive cycle;

determining a charging profile based upon the severity of the drive cycle and the temperature of the component of the electrical charging system during the drive cycle; and

commanding, via the controller, operation of the off-board charging device when the vehicle is stationary based upon the charging profile;

wherein determining the charging profile includes;

determining vehicle on-time,

monitoring an ambient temperature,

determining a modified vehicle on-time based upon the component temperature, the severity of the drive cycle and the vehicle on-time,

determining vehicle off-time, and

determining the charging profile based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a default charging profile when the temperature of the component is greater than an upper temperature threshold.

10. An electrical charging system for charging an on-board electric energy storage system of a vehicle via an off-board charging device, comprising:

an electric machine electrically connected to the electric energy storage system and disposed to supply propulsion effort to the vehicle;

a current sensor disposed to monitor current flow supplied to the electric machine;

a controller, operatively connected to the off-board charging device and in communication with the electrical charging system, the on-board electric energy storage system, the current sensor and the electric machine;

the controller including an instruction set, the instruction set executable to;

monitor current supplied to the electric machine during a drive cycle occurring prior to a charging event;

determine severity of the drive cycle occurring prior to the charging event for the electric energy storage system based upon the monitored current;

determine a charging profile based upon the severity of the drive cycle; and

command operation of the off-board charging device when the vehicle is stationary based upon the charging profile;

wherein the instruction set executable to determine the charging profile includes;

determine vehicle on-time,

monitor a temperature of a component of the electrical charging system and an ambient temperature,

determine a modified vehicle on-time based upon the component temperature, the severity of the drive cycle, and the vehicle on-time,

determine vehicle off-time, and

determine the charging profile based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

11. The electrical charging system of claim 10, further comprising the instruction set executable to:

monitor a temperature of a component of the electrical charging system during the drive cycle;

compare the temperature of the component to an upper temperature threshold; and

select a default charging profile including a default charging current when the temperature of the component is greater than an upper temperature threshold.

12. The electrical charging system of claim 10, wherein the charging profile comprises a magnitude of charging current and an elapsed time for charging.

13. The electrical charging system of claim 10, further comprising the instruction set executable to select a default charging profile including a default charging current based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

14. The electrical charging system of claim 10, further comprising the instruction set executable to select a modified charging profile including a charging current that is greater than the default charging current based upon the modified vehicle on-time, the vehicle off-time and the ambient temperature.

15. The electrical charging system of claim 10, further comprising the instruction set executable to command operation of the off-board charging device based upon the charging profile including commanding electric current flow and an elapsed charging time for the commanded electric current flow form the off-board charging device to the electric energy storage system.

17. The electrical charging system of claim 10, wherein the severity of the drive cycle is determined based upon an RMS value for the monitored current occurring prior to the charging event.