Portable electric vehicle battery discharger with physically removable power discharge modules

• US 10,075,005 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fisher, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US13/664,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20140117942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 320136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

A battery discharge device using a plurality of power modules for varying a discharge capacity of the device, and its method of use. The device can be used to discharge high-voltage, high-energy density battery packs such as might be used in hybrid or electric vehicles. The device can discharge the energy of the battery pack at a relatively constant power rate.

Claims

1. A battery discharge device separate from a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of power discharge modules connected in parallel, wherein at least one of the plurality of power discharge modules is configured to be physically removable, and wherein the at least one physically removable power discharge module is connected to the battery discharge device via a socket, and wherein the at least one physically removable power discharge module is configured to be removably added to the battery discharge device in parallel with others of the power discharge modules for increasing a power consumption of the battery discharge device for more quickly discharging the battery pack or to be removably subtracted from the battery discharge device for decreasing the power consumption of the battery discharge device for more slowly discharging the battery pack; and

an interface configured to connect an input of each one of the power discharge modules to an output of a battery pack, wherein each one of the power discharge modules is adapted to be connected to the battery pack such that, over an output voltage range of the battery pack, each one of the power discharge modules consumes power at an equally divided consumption rate.

2. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the device is adapted for discharging a battery from a 100% state of charge (SoC) to at least a 0% SoC at the equally divided consumption rate that varies by less than about 20% from a maximum steady state power consumption rate.

3. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein each one of the power discharge modules comprises at least one resistor in series with at least one thermistor.

4. The battery discharge device of claim 3, further comprising a voltmeter configured to measure a voltage of the battery pack and a fuse configured to protect the device from damage.

5. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the output voltage range of the battery pack is between about 170V and about 90V.

6. The battery discharge device of claim 5, wherein the equally divided consumption rate is a power consumption rate between about 7.5 W and about 6 W.

7. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the equally divided consumption rate is a power consumption rate between about 7.5 W and about 6 W.

8. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the power discharge modules are adapted to discharge the battery pack having a rated output voltage of at least 100V.

9. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein each one of the power discharge modules is adapted such that, over the output voltage range of the battery pack, and wherein the equally divided consumption is a steady-state rate that varies less than about ±

5% of its mean value.

10. A method of discharging a battery pack of a vehicle using the battery discharge device of claim 1, the method comprising:

providing the battery discharge device separate from the vehicle;

connecting the battery discharge device to the battery pack of the vehicle;

discharging the battery pack of the vehicle using the battery discharge device until energy stored by the battery pack falls to a desired level; and

disconnecting the battery discharge device from the vehicle.

11. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein adjusting a number of the plurality of power discharge modules using the at least one physically removable power discharge module modifies at least one of the following:

a capacity of the battery discharge device;

a power level of the battery discharge device;

a discharge speed of the battery discharge device;

a heat removal capability of the battery discharge device;

or

a cost battery discharge device.

12. The battery discharge device of claim 1, wherein the socket is one of a plurality of sockets configured to receive a respective one of the power discharge modules, wherein a number of sockets corresponds to a maximum number of physically removable power discharge modules.

13. The battery discharge device of claim 12, wherein a first number of the power discharge modules are hard-wired in the battery discharge device and a second number of the power discharge modules are connected to the battery discharge device using the plurality of sockets.

14. A battery discharge device for and separate from a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of power discharge modules connected in parallel, each one of the power discharge modules including at least one resistor in series with at least one thermistor, wherein at least one of the plurality of power discharge modules is configured to be physically removable, and wherein the at least one physically removable power discharge module is connected to the battery discharge device via a socket, and wherein the at least one physically removable power discharge module is configured to be removably added to the battery discharge device in parallel with others of the power discharge modules for increasing a power consumption of the battery discharge device for more quickly discharging the battery pack or to be removably subtracted from the battery discharge device for decreasing the power consumption of the battery discharge device for more slowly discharging the battery pack; and

an interface configured to connect the plurality of discharge modules to a battery pack for discharging the battery pack, wherein the power discharge modules are adapted to discharge the battery pack having a rated output of at least 100V.

15. The battery discharge device of claim 14, wherein each one of the power discharge modules is adapted such that, over an output voltage range of the battery pack, the device consumes power at an equally divided steady-state rate that varies less than about ±

5% of the mean value.

16. The battery discharge device of claim 14, further comprising a voltmeter configured to measure a voltage of the battery pack and a fuse configured to protect the device from damage.

17. The battery discharge device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of power discharge modules are connected in parallel such that each one of the plurality of power discharge modules, over an output voltage range of the battery pack, consumes power at an equally divided steady-state rate.

18. The battery discharge device of claim 17, the at least one physically removable power discharge module is configured to be removably added to the battery discharge device in parallel with others of the power discharge modules for increasing a power consumption of the battery discharge device for more quickly discharging the battery pack.

19. The battery discharge deice of claim 14, wherein the battery discharge device is configured to be separate from the vehicle.

20. A method of discharging a battery pack of a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a battery discharge device separate from the vehicle, the battery discharge device comprises a plurality of power modules connected in parallel with at least one of the plurality of power modules configured to be physically removable wherein the at least one physically removable power discharge module is connected to the battery discharge device via a socket;

connecting the battery discharge device to the battery pack of the vehicle;

monitoring a charge state of the battery pack;

discharging the battery pack of the vehicle using the battery discharge device by discharging the battery pack at an equally divided consumption rate of power for an output voltage range of the battery pack; and

disconnecting the battery discharge device from the vehicle when a charge of the battery pack has reached a desired threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the charge state of the battery pack is monitored by monitoring an output voltage of the battery pack.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of power modules each includes at least one resistor in series with at least one thermistor.