Apparatus for energy transfer using converter and method of manufacturing same

• US 10,131,234 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US13/406,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,458 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109, 180 6521, 180 6529, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• 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 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, a motor drive circuit includes a first energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy, a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the first energy storage device, a voltage inverter coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source. The motor drive circuit further includes a coupling system coupled to the input device, to the first energy storage device, and to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter. The coupling system has a first configuration configured to transfer electrical energy to the first energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and has a second configuration configured to transfer electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the voltage inverter via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter.

Claims

1. A motor drive circuit comprising:

an energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy;

a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter configured to convert a first voltage to a second voltage;

a voltage inverter configured to invert a DC voltage to an AC voltage;

an input device coupled to the di-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter and configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source;

a first coupling device separate from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter and configured to selectively couple the energy storage device to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

a second coupling device separate from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter and configured to selectively couple the energy storage device to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

a third coupling device separate from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter and configured to selectively couple the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to the voltage inverter.

2. The motor drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is configured to transfer electrical energy from the input device to the energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter with the first coupling device in an open position and with the second coupling device in a closed position.

3. The motor drive circuit of claim 2 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is further configured to transfer electrical energy from the input device to the energy storage device with the third coupling device in an open position.

4. The motor drive circuit of claim 2 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is configured to boost a voltage of the electrical energy to a higher voltage.

5. The motor drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is configured to transfer electrical energy from the energy storage device to the voltage inverter with the first coupling device in a closed position and with the second coupling device in an open position.

6. The motor drive circuit of claim 5 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is further configured to transfer electrical energy from the energy storage device to the voltage inverter with the third coupling device in a closed position.

7. The motor drive circuit of claim 5 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter is configured to boost a voltage of the electrical energy to a higher voltage.

8. The motor drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third coupling devices comprise contactors.

9. The motor drive circuit of claim 1 further comprising a second energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy to the voltage inverter.

10. The motor drive circuit of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a receptacle configured to receive an electric plug.

11. A method of manufacturing a motor drive circuit comprising:

providing a coupling system;

coupling the coupling system to a first energy storage device, to a voltage inverter, and to a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, the coupling system being separate from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

coupling an input device to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

configuring a first coupling device of the coupling system to selectively couple the first energy storage device to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

configuring a second coupling device of the coupling system to selectively couple the first energy storage device to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter;

configuring a third coupling device of the coupling system to selectively couple the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to the voltage inverter.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising configuring the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to transfer electrical energy from the input device to the first energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter with the first and third coupling devices in an open position and with the second coupling device in a closed position.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising configuring the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to transfer electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the voltage inverter with the first and third coupling devices in a closed position and with the second coupling device in an open position.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

coupling a second energy storage device in parallel with the voltage inverter; and

configuring the bi-directional buck/boost converter to boost electrical energy from the first energy storage to charge the second energy storage device with the first and third coupling devices in a closed position and with the second coupling device in an open position.

15. A traction system comprising:

an electric motor configured to propel a vehicle;

a voltage inverter configured to supply an AC power signal to the electric motor; and

a motor drive circuit configured to supply a DC power signal to the voltage inverter, the motor drive circuit comprising;

a first battery;

a voltage inverter;

a coupling system comprising a plurality of contactors;

a bi-directional buck/boost converter comprising;

an inductor coupleable to the first battery via a first contactor of the plurality of contactors; and

a transistor coupleable to the second battery via a second contactor of the plurality of contactors and coupleable to the voltage inverter via a third contactor of the plurality of contactors; and

an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source and to supply the electrical energy to the bi-directional buck/boost converter; and

wherein the coupling system is separate from the bi-directional buck/boost converter.

16. The traction system of claim 15 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured supply the electrical energy to the first battery with the first contactor in an open position and with the second contactor in a closed position.

17. The traction system of claim 16 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured supply a voltage from the first battery to the voltage inverter with the first contactor in a closed position and with the second contactor in an open position.

18. The traction system of claim 17 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage of the electrical energy to a higher voltage.

19. The traction system of claim 17 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage from the first battery for charging the second battery when the first contactor is in a closed position and the second contactor is in an open position.

20. The traction system of claim 19 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost the voltage from the first battery to a higher voltage.