Vehicle integrated charger and power converter

• US 10,230,254 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Najmabadi, Ali, Malek, Hadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US15/828,063
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4225 using a non-isolated boost converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/09 Boost converter, i.e. DC-DC step up converter increasing the voltage between the supply and the inverter driving the motor general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle includes an electric machine with two sets of galvanically isolated windings, and a controller. During charge, the controller isolates a first inverter from a first set of the two sets and couples a power converter electrically between a traction battery and second inverter such that charge current flows through the first set and induces a voltage in a second set of the two sets to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an electric machine including two sets of galvanically isolated windings; and

a switching arrangement configured to,

during propulsion, couple a first inverter with one of the sets and couple a second inverter with a traction battery while by-passing a power converter to permit power from the battery to flow through the sets, and

during charge, isolate the first inverter from the electric machine and couple the converter electrically between the battery and second inverter such that current from a charge port coupled with a source flows through the one and induces a voltage in the other of the sets for rectifying via the second inverter and boosting via the power converter to charge the battery while isolating the source from the battery.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a controller configured to operate the power converter to correct a power factor associated with the voltage.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the electric machine is a six-phase electric machine.

4. A vehicle power method comprising:

by a controller responsive to charge mode, isolating a first inverter from a first set of windings of an electric machine and coupling a power converter electrically between a traction battery and second inverter such that charge current flows through the first set and induces a voltage in a second set of windings of the electric machine galvanically isolated from the first set to charge the battery.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising rectifying the voltage via the second inverter.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising boosting the voltage via the power converter.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising correcting a power factor associated with the voltage via the power converter.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising, responsive to propulsion mode, coupling the first inverter with the first set and coupling the second inverter with the traction battery while by-passing the power converter to permit power from the battery to flow through the sets.

9. A vehicle comprising:

an electric machine including two sets of galvanically isolated windings; and

a controller configured to, during charge, isolate a first inverter from a first set of the two sets and couple a power converter electrically between a traction battery and second inverter such that charge current flows through the first set and induces a voltage in a second set of the two sets to charge the battery.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the second inverter is configured to rectify the voltage.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the power converter is configured to boost the voltage.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the power converter is configured to correct a power factor associated with the voltage.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to, during propulsion, couple the first inverter with the first set and couple the second inverter with the traction battery while by-passing the power converter to permit power from the battery to flow through the sets.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the electric machine is a six-phase electric machine.