Electric vehicle and vehicle power feeding method

• US 10,232,719 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2015
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tajima, Takamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kik, Phallaka
• Application Number:
  US15/128,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20170106761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 320104, 320140, 320167
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/44 Current source inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/10 Electrical machine types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 5/36 with means for collecting current simultaneously from more than one conductor, e.g. from more than one phase
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/30 Power rails
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• 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

Abstract

Provided are an electric vehicle and a vehicle power feeding method capable of charging, at an ultra-high speed, an electricity storage device of the electric vehicle that travels on a trackless road. A control device of the electric vehicle executes a first charging control for controlling a voltage converter to limit the input current from a power feeding portion to an electricity storage device or the variation of the input current per unit time and allowing the voltage converter to charge the electricity storage device; and a second charging control for, for example, slopping the transforming operation of the voltage converter and allowing the voltage converter to charge the electricity storage device. Both charging controls are executed while moving the contact point between an electrical connection portion and the power feeding portion, and the execution time of the second charging control is longer than that of the first charging control.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle that travels on a trackless trajectory, wherein:

the electric vehicle comprises;

a traction motor;

an energy storage device configured to supply electrical power to the traction motor;

an energizing portion configured to come into contact with a power supplying portion and to connect electrically between the power supplying portion and the energy storage device;

a voltage converter configured to adjust supply of electrical power to the energy storage device from the power supplying portion via the energizing portion; and

a control unit configured to control the voltage converter;

wherein the control unit is configured to carry out;

a first charging control to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter so as to control an input current or an amount of change per unit time of the input current from the power supplying portion to the energy storage device, wherein the first charging control includes calculating a current difference between a present input/output current of the energy storage device and a previous input/output current of the energy storage device and comparing the current difference with a predetermined threshold value of the current difference to control a duty ratio of the voltage converter; and

a second charging control to charge the energy storage device with electrical power from the power supplying portion in which a converting operation of the voltage converter is stopped and voltage conversion is not carried out, or to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter on a basis of a target electrical power which is a target value of electrical power supplied to the energy storage device; and

furthermore, the control unit is configured to;

implement the first charging control and the second charging control while a point of contact between the energizing portion and the power supplying portion is moved;

implement the first charging control when the energizing portion comes into contact with the power supplying portion; and

implement the second charging control after the first charging control, and for a period of time longer than that of the first charging control.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, when an input voltage to the energy storage device during the second charging control arrives at a fully charged voltage of the energy storage device, the control unit implements a third charging control to operate the voltage converter so as to maintain the input voltage at the fully charged voltage.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein roller-shaped terminals that contact the power supplying portion are formed on a distal end of the energizing portion.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle comprises an arm displacement mechanism that causes the energizing portion to project out laterally of a vehicle body during traveling.

5. A vehicle power supplying method for charging an energy storage device of an electric vehicle by electrical power from an external power supplying apparatus in a state in which an energizing portion of the electric vehicle is placed in contact with respect to a power supplying portion of the external power supplying apparatus, wherein:

the electric vehicle travels on a trackless trajectory;

in the electric vehicle, there are carried out;

a first charging control to charge the energy storage device by controlling a voltage converter so as to control an input current or an amount of change per unit time of the input current from the power supplying portion to the energy storage device, wherein the first charging control includes calculating a current difference between a present input/output current of the energy storage device and a previous input/output current of the energy storage device and comparing the current difference with a predetermined threshold value of the current difference to control a duty ratio of the voltage converter; and

a second charging control to charge the energy storage device with electrical power from the power supplying portion in which a converting operation of the voltage converter is stopped and voltage conversion is not carried out, or to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter on a basis of a target electrical power value which is a target value of electrical power supplied to the energy storage device;

furthermore, in the electric vehicle;

the first charging control and the second charging control are implemented while a point of contact between the energizing portion and the power supplying portion is moved;

the first charging control is implemented when the energizing portion comes into contact with the power supplying portion; and

the second charging control is implemented after the first charging control;

the power supplying portion is capable of initiating contact with the energizing portion and separating away therefrom at arbitrary positions; and

when the energizing portion is placed in contact with the power supplying portion, under a condition in which a remaining capacity of the energy storage device is a predetermined value, and a vehicle speed of the electric vehicle or a movement speed of the power supplying portion is an assumed speed or lies within an assumed speed range, the first charging control and the second charging control are completed within a range that is shorter than half a total length of the power supplying portion, and together therewith, implementation time of the second charging control is longer than that of the first charging control.

6. An electric vehicle that travels on a trackless trajectory, wherein:

the electric vehicle comprises;

a traction motor;

an energy storage device configured to supply electrical power to the traction motor;

an energizing portion configured to come into contact with a power supplying portion and to connect electrically between the power supplying portion and the energy storage device;

a voltage converter configured to adjust supply of electrical power to the energy storage device from the power supplying portion via the energizing portion; and

a control unit configured to control the voltage converter;

wherein the control unit is configured to carry out;

a first charging control to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter so as to control an input current or an amount of change per unit time of the input current from the power supplying portion to the energy storage device, wherein the first charging control includes controlling the voltage converter such that a current difference between a present battery input/output current and a previous battery input/output current matches a predetermined value; and

a second charging control to charge the energy storage device with electrical power from the power supplying portion in which a converting operation of the voltage converter is stopped and voltage conversion is not carried out, or to charge the energy storage device by controlling the voltage converter on a basis of a target electrical power which is a target value of electrical power supplied to the energy storage device; and

furthermore, the control unit is configured to;

implement the first charging control and the second charging control while a point of contact between the energizing portion and the power supplying portion is moved;

implement the first charging control when the energizing portion comes into contact with the power supplying portion; and

implement the second charging control after the first charging control, and for a period of time longer than that of the first charging control.