Method and arrangement for charging a vehicle battery

• US 10,239,410 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kristof, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US15/596,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/388 involving voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 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

A method for charging a vehicle battery which stores electrical power for an electrical drive motor of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle battery is electrically connectable to a charging socket via a switch arrangement. The method includes: measuring a first electrical variable on the switch arrangement side facing the charging socket, by a first measuring device, measuring a second electrical variable on the switch arrangement side facing the vehicle battery, by a second measuring device, comparing the first and second electrical variables and closing the switch arrangement, if the first and second electrical variables substantially correspond, measuring the first and second electrical variables while the switch arrangement is closed, and adjusting the first measuring device and the second measuring device on the basis of a first measurement difference between measurement results of the first and second electrical variables while the switch arrangement is closed.

Claims

1. A method for charging a vehicle battery which stores electrical power for an electrical drive motor of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle battery is electrically connectable to a charging socket via a switch arrangement, comprising:

measuring a first electrical variable (U₁) on a side of the switch arrangement facing the charging socket using a first measuring device,

measuring a second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) on a side of the switch arrangement facing the vehicle battery using a second measuring device,

comparing the first electrical variable (U₁) and the second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂);

closing the switch arrangement if the first electrical variable (U₁) and the second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) substantially correspond,

measuring the first electrical variable (U₁) and the second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) while the switch arrangement is closed, and

adjusting at least one of the first measuring device and the second measuring device on the basis of a first measurement difference (Δ

U₁) between measurement results of the first (U₁) and the second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) while the switch arrangement is closed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrical variable (U₃) and an electrical battery variable (U_BATT) are measured before the switch arrangement is closed, wherein the second measuring device is adjusted on the basis of a second measurement difference (Δ

U₁) between the second electrical variable (U₃) and the electrical battery variable (U_BATT).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrical variable (U₃) is measured at the vehicle battery.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second electrical variable (U₂) is measured in a region between the switch arrangement and a converter unit connected between the switch arrangement and the vehicle battery.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for a case where a measurement difference (Δ

U) exceeds a predetermined first difference threshold value (Δ

U_MAX1), an error message (F) is output.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein measurement differences (Δ

U_a, Δ

U_b, . . . ) of successive adjusting processes (T₁, T₂, . . . ) are summed, wherein an error message (F) is output if the sum of the measurement differences that is calculated exceeds a predetermined second difference threshold value (Δ

U_MAX2).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrical variable (U₁) and the second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) are in each case an electrical voltage or an electrical current or an electrical resistance.

8. A charging arrangement for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an electrical charging socket connectable to a stationary electrical charging station,

a vehicle battery terminal, to which a vehicle battery is connectable,

a switch arrangement, by which the charging socket and the vehicle battery terminal are electrically connectable,

a first measuring device configured to measure a first electrical variable (U₁) in a region of the electrical charging socket,

a second electrical measuring device configured to measure a second electrical variable (U₃;

U₂) on a side of the switch arrangement facing the vehicle battery, and

a control device configured to control the switch arrangement, monitor the first and second measuring devices, and adjust at least one of the first and second measuring devices on the basis of a first measurement difference between measurement results of the first and the second electrical variables while the switch arrangement is closed.