Method for controlling a voltage source for charging a battery of a motor vehicle

• US 10,293,703 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Eifert, Mark, Karden, Eckhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US14/919,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121750A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 320116-119, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2072 for drive off
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/20 Drive modes; Transition between modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A method for controlling a voltage source is used to charge a battery of a motor vehicle, wherein the desired voltage value of the voltage source is selected and controlled. The method changes between at least two charging modes at planned time intervals, wherein a first charging mode applies a different desired voltage value for charging the battery than a second charging mode. In particular, the two charging modes are a process of equalization charging the battery and a process of float charging the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery charge method comprising:

by a controller, switching back and forth at planned time intervals between an equalization charging mode in which a predefined desired voltage at connection terminals of a battery is achieved to charge cells of the battery and a float charging mode in which current of the battery is reduced to zero and state of charge of the battery is maintained around a fixed value via controlling a voltage.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controlling is by way of feedback control of the voltage.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controlling is by way of closed-loop control with a feed-forward disturbance value.

4. A method for controlling a voltage source of a vehicle comprising:

by a controller, switching back and forth at planned time intervals between an equalization charging mode in which a desired voltage is applied to charge cells of a battery and a float charging mode in which battery current is minimized and battery state of charge is maintained around a fixed value via controlling a voltage at connection terminals to a temperature-dependent target value.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the voltage source is an AC generator or a DC-DC converter of the vehicle.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the voltage source is charged by a low voltage supply distribution network of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle comprising:

a battery; and

a controller programmed to, at planned time intervals switch back and forth between operating to cause a predefined desired voltage to be present at connection terminals of the battery to charge cells of the battery and operating to reduce current of the battery to zero and maintain a state of charge of the battery around a fixed value via controlling a voltage at the connection terminals.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controlling is by way of feedback control of the voltage.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controlling is by way of closed-loop control with a feed-forward disturbance value.