Configurable hybrid drive systems

• US 10,320,220 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ge, Baoming, Chen, Lihua, Yang, Shuitao, Zhou, Yan, Xu, Fan, Alam, Mohammed Khorshed
• Primary Examiner(s): Dhakal, Bickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joseph, Devon A
• Application Number:
  US15/684,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 318400
• 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 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/28 Layout of windings or of connections between windings windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/18 with arrangements for switching the windings, e.g. with mechanical switches or relays
• 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 powertrain for a vehicle includes an electric machine and a controller. The electric machine has electrically isolated windings and is coupled with an inverter. The controller may be programmed to configure respective terminals of the windings to form a Y-connection, and responsive to an electrical connection between the vehicle and a 3-phase power grid, reconfigure the respective terminals such that each is coupled to a respective phase of the 3-phase power grid.

Claims

1. A powertrain for a vehicle comprising:

an electric machine, having electrically isolated windings, coupled with an inverter; and

a controller programmed to configure respective terminals of the windings to form a Y-connection, and responsive to an electrical connection to establish current flow between the vehicle and a 3-phase power grid, reconfigure the respective terminals such that each is coupled to a respective phase of the 3-phase power grid and responsive to an electrical connection between the vehicle and a single-phase power grid, decouple the Y-connection, couple a capacitor between a first winding terminal and a second winding terminal, and couple the second winding terminal and a third winding terminal to the single-phase power grid.

2. The powertrain of claim 1 further including a triple-pole triple-throw switch that is configured to, in a first throw position couple winding terminals such that the electric machine forms a Y-connection, in a second throw position couple winding terminals to a respective phase of the 3-phase power grid, and in a third throw position couple a single phase power grid and capacitor to the winding terminals.

3. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to modulate switches of the inverter to buffer ripple power in the capacitor through windings of the electric machine when coupled with the single-phase power grid.

4. The powertrain of claim 3, wherein the switches of the inverter include high-side switches and low-side switches, and the controller is further configured to modulate all high-side switches of two phase legs equally and modulate all low-side switches of the two phases legs equally, and modulate a third phase leg separately to buffer ripple power.

5. The powertrain of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to modulate switches of the inverter to flow a charge to a battery through windings of the electric machine when coupled with the 3-phase power grid.

6. A method of controlling a powertrain comprising:

responsive to an electrical connection to establish current flow between a 3-phase power grid and an electric vehicle containing the powertrain, decoupling windings of a Y-connection of an electric machine of the powertrain to electrically isolate the windings, and coupling each of the electrically isolated windings to a phase of the 3-phase power grid; and

responsive to an electrical connection between the vehicle and a single-phase power grid, decouple the Y-connection, couple a capacitor between a first winding terminal and a second winding terminal, and couple the second winding terminal and a third winding terminal to the single-phase power grid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein switches of an inverter include high-side switches and low-side switches, and all high-side switches of three phase legs are modulated together and all low-side switches of the three phase legs are modulated together when charging a battery with the 3-phase power grid.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each winding has a first and second terminal, further comprising, responsive to an electrical connection between a single-phase power grid and the electric vehicle, coupling a capacitor between a first winding second terminal and a second winding second terminal and couple the second winding second terminal and a third winding second terminal to the single-phase power grid.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising modulating switches of an inverter of the powertrain according to ripple power from the single-phase power grid to induce a field in each of the electrically isolated windings to buffer the ripple power in the capacitor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the switches of the inverter include high-side switches and low-side switches, and all high-side switches of two phase legs are modulated together and all low-side switches of the two phase legs are modulated together, and a third phase leg'"'"'s switches are modulated independently of switches of the two phase legs.

11. A vehicle powertrain comprising:

an electric machine having electrically isolated windings; and

a switch configured to couple respective terminals of the windings to form a Y-connection, and responsive to an electrical connection between the vehicle and a single-phase power grid, disconnect the Y-connection, couple a capacitor between a first winding terminal and a second winding terminal, and couple the second winding terminal and a third winding terminal to the single-phase power grid and responsive to an electrical connection to establish current flow between the vehicle and a 3-phase power grid, decouple the Y-connection and couple each winding terminal to a phase of the 3-phase power grid.

12. The vehicle powertrain of claim 11 further comprising an inverter coupled with the electric machine, and wherein the switch is further configured to modulate switches of the inverter to buffer ripple power in the capacitor through windings of the electric machine.

13. The vehicle powertrain of claim 12 further comprising an inverter coupled with the electric machine, and a controller that is configured to modulate switches of the inverter to balance reactive power through windings of the electric machine.

14. The vehicle powertrain of claim 13, wherein a charge current in the electric machine induces a transient torque of the electric machine that is negated over a time-period defined by a predetermined number of cycles the switches are modulated such that a steady state torque is zero.

15. The vehicle powertrain of claim 13, wherein the switches include high-side switches and low-side switches, and the switch is further configured to modulate all high-side switches of two phase legs equally and module all low-side switches of the two phase legs equally, and a third phase leg'"'"'s switches are modulated independently of switches of the two phase legs when charging a battery with single-phase power grid system.

16. The vehicle powertrain of claim 11, wherein the switch is further configured to, responsive to a disconnection between the vehicle powertrain and a power grid, couple together the winding terminals to form a Y-connection.

17. The vehicle powertrain of claim 11, wherein the switch is a triple-pole triple-throw switch that is configured to, in a first throw position couple winding terminals such that the electric machine forms a Y-connection, in a second throw position couple winding terminals to a respective phase of the 3-phase power grid, and in a third throw position couple a single phase power grid and capacitor to the winding terminals.