Method and apparatus for charging auxiliary battery of vehicle including driving motor

• US 10,434,896 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Jang, Youngjin, Kim, Jeeheon, Park, Jun Yeon, Lee, Hojoong
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Willoughby, Terrence R
• Application Number:
  US15/377,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20180111490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/54 related to batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• 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 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for charging an auxiliary battery of a vehicle including a driving motor. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for charging an auxiliary battery of a vehicle including a driving motor, includes: a driving distance detector detecting a driving distance of the vehicle; a timer detecting time lapsing from a specific time; a main battery SOC detector detecting a state of charge (SOC) of a main battery; an auxiliary battery SOC detector detecting an SOC of the auxiliary battery; and a controller operated by a program set to control an operation of a DC converter based on signals of the driving distance detector, the timer, the main battery SOC detector, and the auxiliary battery SOC detector.

Claims

1. A method for charging an auxiliary battery of a vehicle that includes a driving motor, the method comprising:

calculating a driving cycle measure based on a plurality of driving distances for a set period;

determining a maximum chargeable state of charge (SOC) of the auxiliary battery based on the driving cycle measure;

determining whether a charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied; and

charging the auxiliary battery by controlling an operation of a DC converter based on the maximum chargeable SOC in response to determining that the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary battery is not charged when the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is not satisfied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the maximum chargeable SOC comprises determining a maximum SOC of the auxiliary battery based on the driving cycle measure and a temperature of the auxiliary battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the maximum chargeable SOC of the auxiliary battery comprises determining a charging critical SOC of the auxiliary battery using a critical SOC map in which the maximum chargeable SOC according to the driving cycle measure is set.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the maximum chargeable SOC is set to be a value decreased as the driving cycle measure is increased.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied when an SOC of a main battery is larger than a protective SOC and an SOC of the auxiliary battery is smaller than the maximum chargeable SOC.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the charging of the auxiliary battery when an SOC of the auxiliary battery reaches the maximum chargeable SOC.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the driving cycle measure comprises calculating the driving cycle measure using the equation

9. A method for charging an auxiliary battery of a vehicle that includes a driving motor, the method comprising:

calculating a driving cycle measure based on a plurality of driving distances for a set period;

determining a maximum chargeable state of charge (SOC) of the auxiliary battery based on the driving cycle measure and a temperature of the auxiliary battery;

determining whether a charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied; and

charging the auxiliary battery by controlling an operation of a DC converter based on the maximum chargeable SOC in response to determining that the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the maximum chargeable SOC of the auxiliary battery comprises determining a charging critical SOC of the auxiliary battery using a critical SOC map in which the maximum chargeable SOC according to the driving cycle measure and the temperature of the auxiliary battery is set.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the maximum chargeable SOC at a specific driving cycle measure is set to be a value decreased as the temperature of the auxiliary battery is decreased.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein charging the auxiliary battery is satisfied when an SOC of a main battery is larger than a protective SOC and an SOC of the auxiliary battery is smaller than the maximum chargeable SOC.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising stopping the charging of the auxiliary battery when an SOC of the auxiliary battery reaches the maximum chargeable SOC.

14. An apparatus for charging an auxiliary battery of a vehicle that includes a driving motor, the apparatus comprising:

a driving distance detector configured to detect a driving distance of the vehicle;

a timer configured to detect time lapsing from a specific time;

a main battery SOC detector configured to detect a state of charge (SOC) of a main battery;

an auxiliary battery SOC detector configured to detect an SOC of the auxiliary battery; and

a controller operated by a set program to control an operation of a DC converter based on signals of the driving distance detector, the timer, the main battery SOC detector, and the auxiliary battery SOC detector, wherein the set program includes a series of commands for executing a method that comprises;

calculating a driving cycle measure based on a plurality of driving distances for a set period;

determining a maximum chargeable state of charge (SOC) of the auxiliary battery based on the driving cycle measure;

determining whether a charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied; and

charging the auxiliary battery by controlling an operation of the DC converter based on the maximum chargeable SOC in response to determining that the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a temperature detector, wherein the program is set to control the operation of the DC converter based on signals of the driving distance detector, the timer, the main battery SOC detector, the auxiliary battery SOC detector, and the temperature detector and wherein the maximum chargeable SOC of the auxiliary battery is based on the driving cycle measure and a temperature of the auxiliary battery.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein determining the maximum chargeable SOC of the auxiliary battery comprises determining a charging critical SOC of the auxiliary battery using a critical SOC map in which the maximum chargeable SOC according to the driving cycle measure is set.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the maximum chargeable SOC is set to be a value decreased as the driving cycle measure is increased.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the charging condition of the auxiliary battery is satisfied when an SOC of the main battery is larger than a protective SOC and an SOC of the auxiliary battery is smaller than the maximum chargeable SOC.