Method for charging a direct current traction battery at a direct current charging pillar

• US 10,471,837 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2016
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Dr Ing hc F Porsche AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Herke, Dirk, Spesser, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): McDaniel, Tynese V
• Application Number:
  US15/006,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A high-voltage charge booster is provided for charging a direct current traction battery at a direct current charging pillar. The high-voltage charge booster has a converter (14) for transforming the first voltage level into the second voltage level if the first voltage level differs from the second voltage level. A bypass (16) bypasses the converter (14) or connects through a power stage if the first voltage level corresponds to the second voltage level.

Claims

1. A method for charging an electric vehicle at a charging pillar with a first voltage level (V_in) of 400 V, comprising:

connecting the electric vehicle to the charging pillar, the electric vehicle comprising;

an electric motor for driving the electric vehicle,

a traction battery for feeding the electric motor, the traction battery having a second voltage level (V_out),

a charging socket for receiving direct current voltage or alternating current voltage from the charging pillar,

at least one on-board charging device for charging the traction battery at the second voltage level (V_out) if the charging socket receives alternating current voltage from the charging pillar,

a high-voltage charge booster for charging the traction battery if the charging socket receives direct current voltage from the charging pillar, wherein the at least one on-board charging device and the high-voltage charge booster are coupled in parallel with each other between the charging socket and the traction battery, the high-voltage charge booster comprising;

a converter for transforming the first voltage level (V_in) into the second voltage level (V_out) if the first voltage level (V_in) differs from the second voltage level (V_out) such that the traction battery is charged by the output of the converter, and

a bypass for bypassing the converter if the first voltage level (V_in) corresponds to the second voltage level (V_out) such that the traction battery is charged directly from the charging pillar,

an on-board computer connected by cable to the high-voltage charge booster,

evaluating the operational capability of the high-voltage charge booster,

detecting the first voltage level (V_in) for a given operational capability,

initiating an exchange of information with the charging pillar for a detected first voltage level (V_in),

transmitting charging-relevant information to the charging pillar,

availability-testing a required power of the high-voltage charge booster,

starting a charging process,

connecting the power to the high-voltage charge booster,

plausibility-checking a charging current flowing from the charging pillar,

storing environmental data,

monitoring the charging process, and

ending the charging process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitting of the charging-relevant information is carried out by a first software module for controlling the charging process,

the monitoring of the charging process is carried out by a second software module for detecting and checking the plausibility of the charging process,

the evaluation of the operational capability is carried out by a third software module for evaluating an actual state,

the availability-checking of the power and recording of the charging process are carried out by means of a fourth software module for throttling the charging process,

the connecting of the power is carried out by a fifth software module for switching over a contactor,

the detecting of the first voltage level (V_in) is carried out by a sixth software module for communicating with the charging pillar,

the plausibility-checking of the charging currents is carried out by a seventh software module for checking the plausibility of the charging currents,

the storing of the environmental data is carried out by an eighth software module for storing historical data, and

the ending of the charging process is carried out by a ninth software module for ending the charging process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the software modules include software functions that are performed in the at least one on-board charging device or in the high-voltage charge booster.

4. A computer program configured to carry out the steps of the method of claim 1.

5. A machine-readable storage medium storing the computer program of claim 4.