Power supply apparatus

• US 10,541,549 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Fumihiro, Shimada, Takae, Ishigaki, Takuya, Ouchi, Takayuki, Shoji, Hiroyuki, Takahashi, Naoya, Kishimoto, Eigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/576,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20180166903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 320140
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0085 Partially controlled bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3372 of the parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus having high efficiency of charging a battery by inputting an alternating current voltage. A charging apparatus that charges a direct current battery includes a step-down converter unit to which a direct current voltage from a power supply is input and that converts the direct current voltage, and when a voltage of the direct current battery is between a predetermined first voltage smaller than a charge completion voltage of the direct current battery and the charge completion voltage, a variable voltage that increases from the first voltage to the charge completion voltage in accordance with charging of the direct current battery is input to the step-down converter unit.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus that charges a direct current battery, comprising:

a step-down converter unit that is configured to convert a direct current voltage input from a power supply to which a direct current voltage from a power supply is input and that converts the direct current voltage, wherein when a voltage of the direct current battery is between a predetermined first voltage lower than a charge completion voltage of the direct current battery and the charge completion voltage, and an input voltage to the step-down converter unit is controlled so as to increase from the first voltage to the charge completion voltage as the direct current battery charges; and

a step-up converter unit to which a direct current voltage from a power supply is input and that converts the direct current voltage, wherein

the direct current voltage converted by the step-up converter unit is input in the step-down converter unit, and the first voltage is input in the step-up converter unit,

when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-down converter unit is subjected to voltage control such that an input voltage to the step-down converter unit is the first voltage, and

the step-up converter unit is controlled such that power supplied to the direct current battery is constant power.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the first voltage is input to the step-down converter unit.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-up converter unit is subjected to the voltage control such that the input voltage to the step-down converter unit is the first voltage.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-down converter unit is subjected to constant power control such that power supplied to the direct current battery is constant.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is between the first voltage and the charge completion voltage, the step-up converter unit is subjected to the constant power control such that the power supplied to the direct current battery is constant.

6. The charging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is the charge completion voltage or higher, the step-up converter unit is subjected to constant voltage control such that a voltage supplied to the direct current battery is constant.

7. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an AC-DC converter unit that converts an alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage,

wherein the direct current voltage converted by the AC-DC converter unit is input in the step-up converter unit.

8. The charging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the step-down converter unit includes an operation mode in which an input side and an output side of the step-down converter unit is short-circuited in a direct current manner.

9. A charging system comprising:

a direct current battery; and

the charging apparatus that charges the direct current battery according to claim 1.

10. A charging apparatus that charges a direct current battery, comprising:

a step-down converter unit that is configured to convert a direct current voltage input from a power supply, to which a direct current voltage from a power supply is input and that converts the direct current voltage, wherein when a voltage of the direct current battery is between a predetermined first voltage lower than a charge completion voltage of the direct current battery and the charge completion voltage, a variable voltage that increases from the first voltage to the charge completion voltage in accordance with charging of the direct current battery is input to the step-down converter unit;

a step-up converter unit to which a direct current voltage from a power supply is input and that converts the direct current voltage, wherein

the direct current voltage converted by the step-up converter unit is input in the step-down converter unit,

the first voltage is input in the step-up converter unit,

when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-down converter unit is subjected to voltage control such that an input voltage to the step-down converter unit is the first voltage, and

when the voltage of the direct current battery is between the first voltage and the charge completion voltage, the step-down converter unit is subjected to the voltage control such that the input voltage to the step-down converter unit is the voltage of the direct current battery.

11. The charging apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the first voltage is input to the step-down converter unit.

12. The charging apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the step-up converter unit is controlled such that power supplied to the direct current battery is constant power.

13. The charging apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-up converter unit is subjected to the voltage control such that the input voltage to the step-down converter unit is the first voltage.

14. The charging apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is lower than the first voltage, the step-down converter unit is subjected to constant power control such that power supplied to the direct current battery is constant.

15. The charging apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is between the first voltage and the charge completion voltage, the step-up converter unit is subjected to the constant power control such that the power supplied to the direct current battery is constant.

16. The charging apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein when the voltage of the direct current battery is the charge completion voltage or higher, the step-up converter unit is subjected to constant voltage control such that a voltage supplied to the direct current battery is constant.