Electrical system control for a vehicle

• US 20050151509A1
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 7,352,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electrical system control for a vehicle having a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply that is connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply. The system comprises a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery, a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery, and a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source and the first, second and third batteries. The controller also controls the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first, second and third batteries.

Claims

1. In a vehicle electrical system having a charging source and a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a power supply that is connected to the charging source, an electrical system control comprising:

a bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery; and

a controller to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source, the first battery and the second battery and control the operation of the bidirectional battery equalizer in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first and second batteries.

2. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the battery equalizer receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

3. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the bidirectional battery equalizer further comprises a switching converter.

4. The electrical system control of claim 3 wherein the switching converter is reconfigurable by the controller as both a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter.

5. The electrical system control of claim 3 wherein the switching converter includes at least one of a voltage control loop and a current control loop.

6. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the controller is a microprocessor adapted to execute a predetermined set of instructions.

7. In a vehicle electrical system having a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply that is connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply, an electrical system control comprising:

a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery;

a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery; and

a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source and the first, second and third batteries and control the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first, second and third batteries.

8. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein the first battery equalizer receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

9. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein the second battery equalizer receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

10. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein a predetermined charging current is coupled from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

11. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein a predetermined charging current is coupled from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

12. The electrical system of claim 7 wherein the third battery is connected in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

13. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein at least one of the first bidirectional battery equalizer and the second battery equalizer further comprises a switching converter.

14. The electrical system control of claim 13 wherein the switching converter is reconfigurable by the controller as both a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter.

15. The electrical system control of claim 13 wherein the switching converter includes at least one of a voltage control loop and a current control loop.

16. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein the controller is a microprocessor adapted to execute a predetermined set of instructions.

17. In a vehicle electrical system having a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply that is connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply, an electrical system control comprising:

a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery, the first bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter;

a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery, the second bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter; and

a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source and the first, second and third batteries and control the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first, second and third batteries by selective configuration of the direction of current flow through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers and by selective reconfiguration of each of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers as one of a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter.

18. The electrical system control of claim 17 wherein the first battery equalizer receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

19. The electrical system control of claim 17 wherein the second battery equalizer receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

20. The electrical system control of claim 17 wherein a predetermined charging current is coupled from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

21. The electrical system control of claim 17 wherein a predetermined charging current is coupled from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

22. The electrical system of claim 17 wherein the third battery is connected in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

23. A method for controlling the electrical system of a vehicle having a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply that is connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply, comprising the steps of:

connecting a first bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the second battery;

connecting a second bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the third battery; and

monitoring the state of at least one of the charging source and the first, second and third batteries and controlling the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first, second and third batteries.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the step of receiving a charging current from the charging source and generating a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

25. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of receiving a charging current from the charging source and generating a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

26. The method of claim 23, further including the step of coupling a predetermined charging current from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

27. The method of claim 23, further including the step of coupling a predetermined charging current from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

28. The method of claim 23, further including the step of connecting the third battery in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.