METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PULSE CHARGING AN AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY

• US 20090096423A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ali, Syed, Patel, Shailesh, Prema, Mukunda V., Hunter, Stephen J., Aswani, Deepak, Taenaka, Robert K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/139
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process

Abstract

A pulse charging profile for a vehicle battery is synchronized with driver or vehicle demanded current disturbances by phase tracking the fundamental frequency of the desired pulse charging profile to those driver or vehicle demanded current disturbances. When these driver or vehicle demanded disturbances are not active, the tracked charging profile is honored.

Claims

1. A method for pulse charging a battery having a target pulse charge profile, the method comprising:

determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage; and

initiating pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the battery has a non-maintenance state and wherein the step of determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage is performed during the non-maintenance state.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the battery has a maintenance state and wherein the step of initiating pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase is performed during a transition from the non-maintenance state to the maintenance state.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether a battery maintenance power override request is issued wherein the step of determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage is performed if the battery maintenance power override request is not issued.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining whether the battery maintenance power override request is honored wherein the step of determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage is performed if the battery maintenance power override request is not honored.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of initiating pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase is performed if the battery maintenance power override request is issued and if the battery maintenance power override request is honored.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage includes determining whether measured battery power is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage further includes determining whether measured battery power is greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined threshold is based on the target pulse charge profile.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a mean of the target pulse charge profile.

11. A system for pulse charging a battery having a target pulse charge profile, the system comprising:

at least one controller configured to determine an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage and to initiate pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the battery has a non-maintenance state and wherein the at least one controller determines an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage during the non-maintenance state.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the battery has a maintenance state and wherein the at least one controller initiates pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase during a transition from the non-maintenance state to the maintenance state.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether a battery maintenance power override request is issued and wherein the at least one controller determines an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage if the battery maintenance power override request is not issued.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine whether the battery maintenance power override request is honored and wherein the at least one controller determines an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage if the battery maintenance power override request is not honored.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the at least one controller initiates pulse charging of the battery at the determined adapted phase if the battery maintenance power override request is issued and if the battery maintenance power override request is honored.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage includes determining whether measured battery power is less than a predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein determining an adapted phase of the target pulse charge profile based on recent battery usage further includes determining whether measured battery power is greater than a predetermined threshold.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the predetermined threshold is based on the target pulse charge profile.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the predetermined threshold comprises a mean of the target pulse charge profile.