Motored vehicle and method of controlling voltage conversion device

• US 20100026237A1
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oyobe, Hichirosai, Suzuki, Naoto, Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro, Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/143 with multiple generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In charging first and second power storage devices from a charging station, an inverter ECU controls first and second inverters to convert AC power received at first and second neutral points into DC power and output the DC power to a power supply system. A converter ECU converts in voltage the electric power received from the first and second inverters to be charged and outputs the converted electric power to the first and second power storage devices, and for low temperature, controls first and second converters, to allow the first and second power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween.

Claims

1. A motored vehicle comprising:

a plurality of chargeable power storage devices;

a motor using electric power received from said plurality of power storage devices to generate driving power for the vehicle;

an electric power receiving unit receiving electric power from a power supply external to the vehicle for charging said plurality of power storage devices;

a voltage conversion device connected to said electric power receiving unit and said plurality of power storage devices, and configured to convert in voltage the electric power that said electric power receiving unit receives and output the converted electric power to said plurality of power storage devices, and also allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween; and

a control device controlling said voltage conversion device to allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween when said plurality of power storage devices are charged from said power supply.

2. The motored vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control device determines the electric power communicated between said plurality of power storage devices, as based on the electric power that said electric power receiving unit receives.

3. The motored vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control device determines, as the electric power communicated between said plurality of power storage devices, an electric power obtained by subtracting, from an allowable input electric power of a power storage device of said plurality of power storage devices that serves as an electric power receiving side when said plurality of power storage devices communicate electric power therebetween, an electric power supplied from said electric power receiving unit to said power storage device serving as said electric power receiving side.

4. The motored vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said control device controls said voltage conversion device to allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate the electric power therebetween when any of said plurality of power storage devices has a temperature less than or equal to a defined temperature.

5. The motored vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said power supply external to the vehicle is a commercial AC power supply; and

said voltage conversion device includes

a first conversion unit receiving AC power from said commercial AC power supply and converting the received AC power to DC power,

an electric power line outputting said DC power received from said first conversion unit, and

a plurality of second conversion units associated with said plurality of power storage devices and each converting voltage between said electric power line and a power storage device of said plurality of power storage devices that is associated therewith.

6. The motored vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

said plurality of power storage devices include first and second power storage devices;

said plurality of second conversion units include first and second converters; and

said control device includes

a current control unit controlling said first converter to allow said first power storage device to charge/discharge a target current, and

a voltage control unit controlling said second converter to allow said electric power line to have a target voltage.

7. The motored vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

said plurality of power storage devices include first and second power storage devices;

said plurality of second conversion units include first and second converters; and

said control device includes

a first current control unit controlling said first converter to allow said first power storage device to charge/discharge a first target current, and

a second current control unit controlling said second converter to allow said second power storage device to charge/discharge a second target current.

8. The motored vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

said motor is a first AC rotating electric machine including a star-connected first polyphase winding as a stator winding;

said first conversion unit includes

said first AC rotating electric machine,

a second AC rotating electric machine including a star-connected second polyphase winding as a stator winding,

first and second inverters associated with said first and second AC rotating electric machines, respectively, and connected in parallel with each other to said electric power line, and

an inverter control unit controlling said first and second inverters;

said electric power receiving unit provides the AC power received from said commercial AC power supply to said first polyphase winding and said second polyphase winding at a first neutral point and a second neutral point, respectively; and

said inverter control unit controls said first and second inverters to convert the AC power received at said first and second neutral points into DC power and output the DC power to said electric power line.

9. A method of controlling a voltage conversion device mounted in a motored vehicle including a plurality of chargeable power storage devices, a motor using electric power received from said plurality of power storage devices to generate driving power for the vehicle, an electric power receiving unit receiving electric power from a power supply external to the vehicle for charging said plurality of power storage devices, and said voltage conversion device connected to said electric power receiving unit and said plurality of power storage devices, said voltage conversion device being configured to convert in voltage the electric power that said electric power receiving unit receives and output the converted electric power to said plurality of power storage devices, and also allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether charging said plurality of power storage devices from said power supply is requested; and

when charging said plurality of power storage devices from said power supply is requested, controlling said voltage conversion device to charge said plurality of power storage devices from said power supply and also allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween.

10. The method of controlling a voltage conversion device according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining the electric power communicated between said plurality of power storage devices, as based on the electric power that said electric power receiving unit receives, wherein the step of controlling includes controlling said voltage conversion device to allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate therebetween the electric power determined in the step of determining the electric power.

11. The method of controlling a voltage conversion device according to claim 10, wherein in the step of determining the electric power, an electric power obtained by subtracting, from an allowable input electric power of a power storage device of said plurality of power storage devices that serves as an electric power receiving side when said plurality of power storage devices communicate electric power therebetween, an electric power supplied from said electric power receiving unit to said power storage device serving as said electric power receiving side, is determined as the electric power communicated between said plurality of power storage devices.

12. The method of controlling a voltage conversion device according to claim 9, further comprising the step of determining whether any of said plurality of power storage devices has a temperature less than or equal to a defined temperature, wherein when in the step of determining whether any of said plurality of power storage devices has a temperature less than or equal to the defined temperature a decision is made that any of said plurality of power storage devices has a temperature less than or equal to the defined temperature, then in the step of controlling, said voltage conversion device is controlled to allow said plurality of power storage devices to communicate electric power therebetween.