Recharging Electric Vehicles

• US 20110115425A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Olsson, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 9,365,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/006 Converting flow of air into electric energy, e.g. by using wind turbines
• 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

Abstract

A charge transfer apparatus having an input and an output includes: an AC/DC converter coupled to the input of the charge transfer apparatus and configured to receive AC power at a first power level; and a charge storage device coupled to the AC/DC converter, where the charge storage device is configured to receive charge at the first power level and to transfer charge to the output of the charge transfer apparatus at a second power level, and the second power level is greater than the first power level.

Claims

1. A charge transfer apparatus configured to perform quick charge operations on battery powered vehicles, the apparatus comprising:

at least one generator configured to supply electrical power at a medium power recharge level or high power recharge level while electrically decoupled from a utility power grid;

an AC/DC converter configured to transform an alternating electrical current of the electrical power to a direct electrical current; and

a DC transfer conduit coupled to the converter and configured to recharge a vehicle battery pack with the direct electrical current.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a battery pack coupled between the AC/DC converter and the DC transfer conduit; and

a DC/DC converter coupled between the battery pack and the DC transfer conduit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the battery pack comprises one or more batteries configured in series or parallel.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medium power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 240 VAC, 15-70 A, and 3.6-16.8 kW.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the high power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 480 VAC.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a primary mover coupled to the generator and configured to supply torque to a rotor of the generator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising control logic configured to receive operating parameters for charging the vehicle battery pack and to adjust a DC output of the apparatus based in part on the received operating parameters.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the operating parameters include at least two of a maximum SOC, a maximum charge rate, a maximum amperage, a maximum operating voltage of the vehicle battery pack, a nominal operating voltage of the vehicle battery pack, a maximum charge capacity of the vehicle battery pack, and a current SOC of the vehicle battery pack.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the operating parameters include charge acceptance characteristics and/or a temperature of the vehicle battery pack.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a bidirectional communication link configured to transmit and receive data between the apparatus and the battery powered vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data includes at least one of instantaneous voltage of the direct electrical current, instantaneous current of the direct electrical current, and instantaneous kilowatt output from the apparatus to the vehicle battery pack.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data includes purchased retail data for download to the battery powered vehicle.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the data includes status information indicating a start or stop of a charge cycle of the battery powered vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data is provided to the battery powered vehicle to prevent the vehicle from starting during the charge cycle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the DC transfer conduit is a first DC transfer conduit, the apparatus further comprising a second DC transfer conduit configured to be coupled to a second vehicle battery pack of a second battery powered vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the primary mover is a combustion engine or a turbine.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generator comprises:

a low power recharge bus electrically coupled to the utility power grid;

a first switch electrically coupled to the low power recharge bus;

a second switch electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter; and

a battery array including a plurality of batteries coupled between the first and second switches,

wherein the battery array is configured to receive electrical power at a low power recharge level from the utility power grid when coupled to the low power recharge bus through the first switch, and supply the electrical power at the medium power recharge level or high power recharge level when coupled to the AC/DC converter through the second switch while the first switch is open between the low power recharge bus and the battery array.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least some of the plurality of batteries comprise recycled batteries configured to power battery powered vehicles.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the low power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 120 VAC, 15 A, and 1.8 kW.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a fuel cell.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to retract at least a portion of the DC transfer conduit into a housing of the apparatus.

22. A method for quick charging a battery powered vehicle by a high power charge transfer apparatus, the method comprising:

generating electrical power at a medium power recharge level or high power recharge level by a generator;

transforming the electrical power from an alternating electrical current to a direct electrical current with an AC/DC converter;

transferring the direct electrical current from the generator to a vehicle battery pack through a DC transfer conduit to recharge the battery pack while the generator is electrically decoupled from a utility power grid.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the direct electrical current comprises a first DC current and the generator comprises a battery pack, the method further comprising:

transforming the first DC current to a second DC current with a DC/DC converter; and

charging the battery pack with the second DC current.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the medium power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 240 VAC, 15-70 A, and 3.6-16.8 kW.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the high power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 480 VAC.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

applying a torque to the generator with a primary mover coupled to the generator.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving operating parameters for charging the vehicle battery pack; and

adjusting the direct electrical current based in part on the received operating parameters.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the operating parameters include at least two of a maximum SOC, a maximum charge rate, a maximum amperage, a maximum operating voltage of the vehicle battery pack, a nominal operating voltage of the vehicle battery pack, a maximum charge capacity of the vehicle battery pack, and a current SOC of the vehicle battery pack.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the operating parameters include charge acceptance characteristics and/or a temperature of the vehicle battery pack.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

transmitting data to the battery powered vehicle through a bidirectional communication link; and

receiving data from the battery powered vehicle through the bidirectional communication link.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the data includes at least one of instantaneous voltage of the direct electrical current, instantaneous current of the direct electrical current, and instantaneous kilowatt output from the apparatus to the vehicle battery pack.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the data includes purchased retail data for download to the battery powered vehicle.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the data includes status information indicating a start or stop of a charge cycle of the battery powered vehicle.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the battery powered vehicle to substantially prevent starting of the vehicle during the charge cycle.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein the primary mover is a combustion engine or a turbine.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein the generator comprises a low power recharge bus electrically coupled to the utility power grid;

a first switch electrically coupled to the low power recharge bus;

a second switch electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter; and

a battery array including a plurality of batteries coupled between the first and second switches, the method further comprising;

receiving electrical power at the battery array at a low power recharge level from the utility power grid when the first switch is closed coupled to the low power recharge bus through the first switch;

charging the battery array with the electrical power at the low power recharge level; and

supplying the electrical power at the medium power recharge level or high power recharge level when the second switch is closed and while the first switch is open between the low power recharge bus and the battery array.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein at least some of the plurality of batteries comprise recycled batteries configured to power battery powered vehicles.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the low power recharge level comprises an alternating electrical current at approximately 120 VAC, 15 A, and 1.8 kW.

39. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing a fuel to the primary mover in response to a torque applied to a rotor of the generator by the primary mover.

40. A charge transfer apparatus having an input and an output, the charge transfer apparatus comprising:

an AC/DC converter coupled to the input of the charge transfer apparatus, the AC/DC converter configured to receive AC power at a first power level; and

a charge storage device coupled to the AC/DC converter, the charge storage device configured to receive charge at the first power level and to transfer charge to the output of the charge transfer apparatus at a second power level;

wherein the second power level is greater than the first power level.

41. The charge transfer apparatus of claim 40 wherein the charge storage device comprises a battery array configured to be controllably discharged through the output of the charge transfer apparatus.

42. The charge transfer apparatus of claim 41 wherein the battery array comprises multiple batteries electrically coupled in a series-parallel arrangement.

43. The charge transfer apparatus of claim 40 wherein the output of the charge transfer apparatus is a first output, the charge transfer apparatus further comprising a second output.

44. The charge transfer apparatus of claim 43, wherein the charge storage device is configured to transfer charge to the first and second outputs in parallel using time multiplexing.

45. The charge transfer apparatus of claim 44 further comprising a generator coupled in parallel to the charge storage device and operable to transfer charge to the charge storage device.