ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLE

• US 20110187184A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,242,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A path for charging a main battery from an external power source is established by turning on a first relay and a second relay. This charging path is provided independently of an electric path between a motor generator for generating a vehicle driving force and the main battery established by turning on a third relay. Further, an auxiliary load system including an auxiliary battery is not connected to the above-mentioned electric path, but receives operating power through a power line between the second relay and a power converter so as to be operable even with the third relay turned off.

Claims

1. An electrically powered vehicle having mounted thereon a power storage device that can be charged from an external power source, comprising:

a charging connector for receiving supplied electric power from said external power source during external charging of charging said power storage device from said external power source;

a power converter for converting the supplied electric power from said external power source into charging power for said power storage device;

a power control unit connected between said power storage device and an electric motor for generating a vehicle driving force and configured to control driving of said electric motor;

a first switch interposed into and connected to an electric path between said charging connector and said power converter;

a second switch interposed into and connected to an electric path between said power converter and said power storage device; and

an auxiliary load system arranged to receive electric power through a first line electrically connecting said second switch and said power converter.

2. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to an electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit; and

a control unit for, during said external charging, closing said first switch and said second switch while opening said third switch, and activating said power converter to charge said power storage device.

3. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said control unit opens said second switch in response to a completion of charging of said power storage device during said external charging.

4. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary load system includes

an auxiliary power storage device having an output voltage lower than the output voltage of said power storage device,

an auxiliary power converter for converting electric power on said first line into charging power for said auxiliary power storage device, and

a load device operated with electric power received from said auxiliary power storage device.

5. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a control unit for, during said external charging, activating said auxiliary power converter to charge said auxiliary power storage device, and shutting down said auxiliary power converter in response to a completion of charging of said auxiliary power storage device.

6. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said external power source is a system power supply,

said electrically powered vehicle further comprising:

an outlet for outputting AC power equivalent to power of said system power supply to be drawn through a second line electrically connecting said first switch and said power converter;

a fourth switch connected to an electric path between said second line and said outlet; and

a control unit for closing said fourth switch when activation of an electrical system of said electrically powered vehicle is instructed during said external charging.

7. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

said power converter is configured to be capable of bidirectionally converting electric power to convert electric power from said power storage device into said AC power, and

when said external power source suffers from a power failure while said fourth switch is closed, said control unit activates said power converter so that said AC power obtained by conversion is output to said second line.

8. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said power storage devices are provided,

a plurality of said second switches and a plurality of said first lines are provided in correspondence with the plurality of said power storage devices, respectively, and

said auxiliary load system is arranged to receive electric power from at least one of the plurality of said first lines.

9. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of third switches interposed into and connected to electric paths between the plurality of said power storage devices and said power control unit, respectively; and

a control unit for, during said external charging, closing said first switch and at least one of said second switches while opening each of said third switches, and activating said power converter to charge at least one of the plurality of said power storage devices.

10. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 9, wherein in response to a completion of charging of each of said power storage devices during said external charging, said control unit opens a corresponding one of said second switches.

11. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to the electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit;

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

12. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

13. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising:

a third line for electrically connecting said plurality of third switches and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting at least one of the plurality of said first lines that supplies the electric power to said auxiliary load system, to said third line.

14. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to the electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit;

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

15. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to the electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit;

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

16. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to the electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit;

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

17. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third switch interposed into and connected to the electric path between said power storage device and said power control unit;

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

18. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a third line for electrically connecting said third switch and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting said first line and said third line.

19. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising:

a third line for electrically connecting said plurality of third switches and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting at least one of the plurality of said first lines that supplies the electric power to said auxiliary load system, to said third line.

20. The electrically powered vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising:

a third line for electrically connecting said plurality of third switches and said power control unit; and

a fourth line for electrically connecting at least one of the plurality of said first lines that supplies the electric power to said auxiliary load system, to said third line.