VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CHARGING VEHICLE BATTERIES

• US 20120280646A1
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gale, Allan Roy, Momcilovich, Paul Theodore, Degner, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,190,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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 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

An automotive vehicle includes a traction battery, an auxiliary battery and at least one controller. The at least one controller may be configured to cause a specified charge current to be provided to the traction battery and to cause another specified charge current to be provided to the auxiliary battery if the current being provided to the traction battery is increasing or decreasing.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

an auxiliary battery; and

at least one controller configured to cause a specified charge current to be provided to the traction battery and to cause another specified charge current to be provided to the auxiliary battery if the current being provided to the traction battery is increasing or decreasing.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the another specified charge current has a magnitude that depends on the specified charge current and a current limit of a battery charger providing the charge currents to the batteries.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the magnitude of the another specified charge current is equal to the difference between the current limit and the specified charge current.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to cause current flow to the auxiliary battery to be suspended if the current being provided to the traction battery is generally constant.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine an initial voltage of the auxiliary battery and wherein the amount of charge energy provided to the auxiliary battery depends on the initial voltage.

5. The vehicle of clam 1 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine a voltage of the auxiliary battery and to cause the another specified charge current to stop being provided to the auxiliary battery if the voltage is approximately equal to a target value.

7. A method for charging a traction battery and an auxiliary battery of a vehicle comprising:

providing a specified charge current to the traction battery; and

providing another specified charge current to the auxiliary battery if the specified charge current provided to the traction battery is increasing or decreasing.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising suspending current flow to the auxiliary battery if the specified charge current being provided to the traction battery is generally constant.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining a voltage of the auxiliary battery and discontinuing current flow to the auxiliary battery if the voltage is approximately equal to a target value.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining an initial voltage of the auxiliary battery and wherein the amount of charge energy provided to the auxiliary battery depends on the initial voltage.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the another specified charge current has a magnitude that depends on the specified charge current and a current limit of a battery charger providing the charge currents to the batteries.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the magnitude of the another specified charge current is equal to the difference between the current limit and the specified charge current.

13. A power system for a vehicle comprising:

a fraction battery;

an auxiliary battery; and

a battery charger having a current limit and configured to provide a specified charge current to the traction battery and to provide another specified charge current to the auxiliary battery having a magnitude approximately equal to a difference between the current limit and a magnitude of the specified charge current.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the battery charger is further configured stop current flow to the auxiliary battery if a voltage of the auxiliary battery is approximately equal to a target value.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the amount of charge energy provided to the auxiliary battery depends on an initial voltage of the auxiliary battery.