ELECTRICAL CHARGING SYSTEM HAVING ENERGY COUPLING ARRANGEMENT FOR WIRELESS ENERGY TRANSMISSION THEREBETWEEN

• US 20130015812A1
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: BOYER, RICHARD J., PASHA, BRIAN D., FUZO, JOHN VICTOR
• Granted Patent: US 9,379,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• 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: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge a battery includes a power transmitter, an energy coupling arrangement, at least one electrical signal shaping device (ESSD) including a controller, and an alignment means. The arrangement includes a first transducer disposed external to the vehicle and a second transducer attached with the vehicle. The alignment means communicates with the vehicle to ensure repeatable vehicle positioning so that the second transducer is positioned relative to the first transducer so that the second transducer receives the energy produced by the power transmitter wirelessly transmitted from the first transducer. The energy received by the second transducer is electrically shaped by the ESSD and further electrically transmitted through the ESSD as controlled by the controller to electrically charge the ESD. Methods to operate and electrically transmit energy through the ECS to electrically charge the EDS are also presented.

Claims

1. An electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge an energy storage device (ESD) of a vehicle, comprising:

a power transmitter configured to provide energy;

an energy coupling arrangement having an off-vehicle transducer and an on-vehicle transducer, the off-vehicle transducer being disposed external to the vehicle and in electrical communication with the power transmitter and the on-vehicle transducer being disposed on the vehicle, the on-vehicle transducer being configured to receive at least a portion of said energy wirelessly transmitted from the off-vehicle transducer;

an electrical signal shaping device (ESSD) in electrical communication with the on-vehicle transducer to electrically shape a portion of said received energy and electrically transmit said electrically-shaped energy to electrically charge said ESD, and said ESSD includes a controller; and

an alignment means configured to communicate with a portion of the vehicle so that the vehicle is positioned relative to the off-vehicle transducer of the arrangement such that the on-vehicle transducer receives said energy wirelessly transmitted from the off-vehicle transducer.

2. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein when the portion of the vehicle communicates with the alignment means at least a portion of the on-vehicle transducer overlies at least a portion of the off-vehicle transducer.

3. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the alignment means includes at least one wheel chock.

4. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the ESSD further includes,

a rectifier in downstream electrical communication with the on-vehicle transducer,

an inverter in downstream electrical communication with the rectifier, and

a transfer switch in downstream electrical communication with the inverter, and the ESD is in downstream electrical communication with the transfer switch.

5. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the ESSD further includes,

a rectifier in downstream electrical communication with the on-vehicle transducer,

a charger in downstream electrical communication with the rectifier,

wherein the controller communicates with the charger on a communication data bus.

6. The ECS according to claim 5, wherein the ESSD further includes,

an inverter disposed intermediate to, and in respective electrical communication with the rectifier and the charger.

7. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the ESSD further includes,

a converter in downstream electrical communication with the on-vehicle transducer,

a transfer switch in downstream electrical communication with the converter, and the ESD is in downstream electrical communication with the transfer switch.

8. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the controller communicates with at least one electrical device in the ESSD.

9. The ECS according to claim 8, wherein the controller has data communication with a plurality of electrical devices in the ECS.

10. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the on-vehicle transducer receives said energy wirelessly transmitted from the off-vehicle transducer by electromagnetic (EM) communication.

11. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the ECS includes a primary system and a secondary system different from the primary system, and the primary system includes,

the power transmitter,

the energy coupling arrangement,

the ESSD, and

the alignment means, and the secondary system has electrical communication with the ESSD.

12. The ECS according to claim 11, wherein, as the secondary system is electrically charging the ESD, the ECS prevents the primary system from electrically charging the ESD.

13. The ECS according to claim 11, wherein the primary system is electrically supplied energy by a first power source and the secondary power system is electrically supplied energy by a second power source, and the voltage of the first power source is greater than the voltage of the second power source.

14. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein said electrically-shaped energy has a first frequency as it is electrically transmitted through at least a portion of the ESSD and a second frequency at an output of the ESSD that is received at an input to the ESD, and said first frequency is greater than said second frequency.

15. The ECS according to claim 14, wherein said first frequency is disposed in a range from 20 kHz to 200 kHz and said second frequency is less than 20 kHz.

16. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitter includes an output in electrical communication with the off-vehicle transducer, and the output carries an electrical signal having a frequency value greater than 60 Hz and has a power output greater than 900 watts.

17. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the power transmitter includes,

a housing enclosing a plurality of electrical components including at least a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion of electrical components in the plurality of electrical components,

an electrical output extending from the second portion and in electrical communication with the off-vehicle transducer,

a DC power supply formed from said first portion of electrical components,

an amplifier formed from said second portion of electrical components, the amplifier further being in electrical communication with the DC power supply, and

a user interface formed from said third portion of electrical components, said user interface provides operating condition information of the ECS to a human operator of the ECS.

18. The ECS according to claim 17, wherein the user interface has at least one visual element seen by eyes of the human operator.

19. The ECS according to claim 17, wherein the user interface comprises at least one provision that allows a human operator of the ECS to command the ECS to perform at least one operation.

20. The ECS according to claim 17, wherein the user interface includes at least one of,

(i) at least one light emitting diode (LED),

(ii) a LCD display,

(iii) a LED display, and

(iv) at least one push button.

21. The ECS according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of electrical components includes a fourth portion of electrical components and the power transmitter further includes,

a wireless data communication section formed from the fourth portion of the plurality of electronic components, and said data communication section electrically wirelessly communicates with the controller disposed in the ESSD.

22. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein a multiswitch is in electrical communication with said ECS which is a first ECS and at least one other ECS, said multiswitch being configured to simultaneously electrically charge said first ECS and said at least one other ECS.

23. The ECS according to claim 1, wherein the ECS has a system power efficiency that is the same as, or greater than 75%.

24. A method to operate an electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge an energy storage device (ESD), comprising:

providing the ECS which includes a power transmitter, an energy coupling arrangement, at least one electrical signal shaping device (ESSD) in which the ESSD includes a controller, and the energy coupling arrangement includes a first transducer and a second transducer, and the first transducer is in electrical communication with the power transmitter;

electrically energizing the power transmitter of the ECS so that the first transducer includes energy;

aligning the second transducer of the energy coupling arrangement in relation to the first transducer so that the second transducer is configured to receive said energy wirelessly transmitted from the first transducer;

receiving at least a portion of said energy wirelessly transmitted from the first transducer by the second transducer;

electrically shaping said portion of the received energy by the ESSD to produce an electrical current configured to electrically charge the ESD; and

electrically transmitting said electrical charging current to the ESD by the ESSD to electrically charge the ESD.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the ECS is disposed on a vehicle that includes the second transducer and the ESSD, and the ECS further includes an alignment means, and the alignment means includes a wheel chock, and the step of aligning the first transducer with the second transducer further includes,

positioning said at least one wheel chock in a manner so that the vehicle is configured to contactingly communicate with the at least one wheel chock;

and

positioning the vehicle so that when at least one tire of the vehicle contacts the positioned wheel chock, at least a portion of the on-vehicle transducer overlies at least a portion of the off-vehicle transducer.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the ECS includes a primary system and a secondary system different from the primary system in which the secondary system is a 60 Hz, 120 VAC system, and the primary system includes,

(i) the power transmitter,

(ii) the energy coupling arrangement,

(iii) the ESSD, and

(iv) the alignment means.

27. The method according to claim 26, further including,

selectably controlling the electrical charging of the ESD by the primary ESD so that when the secondary system is electrically charging the ESD, the primary system is prevented from electrically charging the ESD.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of electrically transmitting said electrical charge current to electrically charge the ESD further includes,

releasably coupling at least a section of the secondary system to the vehicle to electrically charge the ESD,

wherein at least a portion of the secondary system is disposed external to the vehicle.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of electrically shaping the ESSD further includes,

rectifying said received energy by the second transducer by said electrical circuitry to produce electrical current, and

inverting said electrical current by said electrical circuitry after the rectifying step.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of providing the ECS further includes the ESSD having an inverter and a charger electrical device and the charger electrical device is in direct downstream electrical communication with the inverter.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of aligning the second transducer of the energy coupling arrangement in relation to the first transducer further includes the substeps of,

movingingly approaching towards a wheel chock with the vehicle,

detecting left or right side tire displacement of the vehicle by a driver of the vehicle and make further tire adjustments,

continuing approaching the wheel chock with the vehicle having said tire replacements, and

stopping movement of the vehicle when the driver senses that at least one of the tires of the vehicle has engaged the wheel stop.

32. A method to electrically charge an energy storage device (ESD) in a vehicular electrical charging system (ECS), comprising:

providing the ECS that includes a power transmitter, an energy coupling arrangement, at least one electrical signal shaping device (ESSD) that includes a controller, and the energy coupling arrangement includes an off-vehicle transducer and an on-vehicle transducer, the off-vehicle transducer being in electrical communication with the power transmitter and the on-vehicle transducer being disposed on the vehicle, and the ESSD being in electrical communication with the on-vehicle transducer;

periodically activating an amplifier in the power transmitter by the ECS to determine if the vehicle is in a distance range with the off-vehicle transducer effective for the on-vehicle transducer to receive energy wirelessly transmitted from the off-vehicle transducer;

electrically transmitting a data message from the power transmitter to the ESSD that is further electrically transmitted to electronic devices in the vehicle to indicate to said electronic devices in the vehicle that electrical charging of the ESD by the ECS is available;

acknowledging said data message by said vehicular electronic devices to the ECS;

determining, by said vehicular electronic devices, that ECS charging conditions to electrically charge the ESD are met;

transmitting an electrical charge request from the vehicle to the power transmitter;

acknowledging said electrical charge request by the vehicle to the ECS;

transmitting a required charge voltage message by the vehicle to the ECS;

acknowledging said required charge voltage message by the ECS so that the ECS adjusts a voltage of the ECS to electrically charge the ESD;

energizing the transfer switch by the ECS;

transmitting a ready to electrically charge data message from the said vehicular electronic devices to the ECS;

acknowledging the ready to electrically charge message by the ECS to said vehicular electronic devices;

electrically charging the ESD by the ECS.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said ECS charging conditions include,

(i) the vehicle is not being electrically charged by a plug-in charger system,

(ii) the ESD requires electrical charging,

(iii) vehicle'"'"'s transmission is in a park position,

(iv) an ignition key of the vehicle is in an OFF position, and

(v) at least a portion of the vehicle'"'"'s power is de-energized.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein when the ESD has a full state of electrical charge, and the method further includes,

electrically transmitting a charge complete data massage from said vehicular electrical devices to the ECS;

acknowledging, by the ECS, the charge complete data message;

de-energizing the amplifier of the power transmitter of the ECS and the transfer switch of the ECS by the ECS; and

electrically transmitting a power off data message to said vehicular electronic devices by the ECS.

35. A method to transmit energy through an electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge an energy storage device (ESD), comprising:

providing the ECS, the ECS includes a power transmitter, an energy coupling arrangement, at least one electrical signal shaping device (ESSD), and the energy coupling arrangement includes a first transducer and a second transducer, the first transducer being in electrical communication with the power transmitter and the second transducer being disposed remote from the first tranducer;

transmitting a pulse signal from the first transducer to the second transducer;

determining, by the ECS, a reflected power measurement of the ECS as a function of the pulse signal;

determining, by the ECS, a received power measurement as a function of the pulse signal; and

transferring said energy to electrically charge the ESD by the ECS when the reflected power measurement is less than a predetermined first threshold value and the received power measurement is greater than a predetermined second threshold value, said predetermined second threshold value being greater than said predetermined first threshold value.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the step of transferring said energy further includes,

starting an internal timer when the step of transferring said energy begins, and

monitoring temperature, respectively, at the first transducer and at the second transducer thereat.

37. The method according to claim 36, further including,

continuously determining the reflected power measurement and the received power measurement after the step of starting the internal timer.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein when an ECS power efficiency is less than a predetermined amount of power efficiency and the internal timer is less than a threshold value and a value of the temperature is less than a predetermined amount, the method further including a substep of,

monitoring a state of electrical charge of the ESD.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein

the predetermined amount of the ECS power efficiency is less than 75%.

the internal timer is less than eight (8) hours, and

the value of the temperature is less than 90 degrees Celsius.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the step of monitoring the state of electrical charge of the ESD further includes,

determining an energy state of the ESD,

determining an output power of the ECS,

determining an operational status of the ECS,

communicating the energy state and the output power and the status to a controller of the ECS,

analyzing, by the controller, the energy state, the output power and the status so the controller operatively performs at least one of the following substeps,

(i) maintaining an existing operation state of the ECS by the controller,

(ii) modifying said existing operation state of the ECS to a different state by the controller, and

(iii) stopping energy transfer through the ECS by the controller.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the step of monitoring the state of electrical charge of the ESD further includes,

communicating data to the first transducer by the ECS to configure electrical shutdown of the first transducer by the ECS,

electrically shutting down at least the electrical components of the first transducer by the ECS, and

communicating, by the ECS, an electrical status indication of the ECS to a human operator.

42. An electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge an energy storage device (ESD), comprising:

a power transmitter;

an energy coupling arraignment that includes a first and a second transducer, the first transducer being in electrical communication with the power transmitter that contains energy and the second transducer configured to recieve at least a portion of said energy wirelessly transmitted from the first transducer; and

wherein the ECS operates in accord to the method steps of,

transmitting a pulse signal from the first transducer to the second transducer;

determining, by the ECS, a reflected power measurement of the ECS as a function of the pulse signal;

determining, by the ECS, a received power measurement as a function of the pulse signal; and

transferring said energy to electrically charge the ESD by the ECS when the reflected power measurement is less than a predetermined first threshold value and the received power measurement is greater than a predetermined second threshold value, said predetermined second threshold value being greater than said predetermined first threshold value.

43. An electrical charging system (ECS) to electrically charge at least one energy storage device (ESD) disposed in at least one vehicle, comprising:

at least one power source;

at least one switch in electrical communication with the at least one power source;

at least one energy coupling arrangement having at least an off-vehicle transducer and an on-vehicle transducer, the off-vehicle transducer being disposed external to the vehicle and in electrical communication with the at least one switch and the on-vehicle transducer being attached with the at least one vehicle, the on-vehicle transducer being configured to receive at least a portion of said energy wirelessly transmitted from the off-vehicle transducer for the at least one vehicle; and

at least one electrical signal shaping device (ESSD) disposed on the at least one vehicle in electrical communication with the second transducer to electrically shape at least a portion of said received energy and electrically transmit said electrically-shaped energy to electrically charge said ESD of the at least one vehicle.

44. The ECS according to claim 43, wherein at least one switch is a single switch configured to multiplex power from the at least one power source to the at least one energy coupling arrangement, said single switch being disposed intermediate to, and in respective electrical communication with the at least one power source and the at least one energy coupling arrangement.

45. The ECS according to claim 43, further including,

at least one alignment means that communicates with the vehicle to ensure that the at least one vehicle is positioned relative to the off-vehicle transducer of said arrangement such that said on-vehicle transducer receives said energy wirelessly transmitted from said off-vehicle transducer.