Charging an Electric Vehicle and Air Conditioning of the Vehicle Interior

• US 20130020864A1
• Filed: 07/18/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Meijering, Alexander, Smajlovic, Nordin
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00657 Remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/04 fed by the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A method is provided for charging an electric vehicle with an electric energy accumulator and for stationary mode air conditioning the vehicle interior by way of an electric air conditioning system. The electric energy accumulator is charged to a minimum state of charge. After the energy accumulator has reached the minimum state of charge, the interior is air conditioned in such a way that at an assumed departure time a preset air conditioning state of the interior is reached. The energy accumulator is charged to a target state of charge with any excess energy that is not required to reach the air conditioning state.

Claims

1. A method for charging an electric vehicle, which is coupled to an electric energy supply and comprises an electric energy accumulator, and for stationary mode air conditioning of a vehicle interior by use of an electric air conditioning system, wherein electric energy is received from the electric energy supply, the method comprising the acts of:

charging the electric energy accumulator to a minimum state of charge; and

after the energy accumulator has reached the minimum state of charge;

(a) air conditioning the vehicle interior such that at an assumed departure time, a preset air conditioning state of the interior is reached; and

(b) charging the energy accumulator with any excess energy, which is not required for reaching the air conditioning state, in a direction of a target state of charge.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

after the energy accumulator has reached the minimum state of charge, checking whether at an assumed departure time, the time period has reached or dropped below a certain time period threshold,

wherein in this case the air conditioning of the interior is started.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein while the vehicle interior is being air conditioned, the energy accumulator is charged at least intermittently in parallel with any unnecessary excess energy.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein while the vehicle interior is being air conditioned, the energy accumulator is charged at least intermittently in parallel with any unnecessary excess energy.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein energy from the energy accumulator is used for air conditioning the vehicle interior, so that the energy accumulator is discharged.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein energy from the energy accumulator is used for air conditioning the vehicle interior, so that the energy accumulator is discharged.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the act of checking whether power made available by the energy supply for air conditioning the vehicle interior is adequate enough that at the assumed departure time, the air conditioning state of the interior is guaranteed.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the act of checking whether power made available by the energy supply for air conditioning the vehicle interior is adequate enough that at the assumed departure time, the air conditioning state of the interior is guaranteed.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of:

lowering the temperature of the energy accumulator to such a temperature prior to the assumed departure time that during an assumed trip cooling of the energy accumulator does not have to be activated.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the act of:

lowering the temperature of the energy accumulator to such a temperature prior to the assumed departure time that during an assumed trip cooling of the energy accumulator does not have to be activated.

11. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the act of:

lowering the temperature of the energy accumulator to such a temperature prior to the assumed departure time that during an assumed trip cooling of the energy accumulator does not have to be activated.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the act of:

lowering the temperature of the energy accumulator to such a temperature prior to the assumed departure time that during an assumed trip cooling of the energy accumulator does not have to be activated.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein at the assumed departure time, the temperature is less than an upper operating temperature limit, at which or above which cooling of the energy accumulator would be activated during the trip, by at least 5°

C.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the temperature of the energy accumulator is in a range of 7°

to 22°

.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the minimum state of charge or a related state of charge is variably adjustable.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the minimum state of charge or the related state of charge is variably adjustable by one of user input selection and automatic vehicle adjustment by evaluating a vehicle itinerary history or as a function of information about an upcoming trip.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein after passage of the assumed departure time without a startup of the vehicle, the vehicle interior continues to be air conditioned for a certain run-on period of time.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein after passage of the assumed departure time without a startup of the vehicle, the vehicle interior continues to be air conditioned for a certain run-on period of time.

19. The method according to claim 3, wherein after passage of the assumed departure time without a startup of the vehicle, the vehicle interior continues to be air conditioned for a certain run-on period of time.