APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING ENERGY USING ONBOARD POWER ELECTRONICS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20130234675A1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/163
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1492 by means of controlling devices between the generator output and the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring energy using onboard power electronics comprises a first energy storage device configured to output a DC voltage and a DC bus coupled to the first energy storage device, the DC bus coupleable to a high-impedance voltage source. The apparatus also comprises a braking resistor coupled to the DC bus and to a control circuit, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the control circuit to cause on the DC bus to be dissipated through the braking resistor during a regenerative braking event, cause the first energy storage device to receive a charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the braking resistor during a charging event, and after a threshold value has been crossed, cause the first energy storage device to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source bypassing the braking resistor during the charging event.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first energy storage device configured to output a DC voltage;

a DC bus coupled to the first energy storage device, the DC bus coupleable to a high-impedance voltage source;

a braking resistor coupled to the DC bus and to a control circuit; and

a controller configured to;

control the control circuit to cause on the DC bus to be dissipated through the braking resistor during a regenerative braking event;

cause the first energy storage device to receive a charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the braking resistor during a charging event; and

after a threshold value has been crossed, cause the first energy storage device to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source bypassing the braking resistor during the charging event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the threshold value comprises a predetermined period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine one of a state-of-charge and a voltage of the first energy storage device; and

calculate the threshold value as a period of time based on the one of a state-of-charge and a voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter coupled to the first energy storage device and to the DC bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

control the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter to boost the voltage of the charging energy for supply to the DC bus; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the boosted charging energy from the DC bus bypassing the braking resistor during the charging event.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an electromechanical device coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter;

and

wherein the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter is configured to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the electromechanical device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the high-impedance voltage source is coupled to a common node of the electromechanical device.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter comprises multiple phases;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to control the multiple phases of the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter to avoid generation of a net torque in the electromechanical device during the charging event.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an electromechanical device coupled to a contactor assembly, the contactor assembly coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the contactor assembly to decouple the electromechanical device from the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter during the charging event.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a filter capacitor coupled to the DC bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the first energy storage device to pre-charge the filter capacitor prior to the charging event.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the energy storage device has an instantaneous acceptance capability larger than an instantaneous delivery capability of the high-impedance voltage source.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the first energy storage device and to the DC bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

control the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to buck the voltage and boost the current of the charging energy on the DC bus; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the bucked charging voltage from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter bypassing the braking resistor during the charging event.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

a bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter coupled to the DC bus;

an electromechanical device coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter; and

wherein the DC bus is configured to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter and through the electromechanical device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a second energy storage device coupled to the DC bus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the controller is further configured to cause charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source to simultaneously charge the first and second energy storage devices.

15. A method of fabricating an energy transfer system for transferring energy between an energy storage device on-board a vehicle and an external source, the method comprising:

coupling the energy storage device to a voltage bus, the energy storage device configured to output a DC voltage;

coupling a regenerative braking dissipation circuit to the voltage bus;

coupling a high-impedance voltage source to the voltage bus to supply current to the energy storage device; and

configuring a controller to;

cause the control circuit to dissipate energy on the voltage bus through a resistor of the regenerative braking dissipation circuit during a regenerative braking event;

cause the first energy storage device to receive the current from the high-impedance voltage source via the resistor during a first stage of a charging event; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the current from the high-impedance voltage source bypassing the resistor during a second stage of the charging event.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first stage is prior to the second stage.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

coupling a bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter to the energy storage device and to the voltage bus;

coupling an electromechanical device coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter; and

wherein coupling the high-impedance voltage source to the voltage bus comprises coupling the high-impedance voltage source to the voltage bus via the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter and via the electromechanical device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising configuring the controller to:

boost the current from the high-impedance voltage source via the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter and via the electromechanical device for supply to the voltage bus; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the boosted current from the voltage bus during a third stage of the charging event.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

coupling a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to the energy storage device and to the voltage bus; and

configuring the controller to;

buck the current from the high-impedance voltage source via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the bucked current during a third stage of the charging event.

20. A system comprising:

a DC bus configured to receive charging energy from a high-impedance voltage source;

an energy storage device configured to output a DC voltage and coupled to the DC bus;

a resistor coupled to the DC bus; and

a controller configured to;

cause energy on the DC bus to pass through the resistor during a regenerative braking event;

cause the energy storage device to receive a charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the resistor during a charging event; and

cause the energy storage device to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source bypassing the resistor after a time threshold has been crossed during the charging event.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a first switch coupled between the energy storage device and the DC bus;

a second switch coupled between the energy storage device and the resistor;

wherein the controller, in being configured to cause the energy storage device to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source through the resistor during the charging event, is configured to open the first switch and to close the second switch; and

wherein the controller, in being configured to cause the energy storage device to receive the charging energy from the high-impedance voltage source bypassing the resistor after the time threshold has been crossed during the charging event, is configured to close the first switch and to open the second switch.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter coupled to the energy storage device and to the DC bus;

an electromechanical device coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter; and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

control the bi-directional DC-to-AC voltage inverter to boost one of the voltage and the current of the charging energy for supply to the DC bus; and

cause the energy storage device to receive the boosted charging energy from the DC bus during the charging event.

23. The system of claim 20 further comprising a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the energy storage device and to the DC bus;

and

wherein the controller is further configured to;

control the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter to buck one of the voltage and the current of the charging energy on the DC bus; and

cause the first energy storage device to receive the bucked charging energy from the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter bypassing the braking resistor during the charging event.