Method for Distributing Energy in an Electric Vehicle and Electric Vehicle

• US 20130238180A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Martin Bold
• Inventors: Bld, Martin, Fokkelman, Joris, Hofmann, Karsten, Semsey, Akos, Weigand, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 9,150,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00764 the input being a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed B60H1/00828, B60H1/00864 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/10 with provision for using different supplies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/60 Navigation input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/66 Ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/10 using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 : including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 : Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 : Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 : Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0097 : Predicting future conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 : Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• 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 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A method is disclosed for distributing energy in an electric vehicle including at least one electric energy store and at least one conditioning module, which can be used to generate electric energy from fuel, as energy sources, wherein driving-related information, or information about a state of the electric vehicle, is recorded before driving, or when beginning to drive, the electric vehicle and, while driving, energy is distributed in the vehicle on the basis of the information.

Claims

1. A method for distributing energy in an electric vehicle having, as energy sources, at least one electrical energy store and at least one conditioning module with which electrical energy can be generated from fuel, the method comprises:

before or at the start of a journey with the electric vehicle, recording information regarding the journey or regarding a state of the electric vehicle;

during the journey;

distributing energy from at least one electrical energy store, based on the recorded information, to at least one of;

at least one drive machine of the vehicle, at least one passenger compartment air-conditioning device for air-conditioning a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and at least one energy store air-conditioning device for air-conditioning the at least one electrical energy store, and

distributing energy from the at least one conditioning module to at least one of;

the at least one passenger compartment air-conditioning device, the at least one energy store air-conditioning device, and the at least one electrical energy store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information is recorded by inputting said information via an input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the information is recorded by reading it in from at least one of a memory, a navigation device, and an Internet access device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of a distance traveled during the journey, an altitude profile of the journey, a driver profile, environmental conditions, a state of charge of the at least one electrical energy store, a filling state of at least one fuel tank for supplying the conditioning module with fuel, information about the next refueling possibility, information about the next charging possibility, and an operating mode of the conditioning module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information for at least one route section indicates a preferred energy source of the energy sources.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining based on the recorded information whether the respective energy sources are able to provide a sufficient quantity of energy to complete the journey under defined conditions, and

generating a warning signal if it is determined that the respective energy sources are unable to provide a sufficient quantity of energy to complete the journey under defined conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditioning module has an internal combustion engine and an electric generator, and wherein the internal combustion engine is operated with fuel, gas, diesel, or petrol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the passenger compartment air-conditioning device and the energy store air-conditioning device are supplied with energy only from the at least one conditioning module, and the drive machine is supplied with energy only from the at least one electrical energy store.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

calculating at least one of an electric maximum range and a maximum range,

inputting a desired range via a selection switch, wherein the desired range is between zero and the calculated electric maximum range or maximum range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the desired range is greater than the electrical maximum range, energy from the at least one conditioning module is fed to the drive machine or the at least one electrical energy store.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising indicating a currently remaining range to a user before or during the journey.

12. An electric vehicle comprising:

at least one drive machine,

at least one electrical energy store,

at least one conditioning module configured for generating electrical energy from fuel,

at least one information-recording device configured to record information about an imminent journey of the vehicle, and

at least one energy distribution device configured to, during a journey;

distribute energy from at least one electrical energy store, based on the information, to at least one of;

at least one drive machine of the vehicle, at least one passenger compartment air-conditioning device for air-conditioning a passenger compartment of the vehicle, and at least one energy store air-conditioning device for air-conditioning the at least one electrical energy store, and

distribute energy from the at least one conditioning module to at least one of;

the at least one passenger compartment air-conditioning device, the at least one energy store air-conditioning device, and the at least one electrical energy store.

13. The electric vehicle of claim 12, comprising a switch configured to switch the conditioning module on and off.

15. The electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein at least some of the information is recorded by inputting said information via an input device.

16. The electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein the information comprises at least one of a distance traveled during the journey, an altitude profile of the journey, a driver profile, environmental conditions, a state of charge of the at least one electrical energy store, a filling state of at least one fuel tank for supplying the conditioning module with fuel, information about the next refueling possibility, information about the next charging possibility, and an operating mode of the conditioning module.

17. The electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein the information for at least one route section indicates a preferred energy source of the energy sources.

18. The electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein the at least one energy distribution device is configured to

determine based on the recorded information whether the respective energy sources are able to provide a sufficient quantity of energy to complete the journey under defined conditions, and

generate a warning signal if it is determined that the respective energy sources are unable to provide a sufficient quantity of energy to complete the journey under defined conditions.

14. (canceled)