ELECTRIC BIKE EXTENDED RANGE BATTERY POWER ELECTRONICS AND CONTROL

• US 20160250937A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 09/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Stancu, Constantin C., Cintron-Rivera, Jorge G., Hayslett, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,796,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/45 Control or actuating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/90 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A number of variations may include a product comprising: an extended range battery system for an electric bicycle comprising a first battery system and a second battery system, and wherein direct current biasing is utilized between the first battery system and the second battery system to extend the range of the extended range battery system.

Claims

1. A product comprising:

an extended range battery system for an electric bicycle comprising a first battery system and a second battery system, and wherein direct current biasing is utilized between the first battery system and the second battery system to extend the range of the extended range battery system.

2. The product of claim 1 wherein the first battery system is integrated onto the electric bicycle and the second battery system is removably attached to the first battery system and the electric bicycle.

3. The product of claim 1 wherein the first battery system further comprises a high voltage battery and the second battery system further comprises a low voltage battery.

4. The product of claim 3 wherein the low voltage battery has a voltage which is less than the high voltage battery so that energy from the low voltage battery does not naturally travel to the high voltage battery.

5. The product of claim 3 wherein the high voltage battery is operatively connected to a negatively biasing diode to prevent an unintended energy transfer from the high voltage battery to the low voltage battery.

6. The product of claim 3 wherein the extended range battery system comprises a bi directional buck boost circuit and wherein the bi directional buck boost circuit is constructed and arranged to allow controlled energy transfer for at least one of discharging energy from the high voltage battery to the DC link, recharging of the high voltage battery from the DC link, discharging energy from the low voltage battery to the DC link, or charging of the low voltage battery from the DC link.

7. The product of claim 3 wherein the extended range battery system comprises a uni directional boost circuit, and wherein the uni directional boost circuit is constructed and arranged to allow for controlled energy transfer for at least one of discharging energy from the high voltage battery to a DC link, charging the high voltage battery from the DC link, or discharging energy from the low voltage battery to the DC link.

8. The product of claim 3 wherein the extended range battery system comprises a Quasi-Z-Source inverter circuit, and wherein the Quasi-Z-Source inverter circuit is constructed and arranged to allow for discharging of both the high voltage battery and the low voltage battery simultaneously to a motor, charging of the high voltage battery from one of an inverter or the low voltage battery, and full discharge of the low voltage battery to the motor.

9. The product of claim 1 wherein the first battery system further comprises a first high voltage battery and the second battery system further comprises a second high voltage battery.

10. The product of claim 9 wherein the extended range battery system comprises a battery exchange circuit, and wherein the battery exchange circuit is constructed and arranged so that energy to a motor is alternated between the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery based on a state of charge and a DC voltage of the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery.

11. A method for an extended range battery system for an electric bicycle comprising utilizing direct current biasing between a first battery system and a second battery system to extend the range of the extended range battery system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first battery system further comprises a high voltage battery which is operatively connected to a first sensor and wherein the second battery system further comprises a low voltage battery which is operatively connected to a second sensor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein energy to the motor is alternated between the high voltage battery and the low voltage battery based on whether the high voltage battery or the low voltage battery has a higher state of charge and dc voltage.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the extended range battery system includes one of a bi directional buck boost circuit, a uni directional boost circuit, or a Quasi-Z-Source inverter circuit.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising controlling the extended range battery system comprising:

monitoring a first current of the high voltage battery with the first sensor;

monitoring a second current of the low voltage battery with the second sensor;

sending a first signal output from the first sensor and a second signal output from the second sensor to a controller;

processing the first signal output and the second signal output to a control logic in the controller; and

modulating at least one switch in the extended range battery system based on the control logic to control whether energy transfer to or from a motor comes from the high voltage battery or the low voltage battery.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the first battery system further comprises a first high voltage battery which is operatively connected to a first sensor and wherein the second battery system further comprises a second high voltage battery which is operatively connected to a second sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the extended range battery system includes a battery exchange circuit.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein if the temperature of the first high voltage battery is low, the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery are run in parallel and currents of the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery are modulated.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein energy to a motor alternates between the first high voltage battery and the second high voltage battery when voltages of the first and the second high voltage battery are within a predetermined range to avoid overloading of either the first battery or the second battery.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising a control method for the extended range battery system comprising:

setting battery selection of the extended range battery system to either the first high voltage battery or the second high voltage battery;

monitoring at least one of a first DC voltage or a first SOC of the first high voltage battery with the first sensor;

monitoring at least one of a second DC voltage or a second SOC of the second high voltage battery with the second sensor;

sending a first output signal of at least one of the first DC voltage or the first SOC from the first sensor and a second output signal of at least one of the second DC voltage or the second SOC from the second sensor to a controller;

processing the first output signal and the second output signal into a control logic in the controller to determine whether the first battery or the second battery has a highest open circuit DC voltage; and

modulating a switch to supply energy to a motor from the first or the second battery with the highest open circuit DC voltage.