METHOD AND DEVICE FOR RECIPROCALLY SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY BETWEEN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND OTHER VEHICLE

• US 20160303986A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Inventors: PARK, SungEun, CHAE, Heeseo
• Granted Patent: US 9,902,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 30/16 Control of distance between vehicles, e.g. keeping a distance to preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 Electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/21 External power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/92 Driver displays
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• 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: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

Provided is an electric vehicle capable of reciprocally supplying electricity with another vehicle which includes: a power connector; a communication connector; a DC/DC converter used for charging or discharging an internal battery pack; a charging relay for preventing an inrush current during charging; and a display. While moving at the same speed as the other vehicle, the electric vehicle is capable of performing charging or discharging when a connection is maintained between a power connector of the other vehicle and the power connector of the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle for mutually supplying electricity with respect to an external vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising:

a power connector supplying electricity to the external vehicle or receiving electricity from the external vehicle;

a communication connector performing communication with the external vehicle;

a DC/DC converter performing charging or discharging an inner battery pack;

a charging relay preventing an inrush current during charging;

a controller controlling whether the DC/DC converter performs charging or discharging, when the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to a power connector of the external vehicle; and

a display displaying a charging progress,

wherein, when charging or discharging is performed between the electric vehicle and the external vehicle which drive end to end, maintaining a state in which the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to the power connector of the external vehicle, the controller calculates in real time a distance between a preceding vehicle and a following vehicle, which is performed by the following vehicle that is either the electric vehicle or the external vehicle, so as to control the distance between the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle to be maintained constant.

2. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power connector of the electric vehicle is located at a rear end of the preceding vehicle or at a front end of the following vehicle.

3. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller provides, on the display, a control interface for controlling charging with the external vehicle, and the control interface provides at least one of a state of charge (SoC) mode for adjusting a charging state of the external vehicle;

a constant voltage (CV) mode for adjusting a voltage difference between an inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and an inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant, and a constant current (CC) mode for adjusting an amount of current flowing between the inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and the inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant.

4. An electric vehicle for mutually supplying electricity with respect to an external vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising:

a power connector supplying electricity to the external vehicle or receiving electricity from the external vehicle;

a communication connector performing communication with the external vehicle;

a DC/DC converter performing charging or discharging of an inner battery pack;

a charging relay preventing an inrush current during charging;

a controller controlling whether the DC/DC converter performs charging or discharging, when the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to a power connector of the external vehicle; and

a display displaying a charging progress,

wherein, when charging or discharging is performed between the electric vehicle and the external vehicle which drive side by side, maintaining a state in which the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to the power connector of the external vehicle, the controller calculates an intermediate value of a speed of the electric vehicle and a speed of the external vehicle and then controls a vehicle having a speed faster than the intermediate value to be decelerated and a vehicle having a speed slower than the intermediate value to be accelerated.

5. The electric vehicle of claim 4, wherein the electric vehicle calculates a vehicle speed through a sensor installed on a wheel or a navigation device including a global positioning system (GPS), and the sensor installed on the wheel comprises a resolver or an encoder.

6. The electric vehicle of claim 4, wherein the electric vehicle and the external vehicle check vehicle speeds of each other through near field communication or controller area network (CAN) communication.

7. The electric vehicle of claim 4, wherein the controller provides, on the display, a control interface for controlling charging with the external vehicle, and the control interface provides at least one of a state of charge (SoC) mode for adjusting a charging state of the external vehicle;

a constant voltage (CV) mode for adjusting a voltage difference between an inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and an inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant, and a constant current (CC) mode for adjusting a current flowing between the inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and the inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant.

8. An electric vehicle for mutually supplying electricity with respect to an external vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising:

a power connector supplying electricity to the external vehicle or receiving electricity from the external vehicle;

a communication connector performing communication with the external vehicle;

a DC/DC converter performing charging or discharging of an inner battery pack;

a charging relay preventing an inrush current during charging;

a controller controlling whether the DC/DC converter performs charging or discharging, when the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to a power connector of the external vehicle; and

a display displaying a charging progress,

wherein charging or discharging is performed between the electric vehicle and the external vehicle, which drive at a same speed, maintaining a state in which the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to the power connector of the external vehicle.

9. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller provides, on the display, a control interface for controlling charging with the external vehicle, and the control interface provides at least one of a state of charge (SoC) mode for adjusting a charging state of the external vehicle, a constant voltage (CV) mode for adjusting a voltage difference between an inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and an inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant, and a constant current (CC) mode for adjusting an amount of current flowing between the inner battery pack of the electric vehicle and the inner battery pack of the external vehicle to be constant.

10. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein, when the power connector of the electric vehicle and the power connector of the external vehicle are connected to each other, the controller calculates required power of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle and uses at least one of a driving distance of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle, a destination of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle, and information about a charging station located on a path from a current position to the destination of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle to calculate the required power, and controls a vehicle having a relatively high required power to be charged and a vehicle having a relatively low required power to be discharged, of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle.

11. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the power connector is provided in a transmissive power connector or a receiving power connector in the electric vehicle.

12. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the external vehicle comprises an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

13. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the communication connector supports controller area network (CAN) communication or serial communication.

14. The electric vehicle of claim 8, wherein the controller determines whether the power connector of the electric vehicle is connected to the power connector of the external vehicle, based on a high voltage interlock (HVIL) signal, and one of two power connectors connected to each other is identified to be a transmissive power connector and the other one is identified to be a receiving power connector, based on the HVIL signal.

15. A method of performing charging in an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a power connector transmitting and receiving electric power with respect to an external vehicle, a communication connector performing communication with the external vehicle, and a DC/DC converter used for charging or discharging a battery pack, the method comprising:

determining whether the power connector of the electric vehicle and a power connector of the external vehicle are connected to each other based on a high voltage interlock (HVIL) signal, which is performed by a controller;

identifying one of the two power connectors connected to each other to be a transmissive power connector and the other one to be a receiving power connector, based on the HVIL signal, which is performed by the controller;

performing charging by using the DC/DC converter in a vehicle having a power connector identified to be the receiving power connector;

preventing an inrush current during charging, which is performed by a charging relay; and

displaying a charging progress, which is performed by a display,

wherein charging is performed in the performing of charging when the electric vehicle and the external vehicle drive at same speed when the power connector of the electric vehicle and the power connector of the external vehicle are connected to each other.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, in the identifying of the two power connectors, when the power connector of the electric vehicle and the power connector of the external vehicle are connected to each other, the controller calculates required power of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle in addition to the HVIL signal and identifies one of the two power connectors to be a transmissive power connector and the other one to be a receiving power connector.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of a driving distance of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle, a destination of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle, and information about a charging station located on a path from a current position to the destination of each of the electric vehicle and the external vehicle is used to calculate the required power.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the external vehicle comprises an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication connector supports controller area network (CAN) communication or serial communication.

20. A power supply apparatus comprising:

an inner battery connected to a power connector;

a first converter connected to the inner battery and supplying electric power to an apparatus where the inner battery is arranged;

a second converter connected to the power connector and charging the inner battery;

a transmissive power connector connected to the second converter and providing an interface supplying electric power to an external battery installed on an external apparatus through discharging by the inner battery;

a communication connector performing data communication between the inner battery and the external battery; and

a controller controlling operations of the first converter and the second converter,

wherein the controller provides a control interface for controlling charging between the inner battery and the external battery, and the control interface provides at least one of a state of charge (SoC) mode for adjusting a charging state of the inner battery or the external battery, a constant voltage (CV) mode for adjusting a voltage difference between the inner battery and the external battery to be constant, and a constant current (CC) mode for adjusting an amount of current flowing between the inner battery and the external battery to be constant.

21. The power supply apparatus of claim 20, wherein the controller calculates required power of the external battery, and uses at least one of a driving distance of the external apparatus, a destination of the external apparatus, and information about a charging station located on a path from a current position to the destination of the external apparatus to calculate the required power.

22. The power supply apparatus of claim 20, wherein, when an apparatus having the inner battery and the apparatus having the external battery drive at same speed, electric power is supplied to the external battery through the transmissive power connector.

23. A method of performing charging in an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a power connector transmitting and receiving electric power with respect to an external vehicle, a communication connector performing communication with the external vehicle, and a DC/DC converter used for charging or discharging a battery pack, the method comprising:

determining whether the power connector of the electric vehicle and a power connector of the external vehicle are connected to each other based on a high voltage interlock (HVIL) signal, which is performed by a controller;

identifying one of the two power connectors connected to each other to be a transmissive power connector and the other one to be a receiving power connector, based on the HVIL signal, which is performed by the controller;

performing charging by using the DC/DC converter in a vehicle having a power connector identified to be the receiving power connector;

preventing an inrush current during charging, which is performed by a charging relay of the electric vehicle; and

displaying a charging progress, which is performed by a display of the electric vehicle.