Electric Vehicle Charging Via Grid And Engine

• US 20170015208A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dunlap, Brock, Lovett, Karin, Bolger, Bryan Michael, Treharne, William David
• Granted Patent: US 10,000,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• 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 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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

A vehicle includes an engine, a traction battery, a generator coupled to the engine and battery, and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to a current flowing from a battery charge station to the battery being less than a maximum charge current, a selection of a fast charge mode, and a temperature of the engine being less than a predetermined temperature, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to charge the battery.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a traction battery; and

a controller configured to, in response to a battery charge current from a battery charge station being less than a maximum charge current while the vehicle is parked and in a fast charge mode, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to activate a cooling fan for the engine when the engine is rotating.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a temperature of the engine being greater than a predetermined temperature, activate a cooling fan at a speed greater than a standard speed.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a level of carbon monoxide in an area proximate to the vehicle being greater than a predetermined concentration.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

10. A powertrain control module for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to, in response to a selection of a fast charge mode and a flow of electric charge from a battery charge station to a traction battery, operate an engine to drive a generator to generate a supplemental current to increase a rate of charge of the battery.

11. The module of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

12. The module of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

13. The module of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

14. The module of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

15. The module of claim 10, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

16. A method to supplement current from a battery charge station comprising:

while a traction battery is receiving current from a charge station, operating an engine to drive a generator electrically coupled with a traction battery to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery.

17. The method of claim 16 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

18. The method of claim 17 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

19. The method of claim 18 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.