APPARATUS FOR ENERGY TRANSFER USING CONVERTER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME

• US 20170050528A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steigerwald, Robert Kouis, King, Robert Dean
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• 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 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• 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 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, a motor drive circuit includes a first energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy, a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the first energy storage device, a voltage inverter coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source. The motor drive circuit further includes a coupling system coupled to the input device, to the first energy storage device, and to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter. The coupling system has a first configuration configured to transfer electrical energy to the first energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and has a second configuration configured to transfer electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the voltage inverter via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a connection system coupleable to a vehicle charging station configured to supply energy to a vehicle, the connection system comprising a first connection and a second connection;

an energy storage device coupleable to the connection system via the first connection and second connection; and

a controller programmed to;

charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the first connection; and

charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the second connection.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an isolation transformer coupled to the first connection.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 2, further comprising a rectifier coupled to the isolation transformer.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a DC converter coupled to the energy storage device.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an electromechanical device.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 5, further comprising an inverter coupled to the electromechanical device.

7. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

8. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the connection system is on-board the vehicle.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a connection system configured to supply energy to the vehicle, the connection system comprising a first connection and a second connection;

an energy storage device coupleable to the connection system via the first connection and second connection; and

a controller programmed to;

charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the first connection; and

charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the second connection.

10. The vehicle charging system of claim 9, further comprising an isolation transformer coupled to the first connection.

11. The vehicle charging system of claim 10, further comprising a rectifier coupled to the isolation transformer.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a DC converter coupled to the energy storage device.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an AC motor.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, further comprising an inverter coupled to the AC motor.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

16. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

17. A method for charging a vehicle comprising:

coupling an energy storage device to a first connection of a connection system configured to supply energy to the vehicle;

coupling an energy storage device to a second connection of the connection system; and

configuring a controller to;

charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the first connection; and

charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the second connection.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring the controller to control switching of a DC converter to convert a supplied voltage to a charging voltage suitable for charging the energy storage device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.