BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM AND SERVICING METHOD

• US 20170203666A1
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: SUN, Felicia, TREHARNE, William David
• Application Number:
  US15/000,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20170203666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2072 for drive off
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• 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 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/06 using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/16 Regulation of the charging current or voltage by variation of field
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle servicing method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure incomes, among other things, disconnecting a high voltage battery pack of an electrified vehicle from a high voltage bus, connecting an external energy source to an inverter system controller after disconnecting the high voltage battery pack, starting an engine of the electrified vehicle using energy from an external energy source, and charging the high voltage battery pack using power from the engine.

Claims

1. A vehicle servicing method, comprising:

connecting an external energy source to an inverter system controller after disconnecting a high voltage battery pack from a high voltage bus;

starting an engine of the electrified vehicle using energy from the external energy source; and

charging the high voltage battery pack using power from the engine.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising, after starting the engine, commanding a motor to output zero torque such that it is neither generating nor accepting any energy.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein disconnecting the high voltage battery pack includes unplugging a high voltage cable connected to the high voltage battery pack from the inverter system controller.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising, prior to charging the battery pack:

commanding the inverter system controller to discharge a high voltage bus;

disconnecting the external energy source after discharging the high voltage bus;

reconnecting the high voltage battery pack to the high voltage bus prior to charging the high voltage battery pack;

commanding the engine to produce torque; and

commanding the inverter system controller to deliver power to charge the battery pack.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

after connecting the external energy source, boosting incoming voltage from the external energy source.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein starting the engine includes:

invoking a low power cranking mode to start the engine; and

declaring the engine started if a speed of the engine exceeds a predefined value.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising:

setting engine to engine speed control; and

setting a motor to torque control mode.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

connecting a service tool to the electrified vehicle prior to performing the vehicle servicing method.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, comprising:

communicating messages to a service technician on the service tool.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein charging the high voltage battery pack includes commanding the engine to produce torque and generate power to charge the high voltage battery pack.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising:

discharging the high voltage bus after starting the engine.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein charging the high voltage battery includes closing at least one contactor of the high voltage battery to reconnect the high voltage battery to the high voltage bus.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle servicing method is performed in response to an engine fault condition if the high voltage battery pack has an insufficient amount of power necessary to start the engine.

14. A battery charging system using an external energy source, comprising:

a high voltage battery pack;

an engine; and

an inverter system controller configured to start the engine using power from the external energy source during a first step of a vehicle servicing method and supply power from the engine to recharge the high voltage battery pack during a second step of the vehicle servicing method.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, comprising a service tool configured to communicate with said inverter system controller.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, comprising an electric motor configured to start the engine in response to a command from the inverter system controller.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the external energy source is a separate component from an electrified vehicle but the high voltage battery pack, and the engine and the inverter system controller are each components of the electrified vehicle.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said high voltage battery pack includes at least one battery cell and at least one contactor.

19. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the inverter system controller includes a plurality of switching devices configured to control bidirectional flow of power between the high voltage battery pack and the engine.

20. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the external energy source is a lead acid battery charger.