INTEGRATED CHARGER FOR VEHICLES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20170305283A1
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Published: 10/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Huh, Kum Kang, Pan, Di
• Granted Patent: US 10,507,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• 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: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/91 Battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/604 AC Machines, e.g. asynchronous motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/61 Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a traction system is disclosed. The traction system includes a DC bus, an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus, and a voltage converter assembly coupled to the energy storage device. The voltage converter assembly includes a plurality of phase legs. The traction system further includes an electromechanical device including a plurality of windings coupled to the voltage converter assembly. The traction system also includes a switch coupled to the DC bus between the voltage converter assembly and the energy storage device. The traction system includes a controller configured to control the switch and the voltage converter assembly such that a phase leg and a winding of the electromechanical device form a DC/DC converter.

Claims

1. A traction system comprising:

a DC bus;

an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus;

a voltage converter assembly coupled to the energy storage device, the voltage converter assembly comprising a plurality of phase legs;

an electromechanical device coupled to the voltage converter assembly, the electromechanical device comprising a plurality of windings;

a switch coupled to the DC bus between the voltage converter assembly and the energy storage device;

a controller configured to control the switch and the voltage converter assembly such that a phase leg and a winding of the electromechanical device form a DC/DC converter.

2. The traction system of claim 1, further comprising an inductor coupled to the DC bus between a phase leg of the voltage converter assembly and the switch.

3. The traction system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured such that a phase leg and the inductor form a DC/DC converter.

4. The traction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured such that two phase legs and two windings of the electromechanical device form a pair of DC/DC converters.

5. The traction system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured such that all phase legs and all windings of the electromechanical device form a plurality of DC/DC converters.

6. The traction system of claim 5, wherein the windings are configured in a wye connection.

7. The traction system of claim 1, wherein the electromechanical device is a traction motor.

8. The traction system of claim 1, further comprising a receptacle coupled to the DC bus, the receptacle configured to mate with an AC voltage source.

9. The traction system of claim 1, wherein the voltage converter assembly is a DC/AC inverter.

10. A method for charging a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising configuring a controller to:

close a first switch on a DC bus coupled between an electromechanical device and an energy storage device;

open a second switch on the DC bus coupled between a voltage converter assembly and the energy storage device; and

turn on a phase leg of the voltage converter assembly such that the phase leg and a winding of the electromechanical device form a DC/DC converter.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the phase leg and an inductor form a DC/DC converter.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the controller to turn on a second phase leg of the voltage converter assembly such that the two phase legs and two windings of the electromechanical deice form a pair of DC/DC converters.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the controller to turn on all phase legs of the voltage converter assembly such that all phase legs and all windings of the electromechanical device form a plurality of DC/DC converters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the windings of the electromechanical device are configured in a wye connection.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the electromechanical device is a traction motor.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the voltage converter assembly is a DC/AC inverter.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the formed DC/DC converter is a bi-directional buck/boost converter.

18. A traction system comprising:

a DC bus;

an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus;

a first voltage converter assembly comprising a first plurality of phase legs coupled to the energy storage device;

a second voltage converter assembly comprising a second plurality of phase legs coupled to the energy storage device;

a first electromechanical device comprising a plurality of windings coupled to the respective phase legs of the first voltage converter assembly;

a second electromechanical device comprising a plurality of windings coupled to the respective phase legs of the second voltage converter assembly;

a first switch coupled to the DC bus between the first electromechanical device and the energy storage device;

a second switch coupled to the DC bus between the second electromechanical device and the energy storage device;

a controller configured to control the first and second switches and the voltage converter assemblies such that a phase leg of the first voltage converter assembly and a winding of the first electromechanical device form a first DC/DC converter, and a phase leg of the second voltage converter assembly and a winding of the second electromechanical device form a second DC/DC converter.

19. The traction system of claim 18, further comprising a receptacle coupled to the DC bus, the receptacle configured to mate with an AC voltage source.

20. The traction system of claim 19, wherein the first electromechanical device is a traction motor and the second electromechanical device is an alternator.