SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLE

• US 20170347500A1
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Lee, Jang Hyo, Lee, Kyu Jin, Yoo, Sang Hoon, Lee, Chun Hyuk
• Granted Patent: US 10,337,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/20 Cooling circuits not specific to a single part of engine or machine F01P3/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/02 Pumping cooling-air; Arrangements of cooling-air pumps, e.g. fans or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/164 by varying pump speed
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00309 Overheat or overtemperature protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for charging a plug-in hybrid vehicle can improve the on-board charging efficiency of the plug-in hybrid vehicle by adjusting a frequency of operation of a cooler when cooling an on-board charger (OBC) by circulating coolant when the temperature of the OBC rises while a high-voltage battery is being charged. The operations of a water pump and a radiator fan are controlled by determining whether the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within or out of a reference voltage range in which the on-board charging of the high-voltage battery is performed. This consequently prevents power from being unnecessarily consumed by operation of the cooler, such that the efficiency of charging is improved and the OBC is properly cooled.

Claims

1. A system for charging a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the system comprising:

a cooler configured to cool an on-board charger by circulating coolant therethrough, the on-board charger charging a high-voltage battery of a vehicle; and

a controller having voltage information of the high-voltage battery input thereto and a reference voltage range previously stored therein,

wherein when a voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the controller decreases a frequency of operation and an intensity of cooling of the cooler, and when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is out of the reference voltage range, the controller increases the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling of the cooler.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a water pump configured to cause a cooling medium to circulate when the on-board charger is required to be cooled.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is lower than the reference voltage range, the controller controls the water pump to operate when a temperature of the on-board charger has reached an operating temperature range that is previously-stored.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the controller controls the water pump to operate in a corrected temperature range higher than the operating temperature range.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is lower than the reference voltage range, the controller controls the water pump to operate at an operating speed that is previously stored.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the controller controls the water pump to operate in a corrected temperature range lower than the operating temperature range.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a radiator fan configured to adjust a temperature of a cooling medium that circulates to cool the on-board charger.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is lower than the reference voltage range, the controller controls the radiator fan to operate when a temperature of the on-board charger has reached an operating temperature range that is previously stored.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the controller controls the radiator fan to operate in a corrected temperature range higher than the operating temperature range.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller controls the radiator fan to operate at a higher intensity of operation with increases in temperature in the operating temperature range or the corrected temperature range.

11. A method of charging a plug-in vehicle, the method comprising:

measuring, by a controller, a voltage of a high-voltage battery;

increasing, by the controller, a frequency of operation and an intensity of cooling of a cooler when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is out of a reference voltage range that is previously stored after measuring the voltage of the high-voltage battery; and

reducing, by the controller, the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling of the cooler when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range that is previously stored after measuring the voltage of the high-voltage battery.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the cooler comprises a water pump configured to cause a cooling medium to circulate when an on-board charger is required to be cooled and a radiator fan configured to adjust a temperature of the cooling medium that circulates to cool the on-board charger, and

in increasing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling and reducing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling, an operating temperature range and an intensity of operation of the water pump and the radiator fan are able to vary depending on the voltage of the high-voltage battery.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in increasing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling, when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is lower than the reference voltage range, the water pump is controlled to operate at an operating speed that is previously stored when a temperature of the on-board charger has reached the operating speed.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in reducing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling, when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the water pump is controlled to operate in a corrected temperature range higher than the operating temperature range when a temperature of the on-board charger has reached the operating speed.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein in increasing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling, when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is lower than the reference voltage range, the radiator fan is controlled to operate when a temperature of the on-board charger has reached the operating temperature range.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein in reducing the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling, when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range, the radiator fan is controlled to operate in a corrected temperature range higher than the operating temperature range.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that measure a voltage of a high-voltage battery;

program instructions that increase a frequency of operation and an intensity of cooling of a cooler when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is out of a reference voltage range that is previously stored after measuring the voltage of the high-voltage battery; and

program instructions that reduce the frequency of operation and the intensity of cooling of the cooler when the voltage of the high-voltage battery is within the reference voltage range that is previously stored after measuring the voltage of the high-voltage battery.