APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RAPID CHARGING USING SHARED POWER ELECTRONICS

• US 20180001773A1
• Filed: 09/19/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Granted Patent: US 10,377,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• 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 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/22 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/28 polyphase motors
• 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 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the 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 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: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

an energy storage device;

a DC/DC converter coupleable to the energy storage device;

a traction drive coupleable to the DC/DC converter, the traction drive comprising an inverter coupled to a traction motor; and

at least one switching device coupled between the traction drive and the energy storage device, the switching device configured to selectively decouple the traction drive from the energy storage device when the energy storage device is being charged from an external charging source.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to open the switching device to electrically decouple the traction drive from the energy storage device when the energy storage device is being charged from the external charging source.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is coupleable to the external charging source via a mating contact.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 3, further comprising a second DC/DC converter coupleable to the energy storage device.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 4, further comprising a second switching device coupled between the second DC/DC converter and the energy storage device.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 5, wherein the second switching device is configured to selectively couple the energy storage device to the second DC/DC converter when the external charging source is coupled to the mating contact.

7. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a second energy storage device.

8. The vehicle charging system of claim 7, further comprising an auxiliary drive coupleable to the second energy storage device.

9. The vehicle charging system of claim 7, wherein the second energy storage device is coupleable to the traction drive via a second switching device, the second switching device configured to selectively decouple the traction drive from the second energy storage device when the second energy storage device is being charged from the external charging source.

10. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an axle coupled to the traction motor, the axle including one or more drive wheels.

11. A vehicle charging system comprising:

a first energy storage device;

a second energy storage device;

a DC/DC converter coupleable to the first and second energy storage devices;

an auxiliary drive coupleable to the second energy storage device;

a traction drive coupleable to the DC/DC converter, the traction drive comprising an inverter coupled to a traction motor; and

a plurality of switching devices configured to selectively decouple the traction drive from the first and second energy storage devices when the first and second energy storage devices are being charged from an external charging source, the plurality of switching devices comprising;

a first switching device coupled between the traction drive and the first energy storage device; and

a second switching device coupled between the traction drive and the second energy storage device.

12. The vehicle charging system of claim 11, further comprising a second DC/DC converter coupled between the traction drive and the second energy storage device.

13. The vehicle charging system of claim 11, wherein the first energy storage device comprises a first battery and the second energy storage device comprises a second battery.

14. The vehicle charging system of claim 13, wherein the first battery has a higher voltage than the second battery.

15. The vehicle charging system of claim 11, wherein the auxiliary drive comprises air-conditioning compressors.

16. The vehicle charging system of claim 11, wherein the external charging source is an AC source.

17. A vehicle charging system comprising:

an energy storage device;

a bi-directional DC/DC converter coupleable to the energy storage device;

a traction drive coupleable to the bi-directional DC/DC converter, the traction drive comprising an inverter coupled to a motor/generator; and

a switching device coupled between the traction drive and the energy storage device, the switching device configured to selectively decouple the traction drive from the energy storage device when the energy storage device is being charged from an external charging source.

18. The vehicle charging system of claim 17, further comprising an axle coupled to the motor/generator, the axle including one or more drive wheels.

19. The vehicle charging system of claim 18, wherein the motor/generator operates as a generator during a regenerative braking mode.

20. The vehicle charging system of claim 19, wherein the motor/generator charges the energy storage device when operating as a generator.