SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHARGING ELECTRIFIED VEHICLE LOW-VOLTAGE BATTERY

• US 20180072180A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 03/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: WU, Bo, FERREL, Mark J., LEE, Josephine S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,457,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/13 in order to stay within battery power input or output limits; in order to prevent overcharging or battery depletion
• 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 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A vehicle charging system includes a controller programmed to, in response to a charger being coupled to a power source and parameters being indicative of a low charge level of an auxiliary battery and a full charge level of a traction battery, decouple the traction battery from the power converter and the charger and charge the auxiliary battery from the charger.

Claims

1. A charging system for a vehicle comprising:

a controller programmed to, in response to receiving parameters indicative of a full charge level of a traction battery and a depleted charge level of an auxiliary battery coupled to a power converter while a charger is coupled to a power source, decouple the traction battery from the power converter and the charger and charge the auxiliary battery from the charger.

2. The charging system of claim 1 wherein parameters indicative of a full charge level of the traction battery include a state of charge of the traction battery being greater than a predetermined threshold.

3. The charging system of claim 1 wherein parameters indicative of a full charge level of the traction battery include a voltage of the traction battery being greater than a predetermined threshold.

4. The charging system of claim 1 wherein parameters indicative of a depleted charge level of the auxiliary battery include a state of charge of the auxiliary battery being less than a predetermined threshold.

5. The charging system of claim 1 wherein parameters indicative of a depleted charge level of the auxiliary battery include a voltage of the auxiliary battery being less than a predetermined threshold.

6. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to charge the auxiliary battery at a power level that does not exceed a power limit of the charger.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to command the charger at an output voltage that is independent from a voltage level of the traction battery.

8. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to command the charger at a power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the power converter.

9. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to command the charger at a power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the charger.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a power converter configured to transfer power from a charger and a traction battery to an auxiliary battery; and

a controller programmed to, in response an auxiliary battery voltage falling below a predetermined threshold while a traction battery parameter indicates a full charge and the charger is coupled to a power source, isolate the traction battery from the power converter and the charger, and charge the auxiliary battery from the charger.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 further comprising contactors coupled between terminals of the traction battery and the power converter and wherein the controller is further programmed to open at least one of the contactors to isolate the traction battery from the power converter and the charger.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the controller is further programmed to charge the auxiliary battery at a power level that does not exceed a power limit of the charger.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the controller is further programmed to command the charger at a power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the power converter.

14. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the controller is further programmed to command the charger at a power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the charger.

15. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the traction battery parameter is a state of charge of the traction battery.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the traction battery parameter is a voltage of the traction battery.

17. A method comprising:

decoupling, by a controller, a traction battery from a power converter and a charger in response to receiving parameters indicative of a full charge level of the traction battery and a depleted charge level of an auxiliary battery while the charger is coupled to a power source; and

charging, by the controller, the auxiliary battery from the charger.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising commanding, by the controller, the charger to a power level that does not exceed a power limit of the charger.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising commanding, by the controller, the charger to an output power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the power converter.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising commanding, by the controller, the charge to an output power level that maximizes a conversion efficiency of the charger.