Method and system of charging a propulsion battery of an electrically powered vehicle

• US 5,539,296 A
• Filed: 01/11/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ito, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Krishnan, Aditya
• Application Number:
  US08/371,466
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/21
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00038 using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors identification by mechanical connections H02J7/0045
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery charging method and system are provided which are applicable to battery-powered vehicles. According to the charging system of the invention, there is provided a primary charger including a primary winding which is connectable with a source of charging alternating current at a charging station. There are also provided at least two secondary chargers each connected with a battery on each vehicle and including a secondary winding having a number of winding turns which is different from that of the winding of the other secondary charger. Transfer of electrical energy from the primary charger to the secondary chargers is accomplished by inductively coupling the primary winding with any selected one of the secondary windings, as a result of which a voltage, the magnitude of which is dependent on the turns ratio between the primary and secondary windings, is produced across the selected secondary winding.

Claims

1. A method of charging a plurality of different types of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

providing a common primary winding having a fixed number of winding turns which is electrically connected with a source of charging current;

providing a plurality of secondary windings each of which is associated with a battery of a given type and carried by a vehicle with at least two of said secondary winding having different numbers of winding turns where the number of winding turns is related to the type battery with which the respective secondary winding is associated; and

selecting at least one of said secondary windings for inductively coupling with said primary winding to form a closed magnetic circuit therebetween, whereby a secondary voltage, the magnitude of which is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said selected secondary winding, is induced electromagnetically across said selected secondary winding.

2. A system of charging a plurality of different types of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

a primary charger including a common primary winding having a fixed number of winding turns constructed and arranged to be electrically connected with a source of charging current; and

a plurality of secondary chargers each carried by a vehicle and having a respective secondary winding with a number of winding turns related to the type of an associated battery to be charged, said number of winding turns in at least two of said secondary windings being different from each other;

each of said secondary windings being constructed for selective coupling with said common primary winding to form a closed magnetic circuit therebetween, whereby when said primary winding is connected to said source of charging current a secondary voltage is induced electromagnetically across said coupled secondary winding, the magnitude of which secondary voltage is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said coupled secondary winding.

3. A system of charging a plurality of different types of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

a primary charger including a common primary coil assembly having a primary core, and a primary winding having a fixed number of winding turns disposed on said primary core and constructed and arranged to be electrically connected with a source of charging current; and

a plurality of secondary chargers each carried by a vehicle and having a respective secondary coil assembly having a respective secondary core and a secondary winding with a number of winding turns related to the of an associated battery to be charged and disposed on said core, said number of winding turns in at least two of said secondary windings being different from each other;

each of said secondary coil assemblies being constructed for selective coupling with said common primary coil assembly to form a closed magnetic circuit therebetween, whereby when said primary winding is connected to said source of charging current a secondary voltage is induced electromagnetically across said coupled secondary winding, the magnitude of which secondary voltage is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said coupled secondary winding.

4. A battery charging system according to claim 3, wherein each of said cores has an E-shape in the cross section thereof.

5. A system of charging a plurality of different types of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

a charging assembly including a pair of separable primary and secondary cores, said primary core having disposed thereon a common primary winding constructed and arranged to be electrically connected with a source of charging current, and said secondary core having a pole piece for receiving a secondary winding thereabout; and

a plurality of secondary chargers each carried by a vehicle and each having a respective secondary winding having a number of winding turns related to the type of an associated battery to be charged, said number of winding turns in at least two of said secondary windings being different from each other;

each of said secondary windings being removably disposable selectively about said pole piece of said secondary core to form a closed magnetic circuit with said primary winding when said primary winding is connected to said source of charging current, whereby a secondary voltage is induced electromagnetically across said secondary winding that is disposed about said pole piece, the magnitude of which secondary voltage is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said secondary winding that is disposed about said pole piece.

6. A battery charging system according to claim 5, wherein each of said cores has an E-shape in the cross section thereof.

7. A system of charging a plurality of different type of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

a common primary winding having a fixed number of winding turns and constructed and arranged to be electrically connected with a source of charging current; and

a plurality of charging assemblies each carried by a vehicle and each including a pair of separable primary and secondary cores, each of said primary cores having a pole piece for receiving said common primary winding thereabout, and each of said secondary cores having disposed thereon a respective secondary winding having a number of winding turns related to the type of an associated battery to be charged, said number of winding turns of at least one of said secondary windings being different from the number of winding turns of at least one other of said secondary windings;

said primary winding being removably insertable about said pole piece of each of said primary cores to form a closed magnetic circuit with the associated one of said secondary windings, whereby when said primary winding is connected to said source of charging current a secondary voltage is induced electromagnetically across said associated one of said secondary windings, the magnitude of which secondary voltage is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said associated one of said secondary windings.

8. A battery charging system according to claim 7, wherein each of said cores has an E-shape in the cross section thereof.

9. A system of charging a plurality of different types of batteries of electrically powered vehicles, comprising:

a pair of separable primary and secondary cores, said primary core having disposed thereon a common primary winding having a fixed number of winding turns and constructed and arranged to be electrically connected with a source of charging current, and said secondary core having a pole piece for receiving a secondary winding thereabout; and

a plurality of charging assemblies each carried by a vehicle and each including a respective secondary winding having a number of winding turns related to the type of an associated battery to be charged, said number of winding turns in at least two of said secondary windings being different from each other;

said secondary core being constructed and arranged to removably receive about its pole piece at least one of said secondary windings to form a closed magnetic circuit between said common primary winding and said at least one secondary winding, whereby when said common primary winding is connected to said source of charging current a secondary voltage is induced electromagnetically across said at least one secondary winding, the magnitude of which secondary voltage is dependent on the turn ratio between said primary winding and said at least one secondary winding.

10. A battery charging system according to claim 9, wherein each of said cores has an E-shape in the cross section thereof.