Auxiliary battery voltage/temperature compensation for automotive 12 volt system for electric vehicles

• US 5,783,872 A
• Filed: 07/25/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Blair, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US08/685,886
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 320/35, 320/19, 307/46, 307/48, 307/66, 307/10.7, 363/132, 363/17, 363/99, 363/123, 323/369
• US Class Current: 307/46
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• 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

Abstract

A battery temperature compensation circuit for a DC/DC converter which is used to charge an auxiliary battery for an electric vehicle and including, among other things, a voltage sensitive resistance, such as a thermistor, coupled to a clamped voltage divider network which generates a resistance vs. temperature characteristic so as to control the DC/DC converter and provide an output voltage for charging the auxiliary battery which matches the voltage vs. temperature profile of the battery.

Claims

1. A power system for an electric motor vehicle and accessories thereof, comprising:

a first DC power source generating a relatively high DC voltage for powering a vehicle propulsion motor;

a second DC power source comprising a DC to DC converter powered by said first power source and generating a relatively low DC voltage for powering certain accessories of said accessories of said motor vehicle;

an auxiliary DC power source comprising a battery having an output voltage which varies as a function of temperature for powering said accessories upon failure of said first DC power source and consequently said DC to DC converter,

said battery further being coupled to said DC to DC converter and including means for being charged thereby; and

means for regulating the output voltage of said DC to DC converter in response to a feedback signal corresponding to the output voltage of said converter and in response to a temperature reference signal corresponding to the output voltage of said battery so that the DC to DC converter will charge the battery with a voltage which matches a voltage vs. temperature profile of the battery and thus preventing the battery from being overcharged.

2. A power system in accordance with claim 1 wherein first DC power source comprises a relatively high voltage DC battery.

3. A power system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for regulating the output of said converter includes a control circuit responsive to said feedback voltage and said temperature reference voltage for controlling the alternate conductivity of a pair of switching devices coupled to said first DC power source for generating a variable frequency AC power signal applied to a rectifier circuit for providing said output voltage.

4. A power system in accordance with claim 3 and additionally including first circuit means for generating said feedback voltage and second circuit means for generating said temperature reference voltage.

5. A power system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said second circuit means includes a circuit element thermally coupled to said auxiliary battery and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature.

6. A power system in accordance with claim 5 and wherein said circuit element comprises a thermistor.

7. A power system in accordance with claim 1 and additionally including first circuit means coupled to a first circuit node including an output terminal of said converter for generating said feedback voltage.

8. A power system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said first circuit means comprises a voltage divider comprised of a pair of series connected resistor elements and said feedback voltage comprises a voltage appearing across one of said resistor elements.

9. A power system in accordance with claim 7 and additionally including second circuit means coupled to said first circuit node, said first circuit node additionally including a direct connection of a battery terminal of said auxiliary battery for generating said temperature reference voltage.

10. A power system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said second circuit means includes a circuit element thermally coupled to said auxiliary battery and having an electrical characteristic which varies as a function of temperature.

11. A power system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said circuit element comprises a resistance type element.

12. A power system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said circuit element comprises a thermistor.

13. A power system in accordance with claim 12 and wherein said second circuit means includes a second circuit node common to said thermistor and said input of said converter, and first and second voltage clamp circuits coupled between first circuit node and said second circuit node for limiting the upper and lower voltage levels of said reference voltage so as to correspond to a temperature versus output voltage characteristic of said auxiliary battery.

14. A power system in accordance with claim 13 and wherein said first voltage clamp clamps at a higher voltage level than said second voltage clamp, and additionally including a voltage divider including first and second series connected resistors coupled to said first voltage clamp and having one of said resistors connected in parallel with said thermistor, said second circuit node being at one end thereof and common to said input of said converter, and a blocking diode connecting said second voltage clamp to said second circuit node.

15. A power system in accordance with claim 13 wherein said means for regulating the output voltage of said converter includes a control circuit responsive to both said feedback voltage and said temperature reference voltage for generating a variable frequency control signal for varying the magnitude of the output voltage of said converter.

16. A power system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said control circuit includes a variable frequency oscillator whose frequency varies as a function of the difference between said reference voltage and said feedback voltage.

17. A method of powering an electric vehicle and accessories thereof, comprising the steps of:

(a) powering a vehicle propulsion motor by a relatively high voltage DC power source;

(b) powering certain vehicle accessories by a relatively low voltage DC to DC converter, said DC to DC converter being powered by said relatively high voltage DC power source;

(c) powering said accessories by an auxiliary DC battery having an output voltage which varies with temperature when said relatively high voltage DC power source and consequently said DC to DC converter are inoperative;

(d) charging the auxiliary DC battery by the DC to DC converter; and

(e) regulating the output voltage of said DC to DC converter in response to a feedback signal having a value which is a function of the value of said output voltage of said DC to DC converter and in response to a temperature reference signal which is a function of the value of the output voltage of said auxiliary DC battery so that the DC to DC converter will charge the battery with a voltage which matches a voltage vs. temperature profile of the battery so as not to overcharge the battery.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein said relatively high voltage DC power source comprises a battery.