Power supply system for electric vehicle

• US 5,998,960 A
• Filed: 03/25/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited), Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited), Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. (Isuzu Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Yamada, Jun, Kinoshita, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/047,495
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/101, 320/166, 320/134, 320/103
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/32 characterised by the fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/28 including control of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/114 Super-capacities
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 : Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/908 : Fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/944 : Characterized by control of fuel cell

Abstract

An electric vehicle whose wheels are powered by a d.c. power supply includes a combination of a rechargeable high-energy battery and a rechargeable high-power battery or to a hybrid electric vehicle whose wheels are powered by the d.c. power supply and an internal combustion engine. The d.c. power supply is formed by connecting a d.c. circuit which comprises a rechargeable high-power battery and a current-stiff two-quadrant chopper in parallel with the rechargeable high-power battery. When an current of the rechargeable high-power battery is increased to a value which is greater than a specified value, the chopper is activated to charge or discharge the rechargeable high-power battery, thereby reducing an current of the rechargeable high-power battery to a value which is smaller than the specified value.

Claims

1. A power supply system for use in an electric vehicle whose wheels are powered by a d.c. power supply comprising a combination of a high-energy rechargeable battery and a rechargeable high-power battery, the system comprising:

a d.c. power supply circuit which is formed from a series-circuit comprised of the rechargeable high-power battery and a two-quadrant electric chopper which is connected in parallel with the rechargeable high-energy battery used as the main battery to constitute a d.c. power supply, wherein

when the current of the high-energy rechargeable battery is increased to a value greater than a specified value, the chopper is actuated to charge or discharge the rechargeable high-power battery in such a way that the current of the high-energy rechargeable battery decreases to the specified value or less.

4. The power supply system as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the rechargeable high-power battery corresponds to an electric double-layer capacitor.

5. The power supply system as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the high-energy rechargeable battery corresponds to a chemical battery.

6. The power supply system as defined in claim 5, wherein the high-energy rechargeable battery corresponds to a fuel cell.

2. A power supply system for use in a hybrid electric vehicle whose wheels are powered by an internal combustion engine and a d.c. power supply comprising a combination of a high-energy rechargeable battery and a rechargeable high-power battery, the system comprising:

a d.c. power supply circuit which is formed from the rechargeable high-power battery and a current-stiff two-quadrant chopper and which is connected in parallel with the high-energy rechargeable battery used as the main battery to thereby constitute a d.c. power supply, wherein

when the current of the high-energy rechargeable battery is increased to a value greater than a specified value, the chopper is actuated to charge or discharge the rechargeable high-power battery in such a way that the current of the high-energy rechargeable battery decreases to the specified value or less.

3. The power supply system as defined in claim 2, wherein the high-energy rechargeable battery and the rechargeable high-power battery can be recharged by an engine generator.

7. A d.c. power supply system of use in an electric vehicle, comprising:

a rechargeable high-power battery (HPB) connected in series with a two quadrant chopper, thereby forming a series circuit,

said series circuit connected in parallel with a high-energy battery (HEB), thereby forming a d.c. power supply,

a regenerative braking system that generates electric energy as a result of a braking system of a vehicle being used to decelerate said vehicle,

said chopper circuit for enabling charging of said HPB with said electric energy.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said chopper circuit enables discharging of said HPB when the output current of the HEB reaches a predetermined amount.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said chopper circuit is used to decrease the current of the HEB to a specified value or less than said specified value when the current of the HEB exceeds said specified value.