Control system and method for electric vehicle

• US 7,689,332 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Morrow, Jon J., Yakes, Christopher K., Pillar, Duane R., Squires, Bradley C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/929,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 141/1, 141/98, 141/392, 180/2.1, 180/53.5, 180/65.1, 363 34- 37, 307/10.1, 307/11, 307/43, 307/82, 903/903, 318/139, 318/151, 238/14.05
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/50 using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/34 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

An electric traction vehicle is described herein which may be used to provide power to off-board electric power-consuming systems or devices. The electric traction vehicle may provide 250 kilowatts or more of three phase AC power to an off-board electric power consuming system. The electric traction vehicle may also include an electrical power storage device which can be selectively discharged to allow the vehicle to be serviced.

Claims

1. An electric traction vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels coupled to the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors being used to drive the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors configured to be changeable;

an electrical connector which is used to allow an electrical power-consuming system off-board the vehicle to be connected to the vehicle and draw electrical power from the vehicle; and

a power source coupled to the vehicle platform, the power source configured to be removed and replaced with a larger capacity generator, the power source being used to provide electrical power to the plurality of electric motors and the electrical connector;

wherein the electric traction vehicle is capable of providing at least about 250 kilowatts of power to an off-board power-consuming system.

2. The electric traction vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a configuration program configured to detect a change in the electric traction vehicle.

3. The electric traction vehicle of claim 2, wherein the configuration program being configured to reconfigure the electric traction vehicle based on a detected change in the electric traction vehicle.

4. The electric traction vehicle of claim 3, wherein the reconfiguration is a control algorithm update.

5. The electric traction vehicle of claim 2, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to a display.

6. The electric traction vehicle of claim 2, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to another vehicle system.

7. The electric traction vehicle of claim 2, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to an off-board computer.

8. The electric traction vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device configured to supplement the power source by providing short-term power.

9. The electric traction vehicle of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device is a bank of ultracapacitors.

10. The electric traction vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power source is a fuel cell.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels coupled to the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors being used to drive the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors configured to be reconfigurable;

an electrical connector which is used to allow an off-board power-consuming system to be connected to the vehicle and draw electrical power from the vehicle; and

a power source coupled to the vehicle platform, the power source configured to be removed and replaced with a larger capacity generator, the power source being used to provide electrical power to the plurality of electric motors and the electrical connector; and

a configuration program configured to detect a change in the vehicle, the configuration program being configured to reconfigure the vehicle based on a detected change in the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the reconfiguration is a control algorithm update.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to a display.

14. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to another vehicle system.

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to an off-board computer.

16. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle platform;

a plurality of drive wheels coupled to the vehicle platform;

a plurality of electric motors coupled to respective ones of the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors being used to drive the plurality of drive wheels, the plurality of electric motors configured to be reconfigurable;

an electrical connector which is used to allow an off-board power-consuming system to be connected to the vehicle and draw power from the vehicle; and

a power source coupled to the vehicle platform, the power source configured to be removed and replaced with a larger capacity generator, the power source being used to provide electrical power to the plurality of electric motors and the electrical connector;

an energy storage device configured to supplement the power source by providing short-term power; and

a configuration program configured to detect a change in the vehicle, the configuration program being configured to reconfigure the vehicle based on a detected change in the vehicle.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the energy storage device is a bank of ultracapacitors.

18. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to a display.

19. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to another vehicle system.

20. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the configuration program being configured to transmit a configuration confirmation signal to an off-board computer.