Electric vehicle and vehicle charging system

• US 8,037,954 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Tomonari
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Hau
• Application Number:
  US12/443,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20100089669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.22, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.5, 123/142.5 R, 123/142.5 E, 123/41.14, 165/10, 165/136, 165/240, 165/42
• US Class Current: 180/65.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00257 Non-transportable devices, disposed outside the vehicle, e.g. on a parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/003 Component temperature regulation using an air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/06 using only one supply
• 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 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 : for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 : for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 : including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 2510/244 : Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 : Liquid coolant without phase change
• 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 10/88 : Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• 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

Abstract

When a current flows through a battery, a resistance loss proportional to the square of the current is produced by an internal resistance component of the current. In a case where the temperature of a heat capacity element is raised, a charging current is controlled such that prescribed thermal energy is provided to the heat capacity element by this resistance loss. Air is induced into a power supply unit through a vehicle compartment air exhaust duct. Then, the thermal energy stored in the heat capacity element is transferred to the air induced into the power supply unit. The air to which the thermal energy has been provided from the heat capacity element is blown out toward a vehicle compartment space by a fan.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle on which a power storage device configured to be rechargeable is mounted and that is configured such that said power storage device can be charged by an external power supply,

said electric vehicle being configured to be able to be coupled, during charging, to a connector portion for supplying said external power supply, and in addition, being configured to be able to receive an external heat medium having certain thermal energy from outside the vehicle,

said electric vehicle comprising:

a heat capacity element configured to be able to store thermal energy;

a heat storage mechanism for having the thermal energy stored in said heat capacity element during charging; and

an air-conditioning mechanism for air-conditioning a vehicle compartment space by using the thermal energy stored in said heat capacity element, in response to an air-conditioning request,

said power storage device being used as said heat capacity element,

said heat capacity element being used for both heating and cooling in response to the air-conditioning request,

said heat storage mechanism including

a charging current controller for controlling a charging current of said power storage device,

a heat medium path configured to cause heat exchange between said external heat medium and said power storage device, and

a fan for taking said external heat medium into said electric vehicle,

upon receipt of a heating request, said charging current controller controls the charging current to increase resistive heat generation in said power storage device, and

upon receipt of a cooling request, said charging current controller controls the charging current to reduce the magnitude of the current as much as possible, and in addition, said fan increases an amount of contact between said power storage device and said external heat medium.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said external heat medium is supplied through said connector portion, along with said external power supply.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

air-conditioned air in a building outside the vehicle is supplied as said external heat medium.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a vehicle compartment air path configured to communicate with said vehicle compartment space and configured to take in air in said vehicle compartment space to cause heat exchange between the air and said power storage device, wherein

said air-conditioning mechanism includes a backflow mechanism for forming a flow of air in said vehicle compartment air path in a direction opposite to a direction in which the air is taken in from said vehicle compartment space such that the air after the heat exchange between the air and said power storage device is blown out toward said vehicle compartment space.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electric power converting portion capable of generating a charging current for charging said power storage device from said external power supply;

a radiator portion for cooling said electric power converting portion through a first coolant;

a circulating mechanism for circulating said first coolant in a circulating path including said electric power converting portion and said radiator portion; and

a storage portion, disposed at said circulating path, configured to be able to store said first coolant, wherein

said heat capacity element includes said first coolant,

said electric power converting portion is configured to include a switching element, and

said heat storage mechanism further includes a controller adapted to the electric power converting portion for controlling said electric power converting portion during charging such that a cooling ability in said radiator portion is suppressed, and in addition, prescribed thermal energy is provided to said first coolant by a heat loss produced at said electric power converting portion due to a switching operation.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising

a rotating electric machine having a coil of a phase connected in a star shape, wherein

said electric power converting portion is configured to receive said external power supply through a neutral point of said rotating electric machine,

said circulating path is formed to further include said rotating electric machine, and

said controller adapted to the electric power converting portion further controls said electric power converting portion such that prescribed thermal energy is provided to said first coolant by resistive heat generation that occurs in said coil of the phase of said rotating electric machine.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said air-conditioning mechanism further includes

a blowing out mechanism for blowing out air-conditioned air to said vehicle compartment space,

a first coolant introduction path through which said first coolant is guided to said blowing out mechanism, and

a first heat exchange portion for causing heat exchange between air and said first coolant guided through said first coolant introduction path to generate said air-conditioned air.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said heat capacity element includes a refrigerant contained in a refrigerant container, and

said heat storage mechanism further includes a refrigeration cycle mechanism for having thermal energy stored in said refrigerant by receiving said external power supply and by performing a refrigeration cycle during charging.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

said air-conditioning mechanism further includes

a blowing out mechanism for blowing out air-conditioned air to said vehicle compartment space,

a second coolant introduction path that is formed to cause heat exchange between a second coolant and said refrigerant and through which said second coolant after the heat exchange is guided to said blowing out mechanism, and

a second heat exchange portion for causing heat exchange between air and said second coolant guided through said second coolant introduction path to generate said air-conditioned air.

10. A vehicle charging system, comprising:

an electric vehicle on which a power storage device configured to be rechargeable is mounted; and

a vehicle charging apparatus for charging said power storage device mounted on said electric vehicle by an external power supply,

said vehicle charging apparatus including a connector portion coupled to said electric vehicle during charging for supplying said external power supply to said electric vehicle,

said vehicle charging apparatus being configured to supply an external heat medium having certain thermal energy from outside the vehicle during charging,

said electric vehicle including

a heat capacity element configured to be able to store thermal energy,

a heat storage mechanism for having the thermal energy stored in said heat capacity element during charging, and

an air-conditioning mechanism for air-conditioning a vehicle compartment space by using the thermal energy stored in said heat capacity element, in response to an air-conditioning request,

said power storage device being used as said heat capacity element,

said heat capacity element being used for both heating and cooling in response to the air-conditioning request,

said heat storage mechanism including

a charging current controller for controlling a charging current of said power storage device,

a heat medium path configured to cause heat exchange between said external heat medium and said power storage device, and

a fan for taking said external heat medium into said electric vehicle,

upon receipt of a heating request, said charging current controller controls the charging current to increase resistive heat generation in said power storage device, and

upon receipt of a cooling request, said charging current controller controls the charging current to reduce the magnitude of the current as much as possible, and in addition, said fan increases an amount of contact between said power storage device and said external heat medium.

11. The vehicle charging system according to claim 10, wherein

said vehicle charging apparatus supplies air-conditioned air in a building outside the vehicle to said electric vehicle as said external heat medium.

12. The vehicle charging system according to claim 10, wherein

said electric vehicle further includes a vehicle compartment air path configured to communicate with said vehicle compartment space and configured to take in air in said vehicle compartment space to cause heat exchange between the air and said power storage device, and

said air-conditioning mechanism includes a backflow mechanism for forming a flow of air in said vehicle compartment air path in a direction opposite to a direction in which the air is taken in from said vehicle compartment space such that the air after the heat exchange between the air and said power storage device is blown out toward said vehicle compartment space.