Method and apparatus for charging an energy store

• US 8,179,085 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: Fronius International GmbH (G&K Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Artelsmair, Bernhard, Horner, Gerhard, Fink, Reinhold
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US12/451,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/104, 320/114, 320/115, 320/150, 320/153, 429/400, 429/434, 429/436, 429/61, 429/62
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus (1) for charging an energy storage (2) via a current generating device (3), comprising at least one control device (6), a burner (7) connected to a tank (11) for fuel supply, a charging device (4) connected to the energy storage (2), and a thermal element (8) whose one side is connected to the current generating device (3). To create such a method and such an apparatus (1), by means of which the capacity of an energy storage (2) of a vehicle (5) can be maintained for a longer period of time, it is provided for the second side of the thermal element (8) to be connected to a heat dissipating element (9) of a vehicle (5), and a monitoring unit (19) for the temperature of the heat dissipating element (9) is provided and connected to the control device (6) so that the current generating device (3) will be controllable to charge the energy storage (2) as a function of the temperature of the heat dissipating element (9).

Claims

1. A method for charging an energy storage (2) via a current generating device (3) and a charging device (4), wherein a burner (7) of the current generating device (3) is supplied with fuel from a tank (11), and wherein the burner (7) is heated in its activated state by combustion of the fuel, said combustion being controlled by a control device (6), and wherein the current is generated with a thermal element (8) by a temperature difference and used for charging the energy storage (2), one side of said thermal element (8) being connected to the current generating device (3), wherein the energy storage (2) is charged for maintaining the capacity of the energy storage (2) of a turned off, non used vehicle (5), wherein the temperature of a heat dissipating element (9) is monitored, which heat dissipating element (9) is connected to the second side of the thermal element (8), and to which the current generating device (3) is mounted, and wherein the burner (7) is controlled as a function of the measured temperature of the heat dissipating element (9).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the burner (7) will be activated in case the measured temperature of the heat dissipating element (9) has fallen short of a threshold value (18).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging condition of the energy storage (2), in particular the voltage of the energy storage (2), is monitored.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein an appropriate charging process is selected for the energy storage (2) as a function of the charging condition of the latter.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the burner (7) will be activated, and the energy storage (2) will be charged, in case the charge of the energy storage (2) and/or its voltage has fallen below a threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon activation of the burner (7), the latter is supplied with fuel from the tank (11) of the combustion engine equipped vehicle (5), and ignited, with the fuel being combusted.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the burner (7) is kept at a substantially constant temperature during combustion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the temperature of the burner (7) is adapted to the thermal element (8).

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the burner (7) is monitored.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the burner (7) will be deactivated in case a threshold value of the temperature of the burner (7) or the thermal element (8) on that side connected to the burner (7) has been exceeded.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein the burner (7) will be deactivated in case a threshold value of the charge and/or the voltage of the energy storage (2) has been exceeded.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein data are exchanged between the control device (6) and an electronic circuit of the vehicle (5).

13. An apparatus (1) for charging an energy storage (2) via a current generating device (3), comprising at least one control device (6), a burner (7) connected to a tank (11) for fuel supply, a charging device (4) connected to the energy storage (2), and a thermal element (8) whose one side is connected to the current generating device (3), wherein the second side of the thermal element (8) is connected to a heat dissipating element (9) of a vehicle (5), and wherein a monitoring unit (19) is provided for the temperature of the heat dissipating element (9) and connected to the control device (6) so that the current generating device (3) will be controllable to charge the energy storage (2) as a function of the temperature of the heat dissipating element (9).

14. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein at least one sensor (20) is provided for detecting the temperature of the heat dissipating element (9) and connected to the monitoring unit (19).

15. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor (20) is integrated in a housing of the apparatus (1) which is attached to the heat dissipating element (9).

16. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein at least one sensor (25) is provided for detecting the temperature of the burner (7) and connected to the monitoring unit (19).

17. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein the heat dissipating element (9) is comprised of an engine block (12) or a frame part of the vehicle (5).

18. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein a device (23) for detecting the charging condition of the energy storage (2), in particular for detecting the voltage of the energy storage (2), is provided and connected to the monitoring unit (19).

19. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein the monitoring unit (19) is integrated in the control device (6).

20. The apparatus (1) according to claim 13, wherein the control device (6) is connectable to an electronic circuit of the vehicle (5), in particular via a data bus (30).