Charging device, system, and method for controlling a charging device

• US 8,390,252 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hooker, John Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US13/242,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20120091956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A charging device for use with an electric vehicle having a power storage device includes a current control device configured to selectively enable current to be received from an electrical distribution device and supplied to the power storage device. The charging device also includes a processor coupled to the current control device. The processor is configured to determine a first amount of current available to be at least one of received from the electrical distribution device and supplied by the charging device, and control the current control device to enable a second amount of current to be at least one of received from the electrical distribution device and supplied to the power storage device if the second amount of current does not exceed the first amount of current determined to be available.

Claims

1. A charging device for use with an electric vehicle including a power storage device, said charging device comprising:

a current control device configured to selectively enable current to be received from an electrical distribution device and supplied to the power storage device;

a network interface configured to receive data representative of a current usage of at least one other component coupled to the electrical distribution device; and

a processor coupled to said current control device and said network interface, said processor configured to;

determine a first amount of current available to be at least one of received from the electrical distribution device and supplied by said charging device based on the current usage data received; and

control said current control device to enable a second amount of current to be at least one of received and supplied if the second amount of current does not exceed the first amount of current determined to be available.

2. The charging device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said charging device is one of a plurality of charging devices and wherein the at least one other component coupled to the electrical distribution device is at least one other charging device of the plurality of charging devices, said processor is further configured to determine the first amount of current available based on an amount of current at least one of received by and supplied by the at least one other charging device.

3. The charging device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said charging device is coupled in data communication with the at least one other charging device to form a peer-to-peer network.

4. The charging device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said processor is further configured to determine the first amount of current available by subtracting at least one of the current received by and the current supplied by the at least one other charging device from a current distribution limit of the electrical distribution device.

5. The charging device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said processor is further configured to determine an amount of current at least one of received by and supplied by each of the plurality of charging devices.

6. The charging device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said processor is further configured to determine the first amount of current available by subtracting the current at least one of received by and supplied by each of the plurality of charging devices from the current distribution limit.

7. The charging device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to activate said current control device to enable a third amount of current to be at least one of received and supplied if the second amount of current exceeds the first amount of current determined to be available and the third amount of current does not exceed the first amount of current determined to be available.

8. The charging device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to prevent current from being supplied to the power storage device if the first amount of current determined to be available is less than a minimum current charging threshold.

9. The charging device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processor is further configured to re-determine the first amount of current available after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

10. A system for use in providing current to a plurality of electric vehicles, said system comprising:

a first charging device configured to receive current from an electrical distribution device and supply at least a portion of the current received to a first power storage device; and

a second charging device configured to receive current from the electrical distribution device and supply at least a portion of the current received to a second power storage device,

said first charging device comprises;

a current control device configured to selectively enable current to be received from the electrical distribution device and supplied to the first power storage device;

a network interface configured to receive data representative of a current usage of at least one other component coupled to the electrical distribution device; and

a processor coupled to said current control device and to said network interface, said processor configured to;

determine a first amount of current available to be at least one of received from the electrical distribution device and supplied to the first power storage device based on the current usage data received; and

control said current control device to enable a second amount of current to be at least one of received from the electrical distribution device and supplied to the first power storage device if the second amount of current does not exceed the first amount of current determined to be available.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the at least one other component coupled to the electrical distribution device is said second charging device, and wherein said processor is further configured to determine the first amount of current available based on the amount of current at least one of received and supplied by said second charging device.

12. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said first charging device is coupled in data communication with said second charging device to form a peer-to-peer network.

13. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to determine the first amount of current available by subtracting at least one of the current received and the current supplied by said second charging device from a current distribution limit of the electrical distribution device.

14. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to activate said current control device to enable a third amount of current to be at least one of received and supplied if the second amount of current exceeds the first amount of current determined to be available and the third amount of current does not exceed the first amount of current determined to be available.

15. The system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said processor is further configured to prevent current from being at least one of received by said first charging device and supplied to the first power storage device if the first amount of current determined to be available is less than a minimum current charging threshold.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said processor is further configured to re-determine the first amount of current available after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

17. A method for controlling a charging device for use with an electric vehicle, said method comprising:

receiving data representative of a current usage of at least one component coupled to the charging device using a network interface of the charging device;

determining a desired amount of current to be at least one of received by the charging device and supplied to a power storage device of the electric vehicle;

determining an amount of current available to be at least one of received by the charging device from an electrical distribution device and supplied to the power storage device based on the current usage data received; and

controlling a current control device of the charging device to enable the desired amount of current to be at least one of received and supplied if the desired amount of current does not exceed the amount of current determined to be available.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising coupling a plurality of charging devices together to form a peer-to-peer network, wherein the charging device is one of the plurality of charging devices.

19. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the charging device is one of a plurality of charging devices within a network, said method further comprising determining an amount of current at least one of received and supplied by each charging device of the plurality of charging devices.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein determining an amount of current available comprises subtracting the amount of current at least one of received and supplied by each charging device from a current distribution limit of the electrical distribution device.