Bi-directional battery voltage converter

• US 8,441,228 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Brabec, Ladislaus Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US12/845,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• 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: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery module for use with a vehicle electrical system. The battery module includes a bi-directional battery voltage converter, a first battery, and a second battery. A first relay selectively connects the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter. A second relay selectively connecting the second battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter. A controller selectively energizes the first relay, selectively energizes the second relay, and controls a direction of current through the bi-directional battery voltage converter.

Claims

1. An electrical system for a vehicle, comprising:

a system bus;

an alternator supplying a current to the system bus when mechanically driven by a prime mover;

an ignition switch selecting an operational state of the electrical system;

a primary battery connected to the system bus;

a first auxiliary battery module connected to the system bus comprising

a first auxiliary battery,

a second auxiliary battery,

a bi-directional battery voltage converter,

a module controller selectively connecting one of the first auxiliary battery, and the second auxiliary battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter; and

a main system controller operating the first auxiliary battery module in one of

a null mode, wherein the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery are disconnected from the electrical system,

a charging mode, wherein one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery receives a current via the bi-directional battery voltage converter, and

a discharging mode, wherein one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery supplies a current via the bi-directional battery voltage converter,

wherein the bi-directional battery voltage converter comprises

an inductor,

a first switch selectively coupling the inductor to one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery,

a second switch selectively coupling the inductor to one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery,

a third switch selectively coupling the inductor to the system bus,

a fourth switch selectively coupling the inductor to the system bus, and

a routing circuit controlled by the module controller and connected to each of the first, second, third, and fourth switches, the routing circuit controllably directing opening and closing of each of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch.

2. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the charging mode operates in multiple charging stages, comprising

a bulk stage, wherein a charge current is held substantially constant,

an absorption stage, wherein a charge voltage is held substantially constant, and

a float stage, wherein both the charge voltage and the charge current are held substantially constant.

3. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the routing circuit comprises a pulse-width modulator.

4. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the module controller preferentially connects the first auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system upon the ignition switch closing.

5. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing usage data of at least the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery.

6. The vehicle electrical system of claim 5, wherein the module controller preferentially connects the first auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system in response to the ignition switch closing and wherein the system controller overrides the module controller in order to preferentially connect the second auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system in response to the ignition switch closing, based upon the usage data.

7. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first relay selectively connecting the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a second relay selectively connecting the second battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter, wherein the module controller is configured to selectively energize one of the first relay and the second relay.

8. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the module control is configured to monitor a first parameter related to a state of charge of the first battery and a second parameter related to a state of charge of the second battery.

9. The vehicle electrical system of claim 8, wherein the module control disconnects the first auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses a threshold value.

10. The vehicle electrical system of claim 9, wherein the module control connects the second auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses the threshold value.

11. The vehicle electrical system of claim 8, wherein the module control alternately connects and disconnects the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter in order to balance the state of charge of the first battery and the state of charge of the second battery while operating in the discharging mode.

12. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second auxiliary battery module comprising

a third auxiliary battery,

a fourth auxiliary battery,

a second bi-directional battery voltage converter, and

a second module controller selectively connecting one of the third auxiliary battery and the fourth auxiliary battery to the second bi-directional battery voltage converter.

13. A battery module for use with a vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a first relay selectively connecting the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a second relay selectively connecting the second battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter; and

a controller selectively energizing the first relay, selectively energizing the second relay, and controlling a direction of current through the bi-directional battery voltage converter,

wherein the bi-directional battery voltage converter comprises

an inductor,

a first switch selectively coupling the inductor to one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery,

a second switch selectively coupling the inductor to one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery,

a third switch selectively coupling the inductor to the vehicle electrical system,

a fourth switch selectively coupling the inductor to the vehicle electrical system, and

a routing circuit controlled by the controller and connected to each of the first, second, third, and fourth switches, the routing circuit selectively opening and closing each of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch, charging the inductor from one of the vehicle electrical system and the battery and discharging the inductor to the other of the vehicle electrical system and the battery.

14. The battery module of claim 13, wherein the controller monitors a first parameter related to a state of charge of the first battery and a second parameter related to a state of charge of the second battery.

15. The vehicle electrical system of claim 14, wherein the controller disconnects the first auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses a threshold value.

16. The vehicle electrical system of claim 15, wherein the controller connects the second auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses the threshold value.