Fast charging device for an electric vehicle

• US 8,847,555 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Original Assignee: Renault Sas (Renault)
• Inventors: Loudot, Serge, Briane, Benoit, Ploix, Olivier, Villeneuve, Arnaud
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US12/919,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20120286740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 320/137, 318/503
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/54 Windings for different functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2209/01 Motors with neutral point connected to the power supply
• 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 10/92 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 device for charging a battery including a rectifier input stage configured to be connected to a power supply network and an inverter output stage configured to be connected to the battery, and a mechanism regulating average current obtained from the input stage about a current value generated from the maximum current supplied by the power supply network and according to a coefficient that is at least equal to a ratio between the maximum voltage rectified by the input stage and the battery voltage.

Claims

1. A device for charging a battery comprising:

a rectifier input stage connectable to a power supply network;

an inverter output stage connectable to the battery; and

processing circuitry that regulates average current obtained from an output of the rectifier input stage to a current value calculated according to a maximum current supplied by the power supply network and according to a coefficient that is greater than or equal to a ratio between a maximum voltage rectified by the rectifier input stage to a voltage of the battery.

2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

connection circuitry that connects the rectifier input stage to one or more of a three-phase power supply network and a single-phase power supply network.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier input stage includes at least one free-wheeling diode.

4. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:

first control circuitry that controls the rectifier input stage; and

second control circuitry that controls the inverter output stage to control an output of the rectifier input stage,

wherein the first control circuitry is independent of the second control circuitry.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the first control circuitry includes a circuitry portion that controls a duty cycle of a switching control signal for one of the rectifier input stage and a regulation loop.

6. A device according to claim 1,

wherein the device is mountable in a motor vehicle with an electric traction system, and

wherein the inverter output stage is formed by an inverter stage of the electric traction system of the motor vehicle.

7. A device according to claim 1, further comprising filtering circuitry, incorporated in a motor vehicle, that filters current from the power supply network.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the rectifier input stage is connectable directly to the power supply network, without a contactor therebetween.

8. A battery charging method, comprising:

regulating average current obtained from an output of a rectifier input stage to a current value generated from a maximum current supplied by a power supply network connected to the rectifier input stage according to a coefficient that is greater than or equal to a ratio between a maximum voltage rectified by the rectifier input stage and a voltage of the battery.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the input rectifier stage is connectable to one or more of a three-phase power supply network and a single-phase power supply network.

10. A method according to claim 8, further comprising circulating current from an inverter output stage in at least one free-wheeling diode.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the rectifier input stage is controlled by control of a duty cycle of a switching control signal for one of the rectifier input stage and by a regulation loop, the control of the rectifier input stage being independent of control of an inverter output stage.

12. A method according to claim 8, further comprising filtering current from the power supply network using a filter incorporated in a vehicle.

14. A method according to claim 8, further comprising connecting the power supply network directly to the rectifier input stage, without a contactor therebetween.