Charge rate optimization

• US 8,963,494 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Kishiyama, Clay Hajime, Kelty, Kurt Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): DO, THUAN V
• Application Number:
  US13/475,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 320/103, 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system for a battery pack, including a charging station transferring energy to the battery pack at a maximum fast charge rate in a first operational mode and transferring energy to the battery pack at a slower charge rate in a second operational mode; a data collection system acquiring data indicating a state of charge of the battery pack and one or more desired charge optimization parameters; and a station control, responsive to the data and to the desired charge optimization parameters, automatically establishing a charging profile for the battery pack to assert a control signal and operate the charging station in the second operational mode whenever the charging station is able to transfer sufficient energy to the battery pack at the slower charge rate to meet an SOC target and a charge completion time target.

Claims

1. An electric charging system for an energy storage system, comprising:

a charging station electrically coupled to the energy storage system, said charging station transferring charging energy to the energy storage system at a maximum fast charge rate in a first operational mode and transferring charging energy to the energy storage system at a slower charge rate in a second operational mode, said modes responsive to a control signal;

a data collection system acquiring a set of data indicating a state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage system and one or more desired charge optimization parameters; and

a station control, responsive to said set of data and to said desired charge optimization parameters, automatically establishing a first charging profile for the energy storage system, with said first charging profile asserting said control signal and operating said charging station in said second operational mode whenever said charging station is able to transfer sufficient energy to the energy storage system at said slower charge rate to meet a charge target, said first charging profile asserting said control signal to operate said charging station in said first operational mode whenever said charging station is unable to transfer sufficient energy to the energy storage system at said slower charge rate to meet said charge target.

2. The electric charging system of claim 1 wherein the energy storage system provides propulsion energy for an electric propulsion motor of a vehicle and wherein said charge target includes a particular driving range and a particular charge completion time target.

3. The electric charging system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of different charging profiles are each capable of meeting said charge target during a charging session wherein said station control selects a particular one charging profile from said plurality of charging profiles based upon an optimization goal.

4. The electric charging system of claim 3 wherein said optimization goal includes a cost minimization option that minimizes a cost for transferring energy to meet said charge target during said charging session.

5. The electric charging system of claim 4 further comprising a vehicle enhancement system that improves a charging-related parameter of the energy storage system when implemented, said vehicle enhancement system incompatible with providing a desired SOC level for the energy storage system in a shortest period,

wherein said station control inhibits an actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said first operational mode and enables said actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said second operational mode.

6. The electric charging system of claim 5 wherein said vehicle enhancement system includes a heater, said charging-related parameter includes battery life, and said actuation pre-heats the energy storage system to a desired temperature before initiation of energy transfer at said slower charge rate.

7. The electric charging system of claim 6 wherein said vehicle enhancement system is disabled when said cost optimization option is active.

8. The electric charging system of claim 3 wherein said optimization goal minimizes a battery life degradation responsive to transferring energy to meet said charge target during said charging session.

9. The electric charging system of claim 1 wherein said first charging profile includes switching between said first operational mode and said second operational mode responsive to said set of data.

10. The electric charging system of claim 1 wherein said station control, responsive to said set of data, detects a change to said charge target and establishes a second charging profile after an initiation of energy transfer to the energy storage system responsive to said first charging profile wherein said station control dynamically alters energy transfer to implement said second charging profile to meet said change to said charge target.

11. The electric charging system of claim 1 further comprising a communications network communicating a plurality of data of the energy storage system and said charging station to said station control.

12. The electric charging system of claim 11 wherein said communications network includes both wired and wireless communications paths.

13. The electric charging system of claim 12 further comprising a user interface communicated to said station control using said communications network, said user interface accepting user data from which said station control automatically establishes said charge target.

14. The electric charging system of claim 13 wherein the energy storage system includes a battery pack providing propulsion energy to an electric vehicle and wherein said electric vehicle provides data from which said station control automatically establishes said charge target.

15. The electric charging system of claim 14 further comprising a vehicle enhancement system that improves a charging-related parameter of the energy storage system when implemented, said vehicle enhancement system incompatible with providing a desired SOC level for the energy storage system in a shortest period,

wherein said station control inhibits an actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said first operational mode and enables said actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said second operational mode.

16. The electric charging system of claim 15 wherein said vehicle enhancement system includes a heater, said charging-related parameter includes battery life, and said actuation pre-heats the energy storage system to a desired temperature before initiation of energy transfer at said slower charge rate.

17. The electric charging system of claim 16 where said one or more charge optimization parameters include one or more secondary considerations, said one or more secondary considerations including optimized economical charging of the energy storage system and optimized battery life for the energy storage system.

18. The electric charging system of claim 17 including a portable electronic device supporting operation of a charge control process, said portable electronic device in wireless communication with said station control to directly or indirectly set or alter one or more of said charge target.

19. The charging system of claim 18 wherein said electric vehicle includes a navigation system including a set of data identifying a future travel itinerary, said navigation system communicated to said station control using said communications network and wherein said station control is responsive to said future travel itinerary to automatically establish said charge target.

20. The electric charging system of claim 12 including a portable electronic device supporting operation of a charge control process, said portable electronic device in wireless communication with said station control to directly or indirectly set or alter one or more of said charge target.

21. The electric charging system of claim 11 further comprising a user interface communicated to said station control using said communications network, said user interface accepting user data explicitly identifying charge target.

22. The electric charging system of claim 11 wherein the energy storage system includes a battery pack providing propulsion energy to an electric vehicle and wherein said electric vehicle provides data from which said station control automatically establishes said charge target.

23. The electric charging system of claim 11 wherein the energy storage system includes a battery pack providing propulsion energy to an electric vehicle and wherein said electric vehicle provides data from which said station control automatically establishes said charge target, and wherein said electric vehicle includes a navigation system including a set of data identifying a future travel itinerary, said navigation system communicated to said station control using said communications network and wherein said station control is responsive to said future travel itinerary to automatically establish said charge target.

24. The electric charging system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle enhancement system that improves a charging-related parameter of the energy storage system when implemented, said vehicle enhancement system incompatible with providing a desired SOC level for the energy storage system in a shortest period,

wherein said station control inhibits an actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said first operational mode and enables said actuation of said vehicle enhancement system in said second operational mode.

25. The electric charging system of claim 24 wherein said vehicle enhancement system includes a heater, said charging-related parameter includes battery life, and said actuation pre-heats the energy storage system to a desired temperature before initiation of energy transfer at said slower charge rate.

26. The electric charging system of claim 1 where said one or more charge optimization parameters include one or more secondary considerations, said one or more secondary considerations including optimized economical charging of the energy storage system and optimized battery life for the energy storage system.