Method and apparatus for charging multiple energy storage devices

• US 8,981,727 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kusch, Ruediger Soeren, King, Robert Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/476,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 320134-136, 320/153, 320/162, 320166-167
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/526 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/527 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/529 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• 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 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a controller configured to receive sensor feedback from a high voltage storage device and from a low voltage storage device, compare the sensor feedback to operating limits of the respective high and low voltage storage device, determine, based on the comparison a total charging current to the high voltage storage device and to the low voltage storage device and a power split factor of the total charging current to the high voltage device and to the low voltage device, and regulate the total power to the low voltage storage device and the high voltage storage device based on the determination.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a controller configured to;

receive sensor feedback from a high voltage storage device and from a low voltage storage device;

compare the sensor feedback to operating limits of the respective high and low voltage storage device;

determine, based on the comparison;

a total charging current to the high voltage storage device and to the low voltage storage device; and

a power split factor of the total charging current to the high voltage storage device and to the low voltage storage device; and

regulate the total power to the low voltage storage device and the high voltage storage device based on the determination.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising an energy storage and management system (ESMS) comprising:

a plurality of energy ports, ESMS comprising a plurality of DC electrical converters, each DC electrical converter configured to step up and to step down a DC voltage, wherein;

a first port of the plurality of energy ports is a high voltage port couplable to stepped-up voltage sides of each of the DC electrical converters;

a second port of the plurality of energy ports is a low voltage port couplable to stepped-down voltage sides of each of the DC electrical converters; and

at least one of the plurality of energy ports is coupleable to an electrical charging system;

the high voltage storage device coupled to the first port;

the low voltage storage device coupled to the second port; and

an electrical charging system coupled to one of the plurality of energy ports.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrical charging system is an auxiliary power unit positioned on the electric vehicle and configured to output electrical power to the power electronic conversion system while the vehicle is in motion.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a voltage of each of the plurality of energy ports;

determine the power split factor based on the determined voltages of each respective energy port.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to:

continuously receive the sensor feedback from the high and from the low voltage storage devices;

compare the continuously received sensor feedback to the operating limits of the respective high and low voltage storage devices;

revise the determined total charging current and the power split factor; and

regulate power to the low voltage storage device and the high voltage storage device based on the revised determination.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to determine the power split factor such that, when regulating power to the high voltage and to the low voltage storage devices, power is directed to only one of the high and low voltage storage devices.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the operating limits of the respective high and low voltage storage devices are comprised of at least one of an electrical current limit and a maximum temperature corresponding to each of the respective high and low voltage storage devices.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to regulate a fan positioned to blow air over one of the high and the low voltage storage devices bases on the sensor feedback.

9. The system of claim 1 comprising a power device coupled to the high voltage storage device and the low voltage storage device, wherein the power device comprises one of a vehicle drivetrain, an uninterrupted power supply, a mining vehicle drivetrain, a mining apparatus, a marine system, and an aviation system.

10. A method of managing an energy storage system for an electric vehicle comprising:

receiving sensor feedback from a high voltage energy storage device of the electric vehicle;

comparing the sensor feedback from the high voltage energy storage device to an operating limit specific to the high voltage energy storage device;

receiving sensor feedback from a low voltage energy storage device of the electrical vehicle;

comparing the sensor feedback from the low voltage energy storage device to an operating limit specific to the low voltage energy storage device;

determining, based on the comparison from the high voltage energy storage device and from the low voltage energy storage device;

a total charging current to the high voltage energy storage device and to the low voltage energy storage device; and

a power split factor of the total charging current to the high voltage energy storage device and to the low voltage energy storage device; and

regulating the total power to the low voltage energy storage device and the high voltage energy storage device based on the determination.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising obtaining energy storage device parameter information and determining the total charging current and the power split factor based on the energy storage device parameter information, wherein the energy storage parameter information includes a state of charge and current operating voltage corresponding to each of the respective high and low voltage energy storage devices.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the operating limits for the high voltage energy storage device and the low voltage energy storage device include at least one of an electrical current limit and a maximum temperature corresponding to each of the respective high and low voltage energy storage devices.

13. The method of claim 10 comprising regulating the total power to the low voltage energy storage device and the high voltage energy storage device from an auxiliary power unit that is positioned on the electric vehicle.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the high voltage energy storage device is a power battery having an operational voltage at 400 V or greater, and the low voltage energy storage device is one of an energy battery and an ultracapacitor having an operational voltage at 120 V or less.

21. The method of claim of claim 10 comprising:

coupling the high voltage energy storage device to a first port of a plurality of energy ports of an energy storage and management system (ESMS), wherein the first port is a high voltage port coupleable to stepped-up voltage sides of each of a plurality of DC electrical converters;

coupling the low voltage energy storage device to a second port of the plurality of energy ports of the ESMS, wherein the second port is a low voltage port coupleable to stepped-down voltage sides of each of the plurality of DC electrical converters; and

coupling an electrical charging system to one of the plurality of energy ports of the ESMS.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium coupled to an energy storage and management system (ESMS) of an electric vehicle (EV) and having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

receive sensor feedback from a high voltage energy storage device of the EV and from a low voltage energy storage device of the EV;

compare the sensor feedback to operating limits of the respective energy storage devices;

determine, based on the comparison;

a total charging current to the energy storage devices; and

a power split factor of the total charging current between the high voltage energy storage device and the low voltage energy storage device; and

regulate the total power to the energy storage devices based on the determination.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein computer is further caused to regulate the total power to the energy storage devices from an auxiliary unit positioned on the EV and coupled to a port of the ESMS.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is further caused to determine a voltage of each of a plurality of energy ports of the ESMS, and determine the power split factor based on the determined voltages of each respective energy port.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is further caused to:

continuously receive the sensor feedback from the high and from the low voltage energy storage devices;

compare the continuously received sensor feedback to the operating limits of the respective high and low voltage energy storage devices;

revise the determined total charging current and the power split factor; and

regulate the total power to the energy storage devices based on the revision.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the operating limits of the respective high and low voltage energy storage devices are comprised of at least one of an electrical current limit and a maximum temperature corresponding to each of the respective high and low voltage energy storage devices.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is further caused to regulate a fan positioned to blow air over one of the high and the low voltage energy storage devices bases on the sensor feedback.