Energy conversion system for a vehicle

• US 9,018,796 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Chen, Chingchi, Degner, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CAVALLARI, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/484,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 307/19, 307/17, 307/28, 307/151
• US Class Current: 307/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/114 Super-capacities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

An energy conversion system transfers energy between an energy source, or storage unit, and an electric device via a first port and a second port and at least one of receives and provides energy via a third port.

Claims

1. A vehicle power system comprising:

an energy storage unit;

an electric device; and

a bi-directional DC-DC power converter electrically connected between the unit and device, and including a non-isolated transformer having a primary winding, a plurality of input ports each tapping the primary winding such that each of the input ports has a DC voltage of a different magnitude, and a plurality of output ports each tapping the primary winding such that each of the output ports has a DC voltage of a different magnitude, wherein a polarity of some of the DC voltages of the input ports is different.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-isolated transformer further has a secondary winding and wherein the converter further includes at least one isolated port tapping the secondary winding.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the converter is a buck-boost converter.

4. A power system comprising:

a bi-directional power converter including a non-isolated transformer having a primary winding, a plurality of input ports tapping the primary winding such that the input ports have different DC voltages and polarities, and a plurality of output ports tapping the primary winding such that the output ports have different DC voltages.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the non-isolated transformer further has a secondary winding and wherein the converter further includes at least one isolated port tapping the secondary winding.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the converter is a buck-boost converter.

7. A vehicle power system comprising:

a bi-directional DC-DC buck-boost power converter electrically connected between an energy storage unit and an electric device, and including a non-isolated transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of ports tapping the primary winding such that some of the ports have different voltages with different polarities.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the non-isolated transformer further has a secondary winding and wherein the converter further includes at least one isolated port tapping the secondary winding

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the some of the ports are input ports.