Methods and systems for charging an energy storage device

• US 9,077,052 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Reddy, Raghothama
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/604,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 320/14, 320/15, 320/16, 320/17, 320/116, 320/119, 320/103, 320/104, 320/107, 320/122, 320/125, 320/128, 320/132, 320/152, 320/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• 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 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

A system for use in supplying power to a power storage device. The system includes a charging device that has a plurality of power converters, each of the power converters having an output terminal configured to output current at a predetermined voltage. The system includes a power conduit configured to couple each of the terminals in series to deliver current from the plurality of power converters to the power storage device. The system includes a controller programmed to receive a power storage device voltage signal, determine a charging voltage level based on the power storage device voltage signal, and enable at least one of the plurality of power converters to supply current at the charging voltage level to the power storage device.

Claims

1. A system for use in supplying power to a power storage device, said system comprising:

a charging device comprising;

a plurality of power converters electrically coupled together in series with each other, each of said plurality of power converters configured to receive an alternating current input and output a direct current at a predetermined voltage, said plurality of power converters comprising an output terminal, said output terminal configured to output a charging current at a charging voltage level; and

a power conduit configured to be coupled at one end to said output terminal, said power conduit configured to be coupled at a second end to the power storage device; and

a controller programmed to;

receive a power storage device voltage signal from the power storage device;

determine the charging voltage level based on the power storage device voltage signal; and

enable one or more of said plurality of power converters such that said enabled power converters collectively supply the charging current at the charging voltage level to the power storage device.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a detection system configured to be coupled to said power conduit, said detection system comprising a controller coupled to said power conduit and configured to control the charging voltage level delivered to the power storage device.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein more than one of said plurality of power converters are configured to operate together to provide power at the charging voltage level.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said power conduit couples a negative output terminal of one power converter to a positive output terminal of a next power converter in series.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller is programmed to enable one or more of said plurality of power converters such that at least one of said plurality of power converters remains disabled, the at least one disabled power converter comprising at least one switching component configured to provide a low impedance path that facilitates reducing power dissipation.

6. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said charging device is coupled to an electrical distribution device and is configured to receive current from the electrical distribution device.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of power converters comprises a rectifier circuit.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of power converters is an LLC resonant converter operating near its resonant frequency.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of power converters is a PWM converter operating at a high duty cycle.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said power converters employs a transistor coupled across a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal.

11. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of power converters comprises a transformer having more than one output, at least one of said output having a transistor configured to be enabled on each of said plurality of power converters that is not enabled by said controller.

12. A method of supplying current at a specific voltage to a power storage device, said method comprising:

detecting, based on a signal from the power storage device, a direct current charging voltage level to be provided to said power storage device; and

enabling one or more of a plurality of power converters to receive an alternating current input and supply power at the direct current charging voltage level to the power storage device;

wherein the plurality of power converters is configured in series, and wherein at least one of the plurality of power converters remains disabled and includes at least one switching component configured to provide a low impedance path that facilitates reducing power dissipation.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein enabling one or more of a plurality of power converters to supply power at the charging voltage level to the power storage device further comprises enabling a predetermined number of power converters of the plurality of power converters to supply power at the charging voltage level to the power storage device.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising determining which of the plurality of power converters to enable to supply power at the charging voltage level.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the charging device is configured to receive current from an electric power source and to supply current at the charging voltage level to the power storage device.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the charging device comprises each of said plurality of power converters having an output terminal configured to output current at a predetermined voltage.

17. A charging device for use in supplying power to a power storage device, said charging device comprising:

a plurality of power converters, each power converter of said plurality of power converters comprising an input terminal and a negative output terminal, said input terminal configured to receive an alternating current input, and said negative terminal configured to output power at a predetermined direct current voltage;

a power conduit configured to couple each said power converter in series to deliver power from said plurality of power converters to said power storage device; and

a controller programmed to;

determine, based on signal from the power storage device, a charging voltage level suitable for charging the power storage device; and

enable at least one of said plurality of power converters to supply power at the charging voltage level to the power storage device.

18. A charging device in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a detection system configured to be coupled to said power conduit, said detection system comprising a controller coupled to said power conduit and configured to control a charging voltage level delivered to the power storage device.

19. A charging device in accordance with claim 18, wherein more than one of said plurality of power converters are configured to operate together to provide power at the charging voltage level.

20. A charging device in accordance with claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of power converters comprises at least one switching component configured to provide a low impedance path through said at least one power converter when said at least one power converter is disabled.