Battery charging apparatus configured to reduce reactive power through a fuse caused by at least one load

• US 9,205,751 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gale, Allan Roy, Degner, Michael W., Elie, Larry Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERNANDEZ, MANUEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/423,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/109, 320/134, 320/138, 320/160
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/00 Problem solutions or means not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1892 the arrangements being an integral part of the load, e.g. a motor, or of its control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4225 using a non-isolated boost converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/15 Power factor Correction [PFC] circuit generating the DC link voltage for motor driving inverter motor power factor control H02P23/26
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 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: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]

Abstract

A battery charger may be capable of receiving power from a power distribution circuit including a fuse and may be configured to reduce reactive power through the fuse caused by at least one load, other than the charger, electrically connected with the power distribution circuit.

Claims

1. A battery charger (i) capable of receiving power from a power distribution circuit including a fuse and (ii) configured to reduce reactive power through the fuse caused by at least one load, other than the charger, electrically connected with the power distribution circuit.

2. The charger of claim 1 wherein the charger is further configured to substantially eliminate the reactive power through the fuse.

3. The charger of claim 1 wherein the charger is further configured to determine the reactive power on the power distribution circuit.

4. The charger of claim 3 wherein the determination is based on a phase between voltage and current waveforms on the power distribution circuit.

5. The charger of claim 1 wherein the charger reduces the reactive power through the fuse by reducing a phase between voltage and current waveforms on the power distribution circuit.

6. The charger of claim 1 wherein the charger reduces the reactive power through the fuse by causing a reactive power complementary to the reactive power through the fuse to be present on the power distribution circuit.

7. The charger of claim 6 wherein the complementary reactive power is substantially equal to the reactive power through the fuse.

8. An automotive vehicle comprising:

a traction battery; and

a battery charger capable of being electrically connected with a power distribution circuit, including a fuse, remote from the vehicle, the charger configured to (i) charge the traction battery and (ii) reduce reactive power through the fuse caused by at least one load, other than the charger, electrically connected with the power distribution circuit by causing reactive power complementary to the reactive power through the fuse to be present on the power distribution circuit.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the charger is further configured to substantially eliminate the reactive power through the fuse.

10. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the charger is further configured to determine the reactive power on the power distribution circuit.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the determination is based on a phase between voltage and current waveforms on the power distribution circuit.

12. The vehicle of claim 8 wherein the complementary reactive power is substantially equal to the reactive power through the fuse.

13. A battery charger capable of receiving power from a power distribution circuit including a fuse, the distribution circuit having at least one load, other than the charger, electrically connected with the distribution circuit, the charger comprising:

circuitry configured to reduce reactive power through the fuse caused by the at least one load by causing reactive power complementary to the reactive power through the fuse to be present on the distribution circuit.

14. The charger of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further configured to substantially eliminate the reactive power through the fuse caused by the at least one load.

15. The charger of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a phase between current through the fuse and voltage across the distribution circuit between the fuse and the load.

16. The charger of claim 15 wherein the distribution circuit further includes power, return and ground lines and wherein the determination is based on a voltage difference between the power and return lines and a voltage difference between the return and ground lines.