Apparatus for energy transfer using converter and method of manufacturing same

• US 9,321,367 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Steve T
• Application Number:
  US14/597,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/140, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.29, 307/10.1, 307/11, 307/18, 307/19, 307/23, 307/43, 307/46, 307/48, 307 64- 67, 298/25, 318/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• 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 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• 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 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, a motor drive circuit includes a first energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy, a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the first energy storage device, a voltage inverter coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source. The motor drive circuit further includes a coupling system coupled to the input device, to the first energy storage device, and to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter. The coupling system has a first configuration configured to transfer electrical energy to the first energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and has a second configuration configured to transfer electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the voltage inverter via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter.

Claims

1. A traction system comprising:

an electric motor configured to propel a vehicle;

a voltage inverter configured to supply an AC power signal to the electric motor; and

a motor drive circuit configured to supply a DC power signal to the voltage inverter, the motor drive circuit comprising;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a bi-directional buck/boost converter coupled to the first and second batteries, the bi-directional buck/boost converter having a first inductor and a first transistor;

an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source; and

a multi-position switch having a first position configured to couple the first battery to the voltage inverter via the bi-directional buck/boost converter, and having a second position configured to couple the second battery to the input device via the bi-directional buck/boost converter.

2. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage from the input device for charging the second battery when the multi-switch is positioned in the second position.

3. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises:

a receptacle configured to receive an electric plug; and

a voltage rectifier coupled to the receptacle.

4. The traction system of claim 3 wherein the voltage rectifier comprises a diode rectifier.

5. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage from the first battery for charging the second battery when the multi-switch is positioned in the first position.

6. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the multi-position switch comprises only the first and second positions.

7. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the multi-position switch is configured to transfer electrical energy from a utility grid to the bi-directional buck/boost converter.

8. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the first battery is configured to maximize energy output, and wherein the second battery is configured to maximize power output.

9. The traction system of claim 1 wherein the multi-position switch is configured to transfer electrical energy from a utility grid to the bi-directional buck/boost converter.

10. A method of manufacturing a traction system comprising:

providing an electric motor configured to propel a vehicle

coupling a first energy storage device to a bi-directional buck/boost converter and to a DC-to-AC voltage inverter, the DC-to-AC voltage inverter being coupled to the electric motor;

coupling the bi-directional buck/boost converter in parallel with a second energy storage device;

coupling a multi-position switch to the bi-directional buck/boost converter, the multi-position switch having a first position and a second position;

coupling the multi-position switch to the first energy storage device;

coupling an input device to the multi-position switch, the input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source;

configuring the multi-position switch to cause a transfer of electrical energy from the first energy storage device and to the DC-to-AC voltage inverter via the bi-directional buck/boost converter when positioned in the first position; and

configuring the multi-position switch to cause a transfer of electrical energy from the input device and to the second energy storage device via the bi-directional buck/boost converter to charge the second energy storage device when positioned in the second position.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising incorporating a voltage rectifier into the input device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein coupling the first energy storage device to the bi-directional buck/boost converter comprises coupling one of a battery and a fuel cell to the bi-directional buck/boost converter;

and

wherein coupling the bi-directional buck/boost converter in parallel with the second energy storage device comprises coupling the bi-directional buck/boost converter in parallel with one of a battery and an ultracapacitor.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the input device comprises a receptacle configured to receive an electric plug that transfers electrical energy from a utility grid.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage from the input device for charging the second energy storage device when the multi-switch is positioned in the second position.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the bi-directional buck/boost converter is configured to boost a voltage from the first energy storage device for charging the second energy storage device when the multi-switch is positioned in the first position.