Method and system for charging high voltage battery packs

• US 9,520,730 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wong, Richard Kai, Pham, Thanh D., Gauthier, Greg Edward, Willi, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M'Baye
• Application Number:
  US14/109,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20150171650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A method and system for charging high voltage battery packs includes connecting a charger to a power source, connecting the charger to a battery pack, connecting a computer to a battery energy control module of the battery pack and charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger by running a software program on the computer and a system for conducting the method.

Claims

1. A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising:

connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source;

connecting the charger to the battery pack;

connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle; and

charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a state of charge of the battery pack on the computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a voltage of the battery pack on the computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a current of the battery pack on the computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a contactor status of the battery pack on the computer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating an elapsed charging time on the computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met.

9. A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising:

connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source;

connecting the charger to the battery pack;

connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle;

determining whether the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM; and

charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger if the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running the software program on the computer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a state of charge of the battery pack on the computer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a voltage of the battery pack on the computer.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a current of the battery pack on the computer.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating a contactor status of the battery pack on the computer.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises indicating an elapsed charging time on the computer.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met.

17. A method for charging a battery pack in a vehicle, comprising:

connecting an off-vehicle charger to a power source;

connecting the charger to the battery pack;

connecting a computer to a battery energy control module (BECM) of the battery pack following disconnecting the BECM from a wire harness of the vehicle;

determining whether the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running a software program on the computer, the software program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software program configured to cause at least one processor to initiate and control the charging of the battery pack based on an indicated condition of the battery pack received by the computer through the BECM;

charging the battery pack from the power source through the charger if the battery pack is in satisfactory condition for charging by running the software program on the computer; and

during the charging indicating a state of charge of the battery pack, a voltage of the battery pack, a current of the battery pack, a battery pack contactor status of the battery pack and an elapsed charging time of the battery pack on the computer by running the software program on the computer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises termination of charging the battery pack by an operator.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein charging the battery pack by running a software program on the computer comprises automatic termination of charging the battery pack after a preselected criteria is met, the preselected criteria comprising a predetermined state of charge of the battery pack.