Electrified vehicle energy dissipation

• US 9,586,485 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Badger, Justin Reuel, Kava, Christopher Michael, Rockwell, Mark Anthony, Mitchem, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US14/664,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20160280073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 701/48, 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.285, 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 180/65.8, 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 903/907, 903/930, 903/947
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/02 including electrically actuated servomechanism including an electric control system or a servomechanism in which the vehicle velocity affecting element is actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/12 Methods and devices for control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/184 with wheel brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/14 in conjunction with braking regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18127 Regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

An exemplary electrified vehicle assembly includes a coolant circuit and a controller configured to selectively direct energy into at least one component of the coolant circuit to provide a negative wheel torque.

Claims

1. An electrified vehicle assembly, comprising:

a coolant circuit;

a resistor bank;

a controller configured to direct energy from an energy recovery mechanism into at least one component of the coolant circuit when an energy dissipation mode is activated, and configured to direct energy from the energy recovery mechanism into a battery of an electrified vehicle when the energy dissipation mode is not activated, the energy dissipation mode activated in response to a grade; and

the controller configured to direct energy from the energy recovery mechanism to the resistor bank when the energy dissipation mode is activated, the resistor bank cooled by ram airflow.

2. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one component comprises an electric fan.

3. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the cooling circuit comprises an electric coolant pump, an electric fan, and an electric heater.

4. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively direct energy from the energy recovery mechanism to a resistor bank.

5. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a resistor bank and an electric cooling fan, the controller selectively direct energy from the energy recovery mechanism to the resistor bank and the electric cooling fan when the energy dissipation mode is active, wherein the resistor bank is cooled with airflow from the electric cooling fan.

6. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrified vehicle assembly is within a hybrid electric vehicle.

7. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy recovery device is a regenerative braking system that resists rotation of at least one wheel of the electrified vehicle.

8. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy dissipation mode is activated in response to the grade being greater than a threshold grade.

9. The electrified vehicle assembly of claim 1, wherein the energy dissipation mode is activated in response to descending the grade for a set period of time.

10. A method of dissipating energy within an electrified vehicle, comprising:

selectively activating an energy dissipation mode in response to a grade;

generating an amount of energy from an energy recovery device, wherein the amount of energy is a first amount of energy;

directing the amount of energy to at least one component of a coolant circuit of an electrified vehicle when the energy dissipation mode is activated;

directing the amount of energy to a battery when the energy dissipation mode is not activated;

generating a second amount of energy using the energy recovery device and directing the second amount of energy to a resistor bank when the energy dissipation mode is activated; and

cooling the resistor bank with ram airflow.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one component comprises an electric fan.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one component of the cooling circuit comprises an electric coolant pump, an electric fan, and an electric heater.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one component is an electric cooling fan, and the amount of energy is a first amount of energy, and further comprising

generating a second amount of energy using the energy recovery device and directing the second amount of energy to a resistor bank when the energy dissipation mode is activated;

and

cooling the resistor bank with airflow from the electric cooling fan.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising powering the at least one component of the coolant circuit in response to a temperature of the battery of the electrified vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising using the energy recovery device to resist rotation of at least one wheel to maintain a speed of the electrified vehicle when the electrified vehicle is descending a grade.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy recovery device comprises a regenerative braking system.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy dissipation mode is activated in response to the grade being greater than a threshold grade.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy dissipation mode is activated in response to descending the grade for a set period of time.