Apparatus for energy transfer using converter and method of manufacturing same

• US 9,975,439 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• 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): Diao, M'Baye
• Application Number:
  US15/697,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109
• 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 vehicle comprising:

an energy storage device;

a first voltage converter coupleable to the energy storage device;

a traction drive coupleable to the first voltage converter, the traction drive comprising an inverter coupled to a traction motor; and

a charging system on-board the vehicle and coupleable to the energy storage device, the charging system comprising;

a receptacle coupleable to an external charging source;

a second voltage converter configured to boost an input voltage derived from the external charging source to an intermediate voltage; and

a third voltage converter configured to buck the intermediate voltage to an output voltage to charge the energy storage device.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third voltage converters comprises an isolation transformer.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the external charging source is an AC source.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a rectifier coupled to the receptacle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first voltage converter is a bi-directional buck/boost converter.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a second energy storage device.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the second energy storage device is a battery.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the traction motor further operates as a generator during regenerative braking to charge the energy storage device.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a switching device coupled between the energy storage device and the first voltage converter.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a switching device coupled between the energy storage device and the third voltage converter.

12. A vehicle comprising:

an energy storage device;

a first DC converter coupleable to the energy storage device;

a traction motor coupleable to the first DC converter; and

a charging system on-board the vehicle and coupleable to the energy storage device, the charging system comprising;

a receptacle coupleable to an external charging source;

a second DC converter configured to boost an input voltage derived from the external charging source to an intermediate voltage; and

a third DC converter configured to buck the intermediate voltage to an output voltage to charge the energy storage device.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third DC converters comprises an isolation transformer.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the external charging source is an AC source.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a rectifier coupled to the receptacle.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the first DC converter is a bi-directional buck/boost converter.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the energy storage device is a battery.

18. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the traction motor further operates as a generator during regenerative braking to charge the energy storage device.

19. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a switching device coupled between the energy storage device and the first DC converter.

20. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a switching device coupled between the energy storage device and the third DC converter.