Electric vehicle opportunistic charging systems and methods

• US 9,987,944 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dunlap, Brock, Bolger, Bryan Michael, Porras, Angel Fernando, Treharne, William David
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US14/935,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320107, 320108, 320109, 320132, 320149, 180 651, 180 6521, 180 6526, 180 6528, 903905, 903906, 903907
• 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 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/56 Temperature prediction, e.g. for pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/25 by controlling the electric load
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle includes an electric machine arranged to exchange power with a traction battery. The vehicle also includes a thermal conditioning system for influencing a battery temperature and a controller programmed to schedule battery charging. In response to a temperature of the traction battery exceeding a threshold, the controller issues a command to operate the thermal conditioning system prior to a scheduled battery charge to achieve a predetermined battery temperature at a start of battery charging.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

an engine to output power for propelling the vehicle and selectively charging the traction battery; and

a controller programmed to, responsive to receiving indication of upcoming stop-start traffic, schedule battery charging in advance of the stop-start traffic to store sufficient energy to propel the vehicle during the stop-start traffic with the engine off.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to an accessory power demand greater than a threshold while a user-selected high efficiency mode is enabled, issue a command to reduce power available to a vehicle accessory to be less than the accessory power demand to maintain a predetermined traction battery charge rate.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to an accessory power demand greater than a threshold while the user-selected high efficiency mode is disabled, issue a command to reduce a charging rate of the traction battery to be less than the predetermined traction battery charge rate to satisfy the accessory power demand.

4. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the accessory power demand comprises a passenger cabin heating request, and the controller is further programmed to issue a command to reduce power provided to an electric heater and operate the engine as a heat source.

5. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the predetermined traction battery charge rate is based on a brake specific fuel consumption of the engine.

6. A vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

an engine to output power for propelling the vehicle and selectively charging the traction battery; and

a controller programmed to,

responsive to receiving indication of upcoming stop-start traffic, schedule battery charging in advance of the stop-start traffic to store sufficient energy to propel the vehicle during the stop-start traffic with the engine off, and

responsive to accessory power demand exceeding a threshold during a high efficiency mode, command a reduction of vehicle accessory power to be less than accessory power demand to maintain a predetermined battery charge rate.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to transitioning out of the high efficiency mode, command a reduction of the predetermined battery charge rate.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the accessory power demand comprises a passenger cabin heating request.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the predetermined battery charge rate is based on a brake specific fuel consumption of the engine.

10. A method comprising:

by a controller,

responsive to receiving indication of upcoming stop-start traffic, scheduling battery charging in advance of the stop-start traffic to store sufficient energy to propel a vehicle during the stop-start traffic with engine off, and

responsive to accessory power demand exceeding a threshold during a high efficiency mode, commanding a reduction in vehicle accessory power to be less than accessory power demand to maintain a predetermined battery charge rate.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, responsive to transitioning out of the high efficiency mode, commanding a reduction of the predetermined battery charge rate.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the accessory power demand comprises a passenger cabin heating request.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined battery charge rate is based on a brake specific fuel consumption of an engine.