Battery charging system and method

• US 20040130292A1
• Filed: 07/10/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto Charging Systems, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Rippel, Wally E., Buchanan, William D., Mohos, Joseph F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,256,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• 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 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system for simultaneously charging the batteries of a plurality of battery powered vehicles. The charging includes one or more DC-DC power converters having one or more charging ports configured to plug into the batteries. The DC-DC power converters are each configured to selectively connect to more than one charging port to selectively provide for higher port power levels. The DC-DC power converters connect to an AC rectifier through a DC bus. The AC rectifier connects to an AC power source having a limited power rating. The AC charging system also has a controller that controls the operation of the DC-DC power converters such that the total power draw on the AC rectifier does not exceed the power rating. The system is further configured such that the DC-DC power converters can drain selected batteries to obtain power for charging other batteries, thus allowing for batteries to be cycled.

Claims

1. An electrical power distribution system for distributing power from a power source to a plurality of loads, comprising:

a primary power port configured to receive power from the power source;

a plurality of secondary power ports configured to distribute power from the primary power port to the plurality of loads, each secondary power port being characterized by a power rating, wherein the sum of the secondary power port power ratings establishes an aggregate output power rating; and

a system controller circuit configured to regulate the power distributed by at least one secondary power port of the plurality of secondary power ports such that the power received from the power source does not exceed a designated power limit;

wherein the aggregate output power rating can exceed the designated power limit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the designated power limit is equal to a maximum power limit of the power available from the power source, and the aggregate output power rating exceeds the maximum power limit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical power distribution system receives power-source power only through the primary power port;

the primary power port is characterized by a power rating;

the designated power limit equals the primary power port power rating; and

the aggregate output power rating exceeds the primary power port power rating.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the power source is a single-phase AC utility.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the power source is a poly-phase AC utility.

6. The system of claims 3, wherein the system controller is configured to transmit command signals appropriate to direct load controllers to regulate power drawn by the loads.

7. The system of claim 1, and further comprising:

a second primary power port configured to receive power from the power source;

wherein each primary power port is characterized by a power rating;

wherein the designated power limit equals the sum of the primary power port power ratings; and

wherein the aggregate output power rating exceeds the sum of the primary power port power ratings.

8. The charging system of claim 7, wherein the first and second primary power ports are configured to receive power at a different power levels.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured such that the designated power limit varies.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured such that the designated power limit varies periodically.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured such that the designated power limit varies in accordance with an external signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the aggregate output power rating exceeds the maximum power limit.

13. The system of claim 1, with at least some of the plurality of loads having load controllers, wherein the system controller is configured to provide power limit commands by transmitting command signals appropriate to direct the load controllers to regulate the power drawn by the loads.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one secondary power port of the plurality of secondary power ports is configured to operate bidirectionally.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary power port is configured to operate bidirectionally.

16. The system of claim 1, and further comprising a dedicated battery, wherein the control system is further configured to distribute power from the dedicated battery to at least one secondary power port of the plurality of secondary power ports.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the system controller is configured to direct power from the power source to the dedicated battery when the power provided by the power source does not exceed the designated power limit; and

the system controller is configured to direct power from the battery to the at least one secondary power port when the plurality of loads merits a net distribution of power from the secondary power ports in excess of the designated power limit.

18. The system of claim 1, and further comprising power processor circuitry configured to convert AC power from the power source to DC power;

wherein the secondary power ports are configured to distribute the DC power.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the power processor includes a DC to DC converter controlling the distribution of power from the at least one secondary power port; and

the system controller is configured to provide power limit commands that control the operation of the DC to DC converter in order to regulate the power distributed by the at least one secondary power port.

20. An rechargeable device system to be recharged with power from a power source, comprising:

a plurality of loads;

a primary power port configured to receive power from the power source;

a plurality of secondary power ports configured to distribute power from the primary power port to the plurality of loads, each secondary power port being characterized by a power rating, wherein the sum of the secondary power port power ratings establishes an aggregate output power rating; and

a system controller circuit configured to regulate the power distributed by at least one secondary power port of the plurality of secondary power ports such that the power received from the power source does not exceed a designated power limit;

wherein the aggregate output power rating can exceed the designated power limit.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the loads is a battery without a battery charger.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the loads is the combination of a battery charger and a battery.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein:

at least one load of the plurality of loads includes a load controller configured to regulate power drawn by the at least one load; and

the system controller is configured to transmit command signals appropriate to direct the load controller of the at least one load to regulate the power drawn by the at least one load.

24. A charging system for charging a plurality of batteries using power from a utility at a power level not exceeding a maximum power level, comprising:

a plurality of secondary power ports, each secondary power port being configured to electrically connect to at least one of the plurality of batteries;

a utility port configured to electrically connect to the utility, and to provide power from the utility to the plurality of secondary power ports;

a system controller configured to control the power distribution between the utility port and the plurality of secondary power ports, wherein the controller controls the power distribution such that the plurality of batteries are charged using power from the utility at a power level not exceeding the maximum power level; and

a first charging module, wherein the plurality of secondary power ports includes a first secondary power port and a second secondary power port that receive power from the utility port via the first charging module, the first charging module including

a first power converter connecting to the first secondary power port,

a second power converter connecting to the second secondary power port,

a crossover switch switchably connecting the first power converter to the second secondary power port, and

a module controller configured to control the operation of the crossover switch and establish the power distribution between the first and second secondary power ports.

25. The charging system of claim 24, wherein the utility port is configured to provide power to the plurality of secondary power ports via a distribution bus, and wherein the distribution bus is configured to carry power being transferred between the plurality of secondary power ports.

26. The charging system of claim 24, wherein:

the first power converter of the first charging module connects to the first secondary power port through a first connecting switch of the first charging module;

the second power converter of the first charging module connects to the second secondary power port through a second connecting switch of the first charging module; and

the module controller of the first charging module is configured to control the operation of the first and second connecting switches and establish the power distribution between the first and second secondary power ports.

27. The charging system of claim 24, wherein

the first charging module is configured to receive DC power from the utility port;

the first power converter of the first charging module is a DC-DC power converter; and

the second power converter of the first charging module is a DC-DC power converter.

28. The charging system of claim 24, wherein the module controller for the first charging module is separate from the system controller, and wherein the system controller and the module controller for the first charging module communicate to determine the operation of the crossover switch and the first and second connecting switches.

29. The charging system of claim 24, and further comprising a second charging module, wherein the utility port is configured to provide power to a third secondary power port and a fourth secondary power port of the plurality of secondary power ports via the second charging module, the second charging module including:

a first power converter connecting to the third secondary power port;

a second power converter connecting to the fourth secondary power port;

a first switch switchably connecting the first power converter to the fourth secondary power port; and

a module controller configured to control the operation of the first switch and establish the power distribution between the first and second secondary power ports.

30. The charging system of claim 29, wherein:

the utility port is configured to provide DC power to each of the charging modules via a distribution bus;

the first power converter of the first charging module is a DC-DC power converter;

the second power converter of the first charging module is a DC-DC power converter;

the first power converter of the second charging module is a DC-DC power converter; and

the second power converter of the second charging module is a DC-DC power converter.

31. The charging system of claim 30, and further comprising an AC rectifier configured to receive AC current from the utility port and configured to provide DC current to the distribution bus.

32. A charging system for charging a plurality of batteries using power from a utility at a power level not exceeding a maximum power level, comprising:

a plurality of secondary power ports, each secondary power port being configured to electrically connect to at least one of the plurality of batteries, wherein the plurality of secondary power ports include a first secondary power port, a second secondary power port, a third secondary power port and a fourth secondary power port;

a utility port configured to electrically connect to the utility, and to provide power from the utility to the plurality of secondary power ports;

a system controller configured to control the power distribution between the utility port and the plurality of secondary power ports, wherein the controller controls the power distribution such that the plurality of batteries are charged using power from the utility at a power level not exceeding the maximum power level;

a distribution bus;

an AC rectifier configured to receive AC power from the utility port and configured to provide DC power to the distribution bus; and

a first charging module and a second charging module, each charging module receiving power from the distribution bus, wherein

each charging module includes a first DC-DC power converter, a second DC-DC power converter, a first crossover switch, and a module controller,

the first power converter of the first charging module is connected to the first secondary power port,

the second power converter of the first charging module is connected to the second secondary power port,

the first crossover switch of the first charging module switchably connects the first power converter of the first charging module to the second secondary power port,

the first power converter of the second charging module is connected to the third secondary power port,

the second power converter of the second charging module is connected to the fourth secondary power port, and

the first crossover switch of the second charging module switchably connects the first power converter of the second charging module to the fourth secondary power port.