CHARGING DEVICE FOR USE IN CHARGING ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND METHOD OF PROVIDING ELECTRICITY TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130026985A1
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: McMullin, Dale Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,729,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 method of delivering power from a power supply to an electric vehicle is described herein. The method includes receiving a request to deliver power from the power supply to the electric vehicle. A first monitoring signal indicative of a combustible gas is transmitted from a sensor to a controller. The controller determines whether electrical power is to be delivered, from a charging device to the electric vehicle, based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal.

Claims

1. A method of providing electricity from a power supply to an electric vehicle, said method comprising:

receiving a request to deliver power from the power supply to the electric vehicle;

transmitting, from a sensor to a controller, a first monitoring signal indicative of a combustible gas; and

determining, by the controller, whether electrical power is to be delivered, from a charging device to the electric vehicle, based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a combustible gas is present based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

delivering power to the electric vehicle after determining no combustible gas to be present.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising displaying a notification signal to a user after determining a combustible gas is present, and determining no power to be delivered to the electric vehicle.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

delivering power to the electric vehicle if the calculated combustible gas concentration is less than a predefined combustible gas concentration.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, during delivery of power from the power supply to the electric vehicle, a second monitoring signal indicative of a combustible gas; and

disconnecting the power supply from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the received second monitoring signal.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether a combustible gas is present based on the second monitoring signal; and

disconnecting the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining a combustible gas is present.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising:

calculating a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received second monitoring signal; and

disconnecting the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining the calculated combustible gas concentration is different than a predefined gas concentration.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising displaying a notification signal after determining a combustible gas is present and disconnecting the power supply from the electric vehicle.

9. A charging device for use in delivering power to an electric vehicle, said charging device comprising:

a power delivery assembly coupled to a power supply to selectively delivery power from the power supply to the electric vehicle;

a sensor configured to sense a combustible gas and to generate a first monitoring signal indicative of the sensed combustible gas; and

a controller coupled to said sensor and said power delivery assembly, said controller configured to deliver power to the electric vehicle based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal.

10. A charging device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to:

determine whether a combustible gas is present based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

deliver power to the electric vehicle after determining no combustible gas to be present.

11. A charging device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to:

calculate a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

deliver power to the electric vehicle if the calculated combustible gas concentration is less than a predefined combustible gas concentration.

12. A charging device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said sensor is further configured to transmit a second monitoring signal during delivery of power from the power supply to the electric vehicle that is indicative of a combustible gas, said controller configured to disconnect the power supply from the electric vehicle based at least in part on the received second monitoring signal.

13. A charging device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controller is further configured to:

determine whether a combustible gas is present based on the second monitoring signal; and

disconnect the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining a combustible gas is present.

14. A charging device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said controller is further configured to display a notification signal after determining a combustible gas is present and disconnecting the power supply from the electric vehicle.

15. A charging device in accordance with claim 12, wherein said controller is further configured to:

calculate a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received second monitoring signal; and

disconnect the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining the calculated combustible gas concentration is different than a predefined gas concentration.

16. A power delivery system for use in charging an electric vehicle, said power charging system comprising:

a power conduit configured to be electrically coupled to an electric vehicle; and

a charging device electrically coupled between said power conduit and a power supply for selectively delivering power from the power supply to the electric vehicle through said power conduit, said charging device comprising;

a power delivery assembly coupled to a power supply to selectively deliver power from the power supply to the electric vehicle;

a sensor configured to sense a combustible gas and to generate a first monitoring signal indicative of the sensed combustible gas; and

a controller coupled to said sensor and said power delivery assembly, said controller configured to deliver power to the electric vehicle based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal.

17. A power delivery system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said controller is further configured to:

determine whether a combustible gas is present based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

deliver power to the electric vehicle after determining no combustible gas to be present.

18. A power delivery system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said controller is further configured to:

calculate a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received first monitoring signal; and

deliver power to the electric vehicle if the calculated combustible gas concentration is less than a predefined combustible gas concentration.

19. A power delivery system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said sensor is configured to transmit a second monitoring signal during delivery of power from the power supply to the electric vehicle that is indicative of a combustible gas, said controller configured to:

determine whether a combustible gas is present based on the second monitoring signal; and

disconnect the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining a combustible gas is present.

20. A power delivery system in accordance with claim 19, wherein said controller is further configured to:

calculate a concentration of combustible gas based at least in part on the received second monitoring signal; and

disconnect the power supply from the electric vehicle after determining the calculated combustible gas concentration is different than a predefined gas concentration.