APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RAPID CHARGING USING SHARED POWER ELECTRONICS

• US 20140207319A1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Granted Patent: US 9,789,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• 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 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/22 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/28 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the 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 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
• 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: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a DC bus couplable to an external charging source;

an electromechanical device coupled to at least one drive wheel;

an energy storage device coupled to the DC bus;

at least one contactor configured to selectively couple the electromechanical device and the energy storage device; and

a controller programmed to, upon entering a charging mode, wherein the DC bus is connected to the external charging source, open the at least one contactor to electrically decouple the electromechanical device from the energy storage device.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a voltage converter coupled to the DC bus, wherein, during the charging mode, the voltage converter converts a first voltage supplied by an external power supply into a second voltage suitable for charging the energy storage device and provides the second voltage to the energy storage device.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the voltage converter and the external power supply are selectively coupled via at least one charging contactor.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the at least one charging contactor is one of on board the vehicle and off board the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the at least one contactor is opened before the at least one charging contactor is closed.

6. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein the voltage converter is a DC-to-AC voltage inverter.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the electromechanical device comprises at least one winding, wherein the at least one contactor selectively couples the at least one winding and the energy storage device.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the electromechanical device is an AC motor.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to communicate with a second controller external to the vehicle to initiate the charging mode.

10. A method for charging a vehicle comprising:

providing a DC bus couplable to an external charging source;

coupling an energy storage device to the DC bus;

selectively coupling an electromechanical device to the energy storage device via at least one contactor; and

programming a controller to, upon entering a charging mode, wherein the DC bus is connected to the external charging source, open the at least one contactor to electrically decouple the electromechanical device from the energy storage device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising coupling a voltage converter to the DC bus, wherein, during the charging mode, the voltage converter converts a first voltage supplied by an external power supply into a second voltage suitable for charging the energy storage device and provides the second voltage to the energy storage device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising selectively coupling the voltage converter to the external power supply via at least one charging contactor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising programming the controller to open the at least one contactor prior to closing the at least one charging contactor.

14. A system comprising:

a charging system comprising at least one power bus, wherein the at least one power bus provides a first voltage;

a vehicle comprising;

a vehicle DC bus couplable to the at least one power bus

an electromechanical device coupled to at least one drive wheel;

an energy storage device coupled to the vehicle DC bus;

at least one contactor configured to selectively couple the electromechanical device and the energy storage device; and

a vehicle controller programmed to, upon entering a charging mode, wherein the DC bus is connected to the at least one power bus, open the at least one contactor to electrically decouple the electromechanical device from the energy storage device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the vehicle further comprises a voltage converter coupled to the vehicle DC bus, wherein, during the charging mode, the voltage converter converts the first voltage into a second voltage suitable for charging the energy storage device and provides the second voltage to the energy storage device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the charging system and the voltage converter are selectively coupled via at least one charging contactor, wherein the at least one charging contactor is closed in order to start the charging mode.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the vehicle controller is further configured to communicate with a charging system controller to start the charging mode.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one contactor is opened before the at least one charging contactor is closed.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the voltage converter is a DC-to-AC voltage inverter.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the electromechanical device is an AC motor.