Controlled method for battery charging in electric vehicle for improving battery life

• US 6,285,162 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Koo, Jae-Seung
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/471,248
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136, 320/150, 320/152, 320/157, 320/159, 320/162
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for controlling charging the battery of an electric vehicle, wherein upon commencement of charging, a current charged state of a battery is measured to calculate an anticipated charging current to enable the completion of the battery charging. The degree of an undercharged state is determined in consideration of current battery aging to overcharge the battery as much as the undercharge, thereby preventing a battery performance degradation caused by continuous undercharging. A battery aging state in consideration of battery cycling is determined to increase calculation accuracy of the battery charging state, to thereby improve a running distance of the electric vehicle by maintaining an initial charge state.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the battery charge of an electric vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring a battery charge state before starting charging of the battery;

calculating an anticipated current for charging and outputting a control signal for charging a battery according to a predetermined charge control program;

determining whether charging should be completed after the charge is started by comparing the anticipated charging current with an actual charging current to determine whether the actual charging current is larger than the anticipated charging current; and

terminating the charging if it is determined that the actual charging current is larger than the anticipated charging current.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising outputting an overcharge control signal if it is determined that the actual charging current is smaller than the anticipated charging current, and comparing whether a battery voltage is larger than a maximum voltage, to thereby calculate a total charging current and to terminate charging after calculating a battery aging progress state if it is determined that the battery voltage is larger than the maximum voltage.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the method of calculating battery aging is determined from a total charged current and an initially random established value.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, further comprising the step of checking for a batter voltage drop if it is determined that the battery voltage is smaller than the maximum voltage in order to calculate a total charged current, if it is determined that the voltage drop has occurred, to thereby calculate a battery aging progress state for controlling completion of charging.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the method of checking a battery voltage drop is by determining that the battery voltage drop has occurred if a battery voltage (n) is larger than a calculated value obtained by operating a maximum voltage of the battery.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, further comprising the step of comparatively determining whether a temperature rise rate of the charged battery is larger than a randomly established maximum temperature rise rate reference value, if it is determined that the voltage drop has not occurred in order to calculate a total charged current if it is determined that the temperature rise rate of the charged battery is larger than the randomly established maximum temperature rise rate reference value, to thereby calculate a battery aging progress state for controlling completion of charging.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of comparatively determining whether an actual temperature of charged battery is larger than a randomly established maximum temperature, if it is determined that the temperature rise rate of the charged battery is smaller than the randomly established maximum temperature rise rate reference value in order to calculate a total charged current, if it is determined that the actual temperature rise rate of the charged battery is larger than the randomly established maximum temperature, to thereby calculate a battery aging progress state for controlling completion of charging.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, further comprising the step of determining whether charged current per hour is larger than a randomly established maximum charged reference current per hour, if it is determined that the actual temperature of the charged battery is smaller than the randomly established maximum temperature in order to calculate a total charged current, if it is determined that the charged current per hour is larger than the randomly established maximum charged reference current per hour, to thereby calculate a battery aging progress state for controlling completion of charging.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising the step of determining that the battery charge is not completed by a battery charge control unit, if it is determined that the charged current per hour is smaller than the randomly established maximum charge reference current per hour to output an overcharge control signal for continuously performing the charging.