Electrical system control for a vehicle

• US 7,352,154 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vanner, Inc. (Vanner Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/035,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20050151509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/118
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/082 Plural DC voltage, e.g. DC supply voltage with at least two different DC voltage levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An electrical system control for a vehicle having a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply that is connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply. The system comprises a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery, a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery, and a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source and the first, second and third batteries. The controller also controls the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner, effective to control the charge and discharge of at least one of the first, second and third batteries.

Claims

1. An electrical system control for a vehicle comprising:

a charging source;

a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply connected to the charging source;

a third battery forming a secondary power supply and selectably connectable in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery;

a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery;

a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery;

at least one load connected to at least one of the first, second and third batteries;

the load providing a variable current demand; and

a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load, the controller being configured to control the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner,

wherein the controller adjustably reconfigures at least one of the bidirectional battery equalizers in accordance with the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load to selectably connect together the first, second and third batteries in accordance with a predetermined priority to provide current capacity corresponding to the current demand placed upon the electrical system by the load.

2. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the first battery equalizer further selectably receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

3. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the second battery equalizer further selectably receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

4. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein a predetermined charging current is further selectably coupled from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

5. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein a predetermined charging current is further selectably coupled from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

6. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the third battery is selectably connected in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

7. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first bidirectional battery equalizer and the second battery equalizer further comprises a switching converter.

8. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein the switching converter is reconfigurable by the controller as both a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter.

9. The electrical system control of claim 7 wherein the switching converter includes at least one of a voltage control loop and a current control loop.

10. The electrical system control of claim 1 wherein the controller is a microprocessor adapted to execute a predetermined set of instructions.

11. An electrical system control for a vehicle comprising:

a charging source;

a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply connected to the charging source;

a third battery forming a secondary power supply and selectably connectable in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery;

a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery, the first bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter;

a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery, the second bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter;

at least one load connected to at least one of the first, second and third batteries;

the load providing a variable current demand; and

a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load, the controller being configured to control the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner by selective configuration of the direction of current flow through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers and by selective reconfiguration of each of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers as one of a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter,

wherein the controller adjustably reconfigures at least one of the bidirectional battery equalizers in accordance with the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load to selectably connect together the first, second and third batteries in accordance with a predetermined priority to provide current capacity corresponding to the current demand placed upon the electrical system by the load.

12. The electrical system control of claim 11 wherein the first battery equalizer further selectably receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

13. The electrical system control of claim 11 wherein the second battery equalizer further selectably receives a charging current from the charging source and generates a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

14. The electrical system control of claim 11 wherein a predetermined charging current is further selectably coupled from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

15. The electrical system control of claim 11 wherein a predetermined charging current is further selectably coupled from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

16. The electrical system control of claim 11 wherein the third battery is selectably connected in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

17. A method for controlling the electrical system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply and selectably connectable in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery;

connecting a first bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the second battery;

connecting a second bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the third battery;

connecting at least one load to at least one of the first and second batteries, the load providing a variable current demand; and

monitoring the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries and the load and controlling the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner,

adjustably reconfiguring at least one of the bidirectional battery equalizers in accordance with the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load to selectably connect together the first, second and third batteries in accordance with a predetermined priority to provide current capacity corresponding to the current demand placed upon the electrical system by the load.

18. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of selectably receiving a charging current from the charging source and selectably generating a controlled current to charge the second battery in a predetermined manner.

19. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of selectably receiving a charging current from the charging source and selectably generating a controlled current to charge the third battery in a predetermined manner.

20. The method of claim 17, further including the step of selectably coupling a predetermined charging current from the second battery to the third battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

21. The method of claim 17, further including the step of selectably coupling a predetermined charging current from the third battery to the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.

22. The method of claim 17, further including the step of selectably connecting the third battery in parallel with the second battery through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers.