Refuelable battery-powered electric vehicle

• US 8,710,795 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl F. Scheucher
• Original Assignee: Karl F. Scheucher
• Inventors: Scheucher, Karl F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US12/814,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/125, 320/132, 320/134, 320/163, 903/903, 903/907
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/00 Electric propulsion with power supply from forces of nature, e.g. sun or wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/215 Selection or confirmation of options
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/082 Selecting or switching between different modes of propelling
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/085 Changing the parameters of the control units, e.g. changing limit values, working points by control input
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 : Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 : Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6557 : arranged between the cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 : the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 : Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 : the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The electrical vehicle energy storage system permits the electric refueling of the electric vehicle just like an automobile would be refueled with gasoline at a gas station. Circuitry on board the vehicle accessible by the electric refueling station enables the determination of the energy content of the battery module or modules returned to the electric refueling station and the owner of the vehicle is given credit for the energy remaining in the battery module or modules which have been exchanged. Selective refueling may take place for given battery modules by removing them from the battery system and charging them at home, office or factory. A process for operating an electric vehicle is also disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A process for operating an electric vehicle comprising the steps of:

measuring state of charge of each of a plurality of battery modules, each of said plurality of battery modules includes specified limits for charging and discharging duty cycles, respectively, said specified limits of each of said plurality of battery modules include a predefined low state of charge and a predefined high state of charge, and, said predefined low state of charge and said predefined high state of charge are calculated by a microprocessor based on known battery chemistry, cell size, nominal voltage and a set of measured values including operating voltage of each of said plurality of battery modules, operating current of each of said plurality of battery modules, and operating temperature of each of said plurality of battery modules;

measuring power demand of the electric drive system of said electric vehicle;

selectively coupling, on a battery module by battery module basis, utilizing a battery interface circuit associated with and dedicated to each said battery module and a microprocessor, one or more highly charged battery modules to said electrical drive system more often than lesser charged battery modules when said drive system is under load requiring power from said battery modules, said battery interface circuit includes switches interconnecting said highly charged battery modules to said electrical drive system and said battery interface circuit includes diodes or equivalent current steering circuit components permitting current flow from said battery modules to said electric drive system but not permitting current flow from said electric drive system to said highly charged battery modules, said microprocessor controlling said switches of said battery interface circuit enabling said selective coupling of said highly charged battery modules to said electric drive system;

selectively coupling, on a battery module by battery module basis, utilizing said battery interface circuit associated with and dedicated to each said battery module and a microprocessor, one or more of said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system more often than said highly charged battery modules when said drive system is sourcing power under conditions of regenerative braking, said battery interface circuit includes switches interconnecting said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system when said drive system is sourcing power under conditions of regenerative braking, said battery interface circuit includes diodes or equivalent current steering circuit components permitting current flow from said electric drive system to said lesser charged battery modules but not permitting current flow from said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system, said microprocessor controlling said switches of said battery interface circuit enabling said selective coupling of said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system during conditions of regenerative braking;

maintaining said charging and discharging duty-cycles of each of said battery modules within said specified limits of each said battery module; and

,

facilitating, by said selective coupling of said battery modules, convergence of said plurality of said battery modules to an equal state of charge.

2. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of battery modules is selected from the group consisting of a Lithium battery, a Lithium-ion battery, a Nickel Cadmium battery, a Nickel Metal Hydride, a lead acid battery, a zinc battery, and an alkaline battery.

3. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of battery modules includes different battery chemistries.

4. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of battery modules have different nominal output voltages.

5. A process for operating an electric vehicle comprising the steps of:

measuring state of charge of each of a plurality of battery modules, each of said plurality of battery modules includes specified limits for charging and discharging duty cycles, respectively;

measuring power demand of the electric drive system of said electric vehicle;

selectively coupling, on a battery module by battery module basis, utilizing a battery interface circuit associated with and dedicated to each said battery module and a microprocessor, one or more highly charged battery modules to said electrical drive system more often than lesser charged battery modules when said drive system is under load requiring power from said battery modules, said battery interface circuit includes switches interconnecting said highly charged battery modules to said electrical drive system and said battery interface circuit includes diodes or equivalent current steering circuit components permitting current flow from said battery modules to said electric drive system but not permitting current flow from said electric drive system to said highly charged battery modules, said microprocessor controlling said switches of said battery interface circuit enabling said selective coupling of said highly charged battery modules to said electric drive system;

selectively coupling, on a battery module by battery module basis, utilizing said battery interface circuit associated with and dedicated to each said battery module and a microprocessor, one or more of said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system more often than said highly charged battery modules when said drive system is sourcing power under conditions of regenerative braking, said battery interface circuit includes switches interconnecting said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system when said drive system is sourcing power under conditions of regenerative braking, said battery interface circuit includes diodes or equivalent current steering circuit components permitting current flow from said electric drive system to said lesser charged battery modules but not permitting current flow from said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system, said microprocessor controlling said switches of said battery interface circuit enabling said selective coupling of said lesser charged battery modules to said electric drive system during conditions of regenerative braking;

measuring voltage, current, and temperature of each of said plurality of battery modules;

calculating, with said microprocessor, an absolute charge capacity of each of said plurality of battery modules at any time during a discharge cycle and a charge cycle;

maintaining said charging and discharging duty-cycles of each of said battery modules within said specified limits of each said battery module; and

,

facilitating, by said selective coupling of said battery modules, convergence of said plurality of said battery modules to an equal state of charge.

6. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

connecting each of said plurality of battery modules to said electrical drive system until each of said battery modules reaches a predefined low state of charge;

disconnecting each of said plurality of battery modules from said electrical drive system once each of said battery modules reaches said predefined low state of charge;

connecting each of said plurality of battery modules that were disconnected from said electrical drive system once each of said plurality of battery modules has reached said predefined low state of charge to a charge bus;

disconnecting each of said plurality of battery modules from said charge bus when each of said battery modules reaches a predefined high state of charge; and

reconnecting each of said plurality of battery modules that has reached said predefined high state of charge to said electrical drive system.

7. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein said predefined high state of charge and said predefined low state of charge are calculated by a microprocessor based on known battery chemistry, cell size, nominal voltage and a set of measured values including operating voltage of each of said plurality of battery modules, operating current of each of said plurality of battery modules, and operating temperature of each of said plurality of battery modules.

8. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein said high state of charge, said low state of charge, and a preferred state of charge are calculated by said microprocessor based upon battery age and battery state of health.

9. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plurality of battery modules is selected from the group consisting of a Lithium battery, a Lithium-ion battery, a Nickel Cadmium battery, a Nickel Metal Hydride, a lead acid battery, a zinc battery, and an alkaline battery.

10. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plurality of battery modules includes different battery chemistries.

11. A process for operating an electric vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plurality of battery modules have different nominal output voltages.