Bi-directional battery voltage converter

• US 9,102,241 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Thermo King Corporation (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Brabec, Ladislaus Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/858,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel
• 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 10/92 Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A battery module for use with a vehicle electrical system. The battery module includes a bi-directional battery voltage converter, a first battery, and a second battery. A first relay selectively connects the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter. A second relay selectively connecting the second battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter. A controller selectively energizes the first relay, selectively energizes the second relay, and controls a direction of current through the bi-directional battery voltage converter.

Claims

1. An electrical system for a vehicle, comprising:

a system bus;

an alternator supplying a current to the system bus when mechanically driven by a prime mover;

an ignition switch selecting an operational state of the electrical system;

a primary battery connected to the system bus;

a first auxiliary battery module connected to the system bus

comprising a first auxiliary battery,

a second auxiliary battery,

a bi-directional battery voltage converter,

a module controller selectively connecting one of the first auxiliary battery, and the second auxiliary battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter; and

a main system controller operating the first auxiliary battery module in one of

a null mode, wherein the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery are disconnected from the electrical system,

a charging mode, wherein one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery receives a current via the bi-directional battery voltage converter, and

a discharging mode, wherein one first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery supplies a current via the bidirectional battery voltage converter to the system bus,

wherein the main system controller is configured to operate the first auxiliary battery module in the charging mode when the ignition switch is in a closed state, and configured to operate the first auxiliary battery module in the discharging mode when the ignition switch is in an open state.

2. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the charging mode operates in multiple charging stages, comprising

a bulk stage, wherein a charge current is held substantially constant,

an absorption stage, wherein a charge voltage is held substantially constant, and

a float stage, wherein both the charge voltage and the charge current are held substantially constant.

3. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a pulse-width modulator.

4. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the module controller preferentially connects the first auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system upon the ignition switch closing.

5. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing usage data of at least the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery.

6. The vehicle electrical system of claim 5, wherein the module controller preferentially connects the first auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system in response to the ignition switch closing and wherein the system controller overrides the module controller in order to preferentially connect the second auxiliary battery to the vehicle electrical system in response to the ignition switch closing, based upon the usage data.

7. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first relay selectively connecting the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a second relay selectively connecting the second battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter, wherein the module controller is configured to selectively energize one of the first relay and the second relay.

8. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the module control is configured to monitor a first parameter related to a state of charge of the first battery and a second parameter related to a state of charge of the second battery.

9. The vehicle electrical system of claim 8, wherein the module control disconnects the first auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses a threshold value.

10. The vehicle electrical system of claim 9, wherein the module control connects the second auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses the threshold value.

11. The vehicle electrical system of claim 8, wherein the module control alternately connects and disconnects the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter in order to balance the state of charge of the first battery and the state of charge of the second battery while operating in the discharging mode.

12. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second auxiliary battery module comprising

a third auxiliary battery,

a fourth auxiliary battery,

a second bi-directional battery voltage converter, and

a second module controller selectively connecting one of the third auxiliary battery and the fourth auxiliary battery to the second bi-directional battery voltage converter.

13. The vehicle electrical system of claim 1, wherein the ignition switch selecting an operational state of the electrical system includes the ignition switch being configured to select whether the main system controller operates the first auxiliary battery module in the charging mode and the discharging mode.

14. A battery module for use with a vehicle electrical system, comprising:

a bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a first relay selectively connecting the first battery to the bi-directional battery voltage converter;

a second relay selectively connecting the second battery to e bi-directional battery voltage converter; and

a controller selectively energizing the first relay, selectively energizing the second relay, and controlling a direction of current through the bi-directional battery voltage converter,

wherein, based on a state of an ignition switch of the vehicle electrical sys e the battery module is configured to operate in at least one of;

a null mode, wherein the first battery and the second battery are disconnected from an electrical system,

a charging mode, wherein one of the first battery and the second battery receives a current via the bi-directional battery voltage converter, and

a discharging mode, wherein one the first battery and the second battery supplies a current via the bidirectional battery voltage converter to the vehicle electrical system,

wherein the controller is configured to operate the first battery in the charging mode when the ignition switch is in a closed state, and configured to operate the first battery in the discharging mode when the ignition switch is in an open state.

15. The battery module of claim 14, wherein the controller monitors a first parameter related to a state of charge of the first battery and a second parameter related to a state of charge of the second battery.

16. The vehicle electrical system of claim 15, wherein the controller disconnects the first auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses a threshold value.

17. The vehicle electrical system of claim 16, wherein the controller connects the second auxiliary battery when the first parameter traverses the threshold value.

18. The battery module of claim 14, wherein, during a discharging mode, the bi-directional battery voltage converter is configured to operate such that an amount of current supplied by the first battery and the second battery is an even distribution of the cumulative total amount of current supplied by the electrical system.

19. The battery module of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to prevent energizing the first relay and the second relay simultaneously.

20. An electrical system for a vehicle, comprising:

a system bus;

an ignition switch selecting an operational state of the electrical system;

a primary battery connected to the system bus;

a first auxiliary, battery module comprising

a first auxiliary battery,

a second auxiliary battery,

a first bi-directional battery voltage converter,

a first module controller selectively connecting one of the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery to the first hi-directional battery voltage converter;

a second auxiliary battery module comprising

a third auxiliary battery,

a fourth auxiliary battery,

a second bi-directional battery voltage converter,

a second module controller selectively connecting one of the third auxiliary battery and the fourth auxiliary battery to the second hi-directional battery voltage converter;

a main system controller operating the first auxiliary battery module and the second auxiliary battery module to prioritize a recharging of one of the first, second, third, and fourth auxiliary batteries;

wherein the main system controller is configured to operate the first auxiliary battery module in a charging mode when the ignition switch is in a closed state, and configured to operate the first auxiliary battery module in a discharging mode when the ignition switch is in an open state; and

wherein in the discharging mode, wherein one the first auxiliary battery and the second auxiliary battery supplies a current via the first bi-directional battery voltage converter to the system bus.

21. The electrical system for a vehicle of claim 20, wherein the main system controller prioritizes recharging of the one of the first, second, third, and fourth auxiliary battery based upon a state of charge.