Apparatus for energy transfer using converter and method of manufacturing same

• US 9,809,121 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US15/343,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/20 AC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• 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 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/24 Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• 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: 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 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

According to an aspect of the invention, a motor drive circuit includes a first energy storage device configured to supply electrical energy, a bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter coupled to the first energy storage device, a voltage inverter coupled to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and an input device configured to receive electrical energy from an external energy source. The motor drive circuit further includes a coupling system coupled to the input device, to the first energy storage device, and to the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter. The coupling system has a first configuration configured to transfer electrical energy to the first energy storage device via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter, and has a second configuration configured to transfer electrical energy from the first energy storage device to the voltage inverter via the bi-directional DC-to-DC voltage converter.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system for a hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle charging system comprising:

a connection system coupleable to an external charging source, the connection system configured to utilize a first connection and a second connection;

a plurality of DC converters on-board the vehicle and coupleable to the connection system, the plurality of DC converters configured to operate in combination to step up and step down an input voltage derived from the external charging source;

an energy storage device coupleable to at least one of the plurality of DC converters; and

a controller programmed to;

charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the first connection;

charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the second connection; and

operate the plurality of DC converters when charging the energy storage device by;

operating a first DC converter to boost the input voltage to an intermediate voltage; and

operating a second DC converter to buck the intermediate voltage to an output voltage to charge the energy storage device.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of DC converters comprises an isolation transformer.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 2, wherein the DC converter further comprises a rectifier coupled to the isolation transformer.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an electromechanical device.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 4, further comprising an inverter coupled to the electromechanical device.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

7. A vehicle comprising:

an energy storage device;

a connection system coupleable to an external charging source and configured to utilize a first connection and a second connection, the connection system configured to;

provide an input voltage to charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the first connection; and

provide an input voltage to charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate when the energy storage device is coupled to the second connection; and

a plurality of DC converters coupleable to the connection system, the plurality of DC converters configured to;

boost the input voltage to an intermediate voltage via a first DC converter; and

buck the intermediate voltage to an output voltage via a second DC converter, the output voltage for charging the energy storage device.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of DC converters comprises an isolation transformer.

9. The vehicle charging system of claim 8, wherein the DC converter further comprises a rectifier coupled to the isolation transformer.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising an AC motor.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising an inverter coupled to the AC motor.

12. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

13. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

14. A method for charging an energy storage device on-board a vehicle, the vehicle including a connection system coupleable to an external charging source and a plurality of DC converters, the method comprising:

providing an input voltage to charge the energy storage device at a first charging rate if the energy storage device is coupled to a first connection of the connection system;

providing an input voltage to charge the energy storage device at a second charging rate if the energy storage device is coupled to a second connection of the connection system;

boosting the input voltage to an intermediate voltage via a first DC converter of the plurality of DC converters; and

bucking the intermediate voltage to an output voltage via a second DC converter of the plurality of DC converters, the output voltage to charge the energy storage device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring a controller to control switching of the plurality of DC converters such that the input voltage is suitable for charging the energy storage device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second connection are each mating contacts.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.