System and method for vehicle battery charging

• US 9,827,861 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gale, Allan Roy, Momcilovich, Paul Theodore, Degner, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US12/940,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,580 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle power system includes a traction battery and a battery charger. The battery charger has an electrical output and a capacitor electrically connected with the electrical output. No more than two electrical contactors are electrically connected with the traction battery, capacitor and battery charger.

Claims

1. A vehicle power system comprising:

a traction battery;

a battery charger including an output, an input configured to be electrically connected with an electrical power source remote from the vehicle, and a capacitor electrically connected across the output;

no more than two electrical contactors configured to connect the traction battery to the output to enable current flow from the battery charger to the traction battery; and

a controller configured to command, while the contactors are open, an output voltage of the battery charger to be approximately equal to a detected voltage of the traction battery and to close the contactors in response to the output voltage being approximately equal to the detected voltage of the traction battery.

2. A method for charging a traction battery of a vehicle comprising:

commanding an output voltage of a battery charger to be equal to a detected voltage of the traction battery; and

closing no more than two contactors electrically connected with the traction battery and battery charger in response to the output voltage of the battery charger being approximately equal to the detected voltage to enable current flow from the battery charger to the traction battery.

3. A vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

a battery charger including an output and a capacitor electrically connected across the output;

a wiring system connecting the traction battery and the output of the battery charger, the wiring system including no more than two electrical contactors configured to connect the traction battery to the battery charger to enable current flow from the battery charger to the traction battery; and

a controller configured to command, while the contactors are open, an output voltage of the battery charger to be approximately equal to a detected voltage of the traction battery and to close the contactors in response to the output voltage being approximately equal to the detected voltage of the traction battery.