Apparatus and method for rapid charging using shared power electronics

• US 9,914,365 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: King, Robert Dean, Steigerwald, Robert Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US15/265,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 320111
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• 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 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/22 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/28 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 : with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 : concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a power electronic energy conversion system comprising a first energy storage device configured to store DC energy and a first voltage converter configured to convert a second voltage from a remote power supply into a first charging voltage configured to charge the first energy storage device. The apparatus also includes a first controller configured to control the first voltage converter to convert the second voltage into the first charging voltage and to provide the first charging voltage to the first energy storage device during a charging mode of operation and communicate with a second controller located remotely from the power electronic energy conversion system to cause a second charging voltage to be provided to the first energy storage device during the charging mode of operation to rapidly charge the first energy storage device.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:

an energy storage device;

a connection system coupleable to an external charging source and configured to utilize a DC connection and an AC connection, the connection system configured to;

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

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

an AC/DC converter coupleable to the AC connection; and

a plurality of DC converters coupleable to the AC/DC converter and the DC connection, the plurality of DC converters configured to;

boost the first or second 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.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an electromechanical device coupled to the AC/DC converter.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the DC and AC connections are each mating contacts.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the connection system is on-board the vehicle.

13. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the AC/DC converter is bi-directional.

14. The vehicle charging system of claim 13, wherein the AC/DC converter is further configured to supply AC voltage to an electromechanical device.

15. The vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an additional energy storage device coupled to the AC/DC converter.

16. The vehicle charging system of claim 15, wherein one energy storage device is a high-specific power energy storage device and the other energy storage device is a high-specific energy energy storage device.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a connection system coupleable to an external charging source, the connection system configured to utilize a DC connection and an AC connection;

an AC/DC converter coupleable to the AC connection;

a plurality of DC converters coupleable to the AC/DC converter, the plurality of DC converters configured to operate in combination to step up and step down an input voltage derived from the AC connection;

an energy storage device coupleable to;

at least one of the plurality of DC converters; and

the DC connection; and

a controller programmed to;

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

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

operate the plurality of DC converters when charging the energy storage device via the AC connection 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.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising an AC motor coupled to the AC/DC converter.

7. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the DC and AC connections are each mating contacts.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

9. 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 voltage converters, the method comprising:

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

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

rectifying the second input voltage via an AC/DC converter of the plurality of voltage converters;

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

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

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising decoupling an electromechanical device from the energy storage device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the DC and AC connections are each mating contacts.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.