Multi-battery fuel saving and emissions reduction system for automotive vehicles
First Claim
1. A battery charging system for an automotive vehicle including a starter motor, a catalytic converter for reducing emissions, a fuel burning engine, and vehicle load and accessory load circuits, comprising:
- a start battery for providing a discharge current for operating the starter motor to start the engine;
a run battery for operating vehicle load and accessory load circuits;
a storage battery having a first very high discharge current;
a heater for heating the catalytic converter to an elevated temperature in response to the first high discharge current;
means for initiating a starting operation by connecting the start battery to the start motor for a first period of time and for connecting the storage battery to the heater for a second period of time;
an alternator having a variable output condition including a regulated and selectable output voltage with an output current, the alternator being driven by the vehicle engine;
a first circuit for connecting the alternator output to the start battery for recharging the start battery;
a second circuit for connecting the alternator output to the run battery for recharging the run battery; and
a third circuit for recharging the alternator output to the storage battery for recharging the storage battery.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-battery charging system for reduced fuel consumption and emissions for an automotive vehicle. The system starts the vehicle with a start battery in a fuel savings manner, removing electrical torque from the alternator shaft, and allows a second (run) battery to provide all or some of the current required by the vehicle loads as a fuel savings measure. The system also utilizes an electrically heated catalytic converter (EHC) and a third (EHC or storage) battery to provide a 3 to 15 second preheat and/or a 20 second current, during vehicle start, to the EHC heater coil, e.g., of a small EHC located in series with a standard catalytic converter for emissions reduction to reduce emissions during start. The start battery is recharged after start and switched out of the system fully charged for future vehicle starts. The run battery is recharged when its charge level drops below a predetermined level with an on board battery charging device powered from a 115 volt or 220 volt ac power line source external to the vehicle.
57 Citations
69 Claims
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1. A battery charging system for an automotive vehicle including a starter motor, a catalytic converter for reducing emissions, a fuel burning engine, and vehicle load and accessory load circuits, comprising:
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a start battery for providing a discharge current for operating the starter motor to start the engine;
a run battery for operating vehicle load and accessory load circuits;
a storage battery having a first very high discharge current;
a heater for heating the catalytic converter to an elevated temperature in response to the first high discharge current;
means for initiating a starting operation by connecting the start battery to the start motor for a first period of time and for connecting the storage battery to the heater for a second period of time;
an alternator having a variable output condition including a regulated and selectable output voltage with an output current, the alternator being driven by the vehicle engine;
a first circuit for connecting the alternator output to the start battery for recharging the start battery;
a second circuit for connecting the alternator output to the run battery for recharging the run battery; and
a third circuit for recharging the alternator output to the storage battery for recharging the storage battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of operating a battery charging system for an automotive vehicle including a starter motor, a catalytic converter for reducing emissions, a fuel burning engine, and vehicle load and accessory load circuit, comprising:
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providing a start battery for providing a discharge current for operating the starter motor to start the engine;
providing a run battery for operating vehicle load and accessory circuits;
providing a storage battery having a first very high discharge current;
providing a heater for receiving the first high discharge current and heating the catalytic converter to an elevated temperature;
providing an alternator having a variable output condition including a selectable output voltage with an output current, the alternator being driven by the vehicle engine;
monitoring the state of charge of the start battery;
initiating a starting operation by connecting the start battery to the start motor for a first period of time and connecting the storage battery to the heater for a second period of time;
placing the alternator output at a first output condition when the state of charge of the start battery is below a first charge threshold;
connecting the start battery to the alternator output for recharging the start battery following the starting operation; and
disconnecting the start battery from the alternator output when the start battery state of charge is above the first charge threshold. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A battery charging system for an automotive vehicle having electrical accessory circuits and a fuel consuming engine comprising:
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a start battery for starting the engine;
a rechargeable storage battery for operating the accessory circuits;
a circuit for monitoring the state of charge of the storage battery;
means for indicating when the storage battery state of charge is below a selected threshold charge level; and
a line power charger for recharging the storage battery having an input for receiving a supply of electricity. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In an automotive vehicle having a start battery, a start motor, an ignition switch having a vehicle start operation for connecting the start battery to the start motor for starting the vehicle engine and a catalytic converter for reducing undesired vehicle engine emissions, a system for reducing vehicle emissions during starting comprising:
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a rechargeable storage battery having a very high discharge current capacity;
a line power charger for recharging the storage battery having an input for receiving a supply of electricity;
a heater for heating the catalytic converter to an elevated temperature in response to receiving the high discharge current;
a switch having a closed condition for connecting the storage battery to the heater so that the high discharge current will pass into the heater which then heats the catalytic converter and an open condition for switching the storage battery out of the system; and
a control circuit for placing the switch in the closed condition during the vehicle start operation so that the high discharge current will pass into the heater which heats the catalytic converter. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. In an automotive vehicle having a start battery, a start motor, an ignition switch having a vehicle start operation for connecting the start battery to the start motor for starting the vehicle engine, and a catalytic converter for reducing undesired vehicle engine emissions, a method for reducing vehicle emissions during starting comprising:
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(a) providing a rechargeable storage battery having a very high discharge current;
(b) providing a line power charger for recharging the storage battery having an input for receiving a supply of electricity;
(c) providing a heater for heating the catalytic converter to an elevated temperature in response to receiving the high discharge current;
(d) connecting the storage battery to the heater during the starting operation so that the high discharge current will pass into the heater which heats the catalytic converter; and
(e) switching the storage battery out of the system after the vehicle engine has started. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of operating an automotive vehicle that contains a fuel consuming engine, an electric generator driven by the engine, a battery charger, and at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being discharged to and recharged from a deep discharge level repeatedly, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying energy to the vehicle from the at least one run battery;
(b) discharging the at least one run battery to a substantially deep discharge level while the at least one run battery is supplying energy to the vehicle;
(c) determining when the at least one run battery has discharged to the substantially deep discharge level;
(d) automatically charging the at least one run battery from the substantially deep discharge level to a recharged level by supplying energy from the electric generator to the at least one run battery;
(e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) a multiplicity of times;
(f) recharging the at least one run battery from an external power source using the battery charger, the battery charger converting voltage from the external power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging the at least one run battery; and
(g) repeating step (f) a multiplicity of times. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A method of operating an automotive vehicle that contains a fuel consuming engine, an electric generator driven by the engine, a battery charger, and at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being discharged to and recharged from a deep discharge level repeatedly, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying energy to the vehicle from the at least one run battery;
(b) discharging the at least one run battery to a substantially deep discharge level while supplying energy to the vehicle;
(c) determining when the at least one run battery has discharged to the substantially deep discharge level;
(d) automatically supplying energy from the electric generator to the at least one run battery to maintain the charge of the at least one run battery at about the substantially deep discharge level, while the at least one run battery is supplying energy to the vehicle;
(e) recharging the at least one run battery from an external power source using the battery charger, the battery charger converting voltage from the external power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging the at least one run battery; and
(f) repeating steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) a multiplicity of times.
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53. A method of operating an automotive vehicle that contains a fuel consuming engine, an electric generator driven by the engine, a battery charger, and at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being discharged to and recharged from a deep discharge level repeatedly, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying energy to the vehicle from the at least one run battery;
(b) discharging the at least one run battery from approximately its full charge level to a predetermined level that is no more than 50% below its full charge level, while the at least one run battery is supplying energy to the vehicle;
(c) determining when the at least one run battery has discharged to the predetermined level;
(d) automatically charging the at least one run battery from the predetermined level toward a recharged level by supplying energy from the electric generator to the at least one run battery;
(e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) numerous times;
(f) recharging the at least one run battery from a home power source using the battery charger, the battery charger converting voltage from the power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging the at least one run battery; and
(g) repeating step (f) numerous times. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of operating an automotive vehicle that contains a fuel consuming engine, an electric generator driven by the engine, and at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being recharged from a deep discharge repeatedly, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying energy to the vehicle from the at least one run battery;
(b) discharging the at least one run battery to a predetermined level while the at least one run battery is supplying energy to the vehicle;
(c) determining when the at least one run battery has discharged to the predetermined level;
(d) automatically supplying energy from the electric generator to the at least one run battery, once the charge on the at least one run battery has discharged to said predetermined level, to increase the charge on the at least one run battery;
(e) recharging the at least one run battery from an external power source using a battery charger, the battery charger converting voltage from the external power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging the at least one run battery; and
(f) repeating steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) numerous times.
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62. A passenger car comprising:
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at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being discharged to and recharged from a deep discharge level repeatedly;
a fuel consuming engine;
an electric generator coupled to said engine and to said at least one run battery, and responsive to said engine for charging said at least one run battery;
a first circuit connected to said at least one run battery and configured to determine when said at least one run battery has discharged to a predetermined discharge level;
a second circuit, responsive to said first circuit and coupled to said generator, for automatically supplying energy repeatedly from said generator to said at least one run battery each time said predetermined discharge level is determined, the energy supplied from said generator to said at least one run battery being a charging current that charges said at least one run battery toward as recharged level; and
a battery charger mounted onboard the car for repeatedly recharging said at least one run battery from an external power source, said battery charger converting a-c voltage from the external power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging said at least one run battery. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. A passenger car comprising:
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at least one rechargeable run battery of the deep discharge type, capable of being discharged to a deep discharge level and recharged repeatedly;
a fuel consuming engine;
an electric generator coupled to said engine and to said at least one run battery, and responsive to said engine for charging said at least one run battery;
a first circuit connected to said at least one run battery and configured to determine when said at least one run battery has discharged to a predetermined discharge level;
a second circuit, responsive to said first circuit and coupled to said generator, for automatically supplying energy from said generator to said at least one run battery when said at least one run battery has discharged to the predetermined level, the energy supplied from said generator to said at least one run battery being a charging current that charges said at least one run battery toward a recharged level; and
a battery charger mounted onboard the car and connected to said at least one run battery for repeatedly recharging said at least one run battery from an external power source, said battery charger converting voltage from the external power source to a d-c voltage of a suitable level for recharging said at least one run battery. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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Specification