Patent classifications
B60L55/00
INTEGRATED THREE-PHASE AC CHARGER FOR VEHICLE APPLICATIONS WITH DUAL-INVERTER DRIVE
A powertrain for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle applications with integrated three-phase AC charging featuring buck-boost operation and optional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability, along with corresponding methods and machine instruction sets for switch control. The powertrain can include of a three-phase current source converter (CSC) front-end with an associated input filter, a polarity inversion module, and in an embodiment, a dual-inverter motor drive. The dual-inverter drive is the source of both the back emf and requisite DC inductance for the CSC. A compact design is thus provided as no additional magnetics are required and the on-board cooling system required for traction mode can be re-deployed for charging and V2G mode. The powertrain is mode shifted between charging and V2G mode through an optional polarity inversion module.
INTEGRATED THREE-PHASE AC CHARGER FOR VEHICLE APPLICATIONS WITH DUAL-INVERTER DRIVE
A powertrain for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle applications with integrated three-phase AC charging featuring buck-boost operation and optional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability, along with corresponding methods and machine instruction sets for switch control. The powertrain can include of a three-phase current source converter (CSC) front-end with an associated input filter, a polarity inversion module, and in an embodiment, a dual-inverter motor drive. The dual-inverter drive is the source of both the back emf and requisite DC inductance for the CSC. A compact design is thus provided as no additional magnetics are required and the on-board cooling system required for traction mode can be re-deployed for charging and V2G mode. The powertrain is mode shifted between charging and V2G mode through an optional polarity inversion module.
CHARGE ADAPTORS FOR SUPPORTING BIDIRECTIONAL ENERGY TRANSFERS BETWEEN MULTIPLE ENERGY UNITS
Charge adaptors may be provided as part of a bidirectional energy transfer system for charging multiple vehicles from a single power source. An exemplary charge adaptor may enable intelligent charging of multiple vehicles from the power source through various configurations (e.g., daisy-chain, multiplex, etc.) and strategies (e.g. sequential, parallel, staged, etc.). A microcontroller of the charge adaptor may serve as the primary controller of energy flow through a bidirectional energy transfer system, with other connected devices such as the charge source, vehicles, and other charge adaptors configured to function as periphery control devices. The charge adaptor may implement an AC coupled design in which a common voltage bus is utilized to splice energy to other charge adaptors for enabling bidirectional energy transfers.
CHARGE ADAPTORS FOR SUPPORTING BIDIRECTIONAL ENERGY TRANSFERS BETWEEN MULTIPLE ENERGY UNITS
Charge adaptors may be provided as part of a bidirectional energy transfer system for charging multiple vehicles from a single power source. An exemplary charge adaptor may enable intelligent charging of multiple vehicles from the power source through various configurations (e.g., daisy-chain, multiplex, etc.) and strategies (e.g. sequential, parallel, staged, etc.). A microcontroller of the charge adaptor may serve as the primary controller of energy flow through a bidirectional energy transfer system, with other connected devices such as the charge source, vehicles, and other charge adaptors configured to function as periphery control devices. The charge adaptor may implement an AC coupled design in which a common voltage bus is utilized to splice energy to other charge adaptors for enabling bidirectional energy transfers.
Electric vehicle (EV) charge unit reservations
A computer implemented method for managing charge availability of a charge unit (CU) to obtain charge for a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The CU includes a computer for processing at least part of the method and for communicating with a server over a network. The method includes receiving, by the server, status information from the computer of the CU. The method includes sending to the computer of the CU instructions to make a reservation for the CU. The reservation is for a user account that has requested a desire to charge the battery of the electric vehicle of the user at the CU or another CU. The method includes sending, by the server, a confirmation for the reservation to the user account. The confirmation is viewable via a device having access to the server via the user account. The method includes sending, by the server, a data regarding a time of availability of the CU to the user account for the reservation. The computer of the CU is configured to display a visual indicator regarding the reservation of the CU.
Electric vehicle (EV) charge unit reservations
A computer implemented method for managing charge availability of a charge unit (CU) to obtain charge for a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The CU includes a computer for processing at least part of the method and for communicating with a server over a network. The method includes receiving, by the server, status information from the computer of the CU. The method includes sending to the computer of the CU instructions to make a reservation for the CU. The reservation is for a user account that has requested a desire to charge the battery of the electric vehicle of the user at the CU or another CU. The method includes sending, by the server, a confirmation for the reservation to the user account. The confirmation is viewable via a device having access to the server via the user account. The method includes sending, by the server, a data regarding a time of availability of the CU to the user account for the reservation. The computer of the CU is configured to display a visual indicator regarding the reservation of the CU.
DRIVE TRAIN CONFIGURATIONS FOR A VEHICLE WITH MULTIPLE REVERSIBLE ENGINES
Systems and methods of providing a configurable powertrain in a vehicle are disclosed. The powertrain is capable of operating in a plurality of powertrain configurations and includes one or more reversible generators, a battery system, a motor/generator (M/G), and one or more drive axles. The generators generate and supply electrical power to the battery system, the M/G, an external power source, or a combination thereof. The battery system selectively supplies electrical power to the generators, the M/G, the external power source, or a combination thereof. The one or more generators also selectively supply cooling to the battery system, a cab of the vehicle, a trailer or external enclosure or structure of the vehicle, or a combination thereof. The powertrain configurations of the vehicle include operating the components of the powertrain in various combinations based on demands of the vehicle and/or external power sources or structures.
Server and power management method
A server that manages energy of a power grid by using a plurality of energy storage resources includes a loss obtaining unit and a selector. The loss obtaining unit obtains for each of the plurality of energy storage resources, energy loss including retention loss and input and output loss, the energy loss being caused in storing energy in each energy storage resource. When surplus electric power occurs in the power grid, the selector selects at least one energy storage resource for storing surplus electric power from among the plurality of energy storage resources based on the energy loss caused in storing surplus electric power.
VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
A vehicle electrical system includes an electrical storage, a first multiphase electrical machine having a plurality of stator windings connected to common neutral point, a first inverter operatively connected to the electrical storage and to the first multiphase electrical machine, wherein the first inverter has a plurality of switch legs with switches, a second multiphase electrical machine having a plurality of stator windings connected to a common neutral point, a second inverter operatively connected to the electrical storage and to the second multiphase electrical machine, wherein the second inverter has a plurality of switch legs with switches, a bidirectional buck-boost DC/DC converter operatively connected to the common neutral point of the first multiphase electrical machine and to the common neutral point of the second multiphase electrical machine and configured for using at least one stator winding of each of the first and second multiphase electrical machines as buck-boost inductance.
Hybrid Power Management System and Method for Delivering Power in a Transport Vehicle
Disclosed is a system configured to deliver power to a load in a transport vehicle, the system having: (a) a battery; (b) a super capacitor bank; (c) a bidirectional DC/DC converter configured to transfer power to/from the super capacitors in order to absorb/supply power from/to the load, and configured to transfer power between the super capacitors and the battery and/or the load in order to charge the super capacitor from the battery or load or charge the battery/load from the super capacitors in a controlled way (d) a hybrid controller, the hybrid controller configured to identify when pulsed power is required to/from the load and instructing the DC/DC converter to supply/absorb power to/from the load from/to the super capacitor bank and to identify when power needs to be transferred between the super capacitor and the battery/load to charge or discharge the battery/load and/or super capacitor.