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.

Vehicles that are capable of connecting to the AC grid are described that comprise a prime mover and at least one motor generator. In one embodiment, a vehicle may be constructed as a plug-in hybrid system and using the powertrain under controller instruction to either place power on an AC power line (to service AC grids) or to draw power from the AC power line to add electrical energy to the batteries on the vehicle. In some aspects, vehicles may test whether the power needed to service the AC power line may be satisfied by the on-vehicle batteries or, if not, whether and how much power to extract from the prime mover. In some aspects, vehicles may have a thermal management system on board to dynamically supply desired heat dissipation for the powertrain, if the powertrain is using the prime mover to supply power to the AC grid.

In a hybrid vehicle, when the engine is started and caused to make a transition from a stopped state into an operating state, the control device performs an operation control of the rotary machine and an output control of the engine to increase the rotation speed of the engine so that the rotation speed reaches a target rotation speed after the transition of the engine into the operating state, determined by the shifting control, and during increasing the rotation speed, when suppression conditions further including a condition that a vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined vehicle speed, and a condition that an output request amount by a driver is smaller than a predetermined output request amount, are satisfied, the control device suppresses an increase rate of the rotation speed until a predetermined time elapses from an initiation of starting of the engine as compared with when the suppression conditions are not satisfied.

An air-conditioning circuit for a hybrid vehicle has a charge-air cooler (12) for cooling charge air for a turbocharger of a combustion engine with a cooling medium, a low-temperature cooler (14) for cooling the cooling medium of the charge-air cooler (12), and an air-conditioning condenser (18) for dehumidifying conditioning air for air-conditioning a vehicle interior with the aid of a cooling liquid. The air-conditioning condenser (18) is connectable to the low-temperature cooler (14) for cooling the cooling liquid of the air-conditioning condenser. A temperature-control line (22) controls a temperature of a motor vehicle battery (24). The air-conditioning condenser (18) is connectable to the temperature-control line (22) for heating the motor vehicle battery (24). The required cooling power of the low-temperature cooler (14) can be reduced by cooling both the cooling medium of the charge-air cooler (12) and the cooling liquid of the air-conditioning condenser (18) in the low-temperature cooler (14).

An electric system of an electromechanical power transmission chain is provided that includes a first capacitive circuit, converter equipment between the first capacitive circuit and an electric machine, a second capacitive circuit, and a direct voltage converter between the first and second capacitive circuits. The electromechanical power transmission chain is a parallel transmission chain where the electric machine is mechanically connected to a combustion engine and to one or more actuators. The electric system includes a control system for controlling the direct voltage converter in response to changes in a first direct voltage of the first capacitive circuit and for controlling the converter equipment in response to changes in a second direct voltage of the second capacitive circuit. The first direct voltage is kept on a predetermined voltage range whereas the second direct voltage is allowed to fluctuate in order to respond to peak power needs.

A system and method for controlling charging of plug-in vehicle are provided to charge a high-voltage battery mounted in the vehicle by converting AC power into DC power using an OBC. The method includes determining whether the high-voltage battery is charged by the operation of the OBC and whether the temperature of the high-voltage battery is greater than a predetermined reference cooling temperature while the high-voltage battery is charged to determine whether to cool the high-voltage battery. Additionally, whether the temperature of the high-voltage battery is greater than a predetermined failure determination temperature is determined to determine whether the high-voltage battery is abnormal when the temperature of the high-voltage battery is greater than the reference cooling temperature. A battery cooling fan mounted in the vehicle is maximally driven to cool the high-voltage battery when the temperature of the high-voltage battery is greater than the failure determination temperature.

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.

Methods and systems for operating a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and a gaseous fuel storage tank are presented. In one example, the gaseous fuel storage tank is cooled so that an amount of gaseous fuel that may be stored in the gaseous fuel tank may be increased to extend a vehicle's driving range.

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.

An apparatus includes a first interface a second interface, a third interface and a converter. The first interface may be configured to exchange a high-voltage signal with a high-voltage battery of a vehicle. The second interface may be configured to receive a first low-voltage signal from a source external to the vehicle. The third interface may be configured to present a second low-voltage signal to a power rail of the vehicle. The converter may be configured to (i) generate the high-voltage signal by up-converting the first low-voltage signal while in an up-conversion mode to recharge the high-voltage battery of the vehicle and (ii) generate the second low-voltage signal on the power rail by down-converting the high-voltage signal received from the high-voltage battery while in a down-conversion mode.