Electric drive for a vehicle

Abstract

A method for charging an auxiliary voltage source that provides power for at least one additional component, the additional component being in addition to an electric drive that is powered by a main voltage, is described. The method includes electrically connecting a protection and/or control circuit to the main voltage source via a DC-to-DC converter configured for power supply, and to the auxiliary voltage source via a reverse blocking valve. The method further includes electrically connecting the main voltage source to the auxiliary voltage source via a charging device. The method still further includes charging the auxiliary voltage source via the main voltage source.

Claims

1. A method for charging an auxiliary voltage source that provides power for at least one additional component, the additional component being in addition to an electric drive that is powered by a main voltage, the method comprising: electrically connecting a protection and/or control circuit to the main voltage source via a DC-to-DC converter configured for power supply, and to the auxiliary voltage source via a reverse blocking valve; electrically connecting the main voltage source to the auxiliary voltage source via a charging device; and charging the auxiliary voltage source via the main voltage source.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising: charging the main voltage source via the auxiliary voltage source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging the main voltage source and the auxiliary voltage source at different times.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: supplying, via the auxiliary voltage source, a current to the protection and/or control circuit, and to the charging device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a diode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a MOSFET driven in the inverse direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a MOSFET based circuit in which the MOSFET channel is switched on in the conducting state such that forward losses are reduced.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary voltage source is one of: 3.3 V, 5.0 V and 12 V, and wherein the main voltage source is one of: 24 V to 33 V and 48 V.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary voltage source is between 3 V and 15 V, and wherein the main voltage source is between 20 V and 50 V.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the main voltage source is a battery.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power source is a battery.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse blocking valve electrically decouples the protection and/or control circuit from at least one additional component supplied with electric power via the auxiliary voltage source, and from the auxiliary voltage source.

13. A method for charging an auxiliary voltage source of a vehicle having an electric drive that is powered by a main voltage source of the vehicle, the auxiliary voltage source providing power for at least one additional component, the method comprising, the method comprising: electrically connecting a protection and/or control circuit to the main voltage source via a DC-to-DC converter configured for power supply, and to the auxiliary voltage source via a reverse blocking valve; electrically connecting the main voltage source to the auxiliary voltage source via a charging device; and charging the auxiliary voltage source via the main voltage source.

14. A method of claim 13, further comprising: charging the main voltage source via the auxiliary voltage source.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging the main voltage source and the auxiliary voltage source at different times.

16. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising: supplying, via the auxiliary voltage source, a current to the protection and/or control circuit, and to the charging device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a diode.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a MOSFET driven in the inverse direction.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the reverse-blocking valve comprises a MOSFET based circuit in which the MOSFET channel is switched on in the conducting state such that forward losses are reduced.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the main voltage source is a battery.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary power source is a battery.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the reverse blocking valve electrically decouples the protection and/or control circuit from at least one additional component supplied with electric power via the auxiliary voltage source, and from the auxiliary voltage source.

23. A method for charging a main voltage source of a boat having an electric drive that is powered by the main voltage source of the boat, the boat also having an auxiliary voltage source providing power for at least one additional component, the method comprising: electrically connecting a protection and/or control circuit to the main voltage source via a DC-to-DC converter configured for power supply, and to the auxiliary voltage source via a reverse blocking valve; electrically connecting the auxiliary voltage source to the main voltage source via a charging device; and charging the main voltage source via the auxiliary voltage source.

24. A method of claim 23, further comprising: charging the auxiliary voltage source via the main voltage source.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a power supply according to embodiments of the invention on a boat, and

(2) FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(3) The above described drawing figures illustrate the described invention in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. While the disclosed invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail at least one preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiment illustrated. Therefore, it should be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and should not be taken as a limitation on the scope of the present invention.

(4) A boat with an electric drive 1 has a high-voltage source 2 to which the electric drive 1 is connected. The high-voltage source 2 is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which has a maximum charge of, for example, 80 Ah, 100 Ah, 150 Ah or 200 Ah and a nominal voltage of more than 200 V, for example 300 V, 350 V or 400 V. Further power consumers may likewise be connected to the supply line 3 which is connected to the high-voltage source 2.

(5) The high-voltage source 2 can be charged via a main charging device 4 found on the boat and connected to the supply line 3. In order to charge the high-voltage source 2, the main charging device 4 is connected to a power supply which is not illustrated in the figure and which is located outside of the boat, for example on land. The interface between the electrical systems on the boat and those on land is marked by the reference sign 7.

(6) A low-voltage source 5 is also provided on the boat, said low-voltage source having a terminal voltage of, for example, 12 V, 24 V or 48 V. Several electrical components which are used for the comfort of the boat's crew and safety-related components, such as control devices, a navigation system and, in particular, a safety circuit which connects the high-voltage source 2 to the supply line 3 or disconnects it therefrom, are connected to the low-voltage source 5.

(7) According to embodiments of the invention, an auxiliary charging device 6 is provided on board and connected to the supply line 3. The auxiliary charging device 6 comprises a DC-to-DC converter and enables the charging of the low-voltage source 5 from the high-voltage source 2.

(8) FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the circuit according to the invention. Identical components in the two figures are provided with identical reference signs.

(9) The circuit composed of electric motor 1, high-voltage source 2, main charging device 4, low-voltage source 5 and auxiliary charging device 6 corresponds to the circuit according to FIG. 1.

(10) Additional components 8, for instance lighting or consumer electronics, and safety-related components 9 are connected to the low-voltage source 5. In FIG. 2, by way of example, a safety circuit is provided for a safety-related component 9, which safety circuit opens the switch 12 if necessary and thus switches the connection terminals of the high-voltage source 2 to be isolated from the supply.

(11) The additional components 8 are directly connected to the low-voltage source 5 and are supplied with power therefrom. According to embodiments of the invention, an auxiliary charging device 6 is provided on board and is connected to the supply line 3. The auxiliary charging device 6 comprises a DC-to-DC converter and enables the charging of the low-voltage source 5 from the high-voltage source 2. In some embodiments, the axillary charging device 6 may in addition to or alternatively enable the charging of the high-voltage source 2 from the low-voltage source 5.

(12) In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the low-voltage source 5 is also used to supply the additional components 9. In this case, it is expedient to provide an electrical decoupling of the power supply of the additional components and the power supply of the system components and safety-related components.

(13) The safety-related components 9 are supplied with power via a further DC-to-DC converter 10, which is connected to the supply line 3.

(14) A reverse-blocking valve 11, for example a diode, is used for electrical decoupling. A DC-to-DC converter 10 is used for the electrical power supply of the safety-related components, which DC-to-DC converter provides the low voltage for the safety-related components from the high-voltage source 2.

(15) The safety-related components 9 are hence decoupled from the rest of the additional components 8 and supplied in a manner decoupled from the low-voltage source 5. If a temporary overloading of the low-voltage source 5 by connected additional components 8 were to occur, the operation of the safety-related controllers 9 would not be impaired since said controllers 9 have their own supply 10 and are decoupled from the low-voltage source 5 by the reverse-blocking valve 11.

(16) In the simplest case, the reverse-blocking valve 11 can be a diode. In order to reduce the forward losses, the diode can be replaced by an inversely driven MOSFET, the channel of which is additionally switched on when current flows via the inverse diode.

(17) A reliable supply to the additional components 8 with pulse-shaped power demands is ensured by the connection of the primary low-voltage circuit to the low-voltage source 5. The operation of an auxiliary motor for trimming and/or tilting of an outboard motor is a typical pulse load of this type, which must be buffered by the low-voltage source 5.

(18) In some embodiments, the DC-to-DC converter 6 and/or the DC-to-DC converter 10 may be arranged to operate bi-directionally within the circuit as shown in FIG. 2. The high-voltage source may thus be charged via the low-voltage source. Such charging is preferably accomplished via the DC-to-DC converter 6 in order to minimize diode loss. However, when valve 11 is realized as a MOSFET, charging may be accomplished via the more appropriate of DC-to-DC converter 6 and DC-to-DC converter 10 in terms of specifications.

(19) In some embodiments, the safety-related components may be connected to the low-voltage source via the DC-to-DC converter configured for power supply. The safety-related components may also be connected to the high-voltage source via a switch and/or a reverse blocking valve. The low-voltage source may be connected to the high-voltage source via the charging device. Accordingly, the high-voltage source may be charged via the low-voltage source.

(20) Embodiments described herein with reference to FIG. 2 describe a main voltage source as high-voltage source, and an auxiliary voltage source as low-voltage source. It will, however, be understood that, the invention is equally applicable to main voltage sources that are low-voltage sources, and auxiliary voltage source that are high-voltage sources.

(21) It will further be understood that, while various aspects of the invention are discussed herein with reference to boats, the inventive concept disclosed herein may be implemented via other types of land, sea and/or air vehicles without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

(22) The embodiments described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the invention and to the achievement of its objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.

(23) The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.

(24) Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.

(25) The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that it is believed that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.