Patent Application
20160221458
The present disclosure relates to conductive charging of electric vehicles.
Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles include a traction battery. The battery may be charged by plugging a charge connector of a power source into a conductive charge port of the vehicle. Charging current from the power source conducts through the connected charge connector and charge port to the battery. The conduction of the charging current may heat the charge port and surrounding vehicle environment.
An assembly for charging a traction battery of a vehicle includes a charge port and a cooling system. The charge port is configured to conductively transfer charging current from an external source to the vehicle. The cooling system is configured to cool the charge port depending on a temperature of the charge port.
The cooling system may include a temperature sensor configured to monitor the temperature of the charge port.
In one variation, the cooling system is a liquid cooling system configured to use coolant to cool the charge port. In this variation, the liquid cooling system may include a cold plate having a coolant chamber with a coolant ingress port and a coolant egress port, the cold plate being attached to the charge port. The liquid cooling system may further include a heat exchanger configured to cool heated coolant and the liquid cooling system may be further configured to provide a flow of coolant through the coolant chamber of the cold plate for absorbing heat from the charge port and to the heat exchanger.
In another variation, the cooling system is an air cooling system configured to use air to cool the charge port. The air cooling system may be a forced air cooling system configured to provide a forced flow of air toward the charge port to dissipate heat from the charge port into an environment of the charge port. The air cooling system may be a natural air convection system. In either case, the air cooling system may further include a heat-sink device attached to the charge port to absorb heat of the charge port and dissipate the heat into an environment of the charge port.
A method for charging a traction battery of a vehicle includes transferring charging current from an external source to the vehicle conductively through a charge port. The method further includes cooling the charge port, by a cooling system configured to cool the charge port, depending on a temperature of the charge port.
A vehicle includes a traction battery, a charge port, and a cooling system. The charge port is configured to conductively transfer charging current from an external source to the traction battery. The cooling system is configured to cool the charge port depending on a temperature of the charge port.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
Referring now to
A traction battery 24 stores energy that can be used by electric machines 14. Battery 24 typically provides a high voltage DC output. Battery 24 is electrically connected to one or more power electronics modules 26. One or more contactors 42 may isolate battery 24 from other components when opened and connect battery 24 to other components when closed. Power electronics module 26 is also electrically connected to electric machines 14 and provides the ability to bi-directionally transfer energy between battery 24 and electric machines 14. For example, a typical battery 24 may provide a DC voltage while electric machines 14 may operate using a three-phase AC current. Power electronics module 26 may convert the DC voltage to a three-phase AC current for use by electric machines 14. In a regenerative mode, power electronics module 26 may convert the three-phase AC current from electric machines 14 acting as generators to the DC voltage compatible with battery 24. The description herein is equally applicable to a pure electric vehicle. For a pure electric vehicle, transmission 16 may be a gear box connected to an electric machine 14 and engine 18 may not be present.
In addition to providing energy for propulsion, battery 24 may provide energy for other vehicle electrical systems. A typical system may include a DC/DC converter module 28 that converts the high voltage DC output of battery 24 to a low voltage DC supply that is compatible with other vehicle loads. Other high-voltage loads 46, such as compressors and electric heaters, may be connected directly to the high-voltage without the use of a DC/DC converter module 28. The low-voltage systems may be electrically connected to an auxiliary battery 30 (e.g., 12V battery).
Vehicle 12 may be an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle in which battery 24 may be recharged by an external power source 36. External power source 36 may be a connection to an electrical outlet that receives utility power. External power source 36 may be electrically connected to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) 38. EVSE 38 may provide circuitry and controls to regulate and manage the transfer of energy between external power source 36 and vehicle 12. External power source 36 may provide DC or AC electric power to EVSE 38. EVSE 38 may have a charge connector 40 for plugging into a charge port 34 of vehicle 12.
Charge port 34 is an inlet component of on-board charging infrastructure of vehicle 12. Charge port 34 may be any type of conductive charge port configured to conductively transfer charging current from EVSE 38 to vehicle 12. Charging current may be transferred from EVSE 38 to vehicle 12 conductively through charge connector 40 and charge port 34 when charge connector 40 is plugged into charge port 34. Charge port 34 is electrically connected to battery 24. For instance, charge port 34 is electrically connected to battery 24 through an on-board power conversion module 32 (i.e., charger). Charger 32 may condition the power supplied from EVSE 38 to provide the proper voltage and current levels to battery 24. Charger 32 may interface with EVSE 38 to coordinate the delivery of power to vehicle 12. Charge connector 40 may have terminals with recesses that mate with corresponding pins of charge port 34.
As an example, charge connector 40 and charge port 34 meet the specifications defined in Society of Automotive Engineering Specification SAE J1772 such as SAE J1772 combo connector specification. Alternatively, charge connector 40 and charge port 34 may be configured differently such as to meet the CHAdeMO plug specification, the European IEC 62196 specification, or other specifications.
The various components discussed may have one or more associated controllers to control and monitor the operation of the components. The controllers may communicate via a serial bus (e.g., Controller Area Network (CAN)) or via discrete conductors. A system controller 48 may be present to coordinate the operation of the various components.
Referring now to
Terminals of charge connector 40 mate with charge port pins 56 and 58 when charge connector 40 is plugged into charge port 34. Charging current from EVSE 38 to vehicle 12 is electrically conducted through the mated charge connector terminals and charge port pins 56 and 58. The conduction of the charging current may generate heat which may heat up components of charge port 34 including charge port housing 34.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure include control strategy configurations for cooling charge port 34 during the conductive charging process.
Referring now to
As further shown in
Liquid cooled configuration 60 includes a liquid cooling system 64 and an associated coolant reservoir and heat exchanger 66. Liquid cooling system 64 includes a cold plate assembly integrated onto charge port 34 (see, for example
Liquid cooling system 64 is configured to provide a circuitous flow of coolant between liquid cooling system 64, the cold plate on charge port 34, and coolant reservoir and heat exchanger 66. This circuitous flow is indicated by the “Liquid Flow” dotted line segments in
Liquid cooling system 64 further includes a cooling controller (not shown). Temperature sensor 62 provides the temperature signal indicative of the temperature of charge port 34 to the cooling controller. This is indicated by the “Signal Input” dashed line extending from temperature sensor 62 to liquid cooled system 64 shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
In one variation, air cooling system 72 is a forced air cooling system. In this variation, air cooling system 72 is configured to provide a flow of air toward charge port 34. The air flow dissipates heat from charge port 34 onto the vehicle under hood environment 74 where charge port 34 is located. This flow of air is indicated by the “Airflow” dotted line segments in
In another variation, air cooling system 72 is a natural air convection system. In this variation, air cooling system 72 includes a heat-sink device(s) integrated onto charge port 34. In general, the heat-sink devices absorb heat from charge port 34. Heat from the heated heat-sink devices is dissipated into the vehicle under hood environment 74 where charge port 34 is located. The dissipation of heat from the heated heat-sink devices into the vehicle under hood environment 74 is indicated by the “Thermal Flow” pipe-line segment shown in
In another variation, air cooling system 72 is a combined forced air/natural air convection system. In this variation, air cooling system 72 includes both of a cooling fan or the like configured to provide air flow toward charge port 34 and a heat-sink device(s) integrated onto charge port 34.
Referring now to
As shown in
The processes, methods, or algorithms disclosed herein can be deliverable to/implemented by a processing device, controller, or computer, which can include any existing programmable electronic control unit or dedicated electronic control unit. Similarly, the processes, methods, or algorithms can be stored as data and instructions executable by a controller or computer in many forms including, but not limited to, information permanently stored on non-writable storage media such as ROM devices and information alterably stored on writeable storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, CDs, RAM devices, and other magnetic and optical media. The processes, methods, or algorithms can also be implemented in a software executable object. Alternatively, the processes, methods, or algorithms can be embodied in whole or in part using suitable hardware components, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), state machines, controllers or other hardware components or devices, or a combination of hardware, software and firmware components.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes may include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.
