Electric vehicle charging via grid and engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10000129-B2
Application number	US-201514800095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a traction battery, a generator coupled to the engine and battery, and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to a current flowing from a battery charge station to the battery being less than a maximum charge current, a selection of a fast charge mode, and a temperature of the engine being less than a predetermined temperature, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to charge the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a traction battery; and
a controller configured to,
responsive to battery charge current from a battery charge station being less than a maximum charge current while the vehicle is parked and in fast charge mode, operate the engine to generate current to increase a charge rate of the battery, and
responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone, inhibit operation of the engine.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate a cooling fan for the engine when the engine is rotating.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, responsive to a temperature of the engine being greater than a predetermined temperature, activate a cooling fan at a speed greater than a standard speed.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a level of carbon monoxide in an area proximate to the vehicle being greater than a predetermined concentration.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

8. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

9. A powertrain control module for a hybrid vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to,
responsive to selection of a fast charge mode and flow of electric charge from a battery charge station to a traction battery, operate an engine to drive a generator to generate current to increase a rate of charge of the battery, and
responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone, inhibit operation of the engine.

10. The module of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

11. The module of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

12. The module of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

13. The module of claim 9 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

14. A method to supplement current from a battery charge station comprising:
while a traction battery is receiving current from a charge station, operating an engine to drive a generator electrically coupled with a traction battery to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery; and
inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse a green zone.

15. The method of claim 14 further including inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

17. The method of claim 14 further including inhibiting operation of the engine responsive to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dunlap Brock
• Lovett Karin
• Bolger Bryan Michael
• Treharne William David

Classifications

• Y02T10/7005

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T10/92

  Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/7088

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L11/1816 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60L50/15 Primary

  with additional electric power supply (with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61) · CPC title