Charging a lithium battery on a utility vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10195953-B2
Application number	US-201715419556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A charging system charges a lithium battery of a utility vehicle. The charging system includes a receptacle configured to couple with an external charger, a lithium battery configured to provide lithium battery power to a set of electrical loads of the utility vehicle, and control circuitry coupled with the receptacle and the lithium battery. The control circuitry is configured to detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle and, in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, ascertain a charging state of the lithium battery. The control circuitry is further configured to output, based on the charging state, a control signal to the external charger through the receptacle, the control signal being configured to control charging output from the external charger to charge the lithium battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging system for charging a lithium battery of a utility vehicle, the charging system comprising:
a receptacle configured to couple with an external charger;
a lithium battery configured to provide lithium battery power to a set of electrical loads of the utility vehicle; and
control circuitry coupled with the receptacle and the lithium battery, the control circuitry being configured to:
detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle,
in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, ascertain a charging state of the lithium battery, and
based at least in part on the charging state, provide a control signal to the external charger through the receptacle, the control signal being configured to control charging output from the external charger to charge the lithium battery;

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
detect a fully charged state of the lithium battery, and
in response to detecting the fully charged state of the lithium battery, provide, as the control signal, a command configured to (i) inform the external charger that the lithium battery is fully charged and (ii) direct the external charger to terminate charging;

wherein the control circuitry includes:
a lithium battery management system (BMS) coupled with the lithium battery and the receptacle, the lithium BMS having a contactor configured to close to provide electrical access to the lithium battery and open to remove electrical access to the lithium battery, the lithium BMS opening the contactor in response to detecting the fully charged state of the lithium battery;

wherein the lithium BMS includes:
an inactivity timer, and
control logic coupled with the timer and the contactor, the control logic being configured to (i) start the inactivity timer in response to the lithium BMS reaching the fully charged state and (ii) in response to expiration of the inactivity timer and in the absence of sensed electronic activity by the utility vehicle, open the contactor to remove electrical access to the lithium battery.

2. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry further includes:
detection circuitry coupled with the lithium BMS, the detection circuitry being configured to (i) detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle and (ii) in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, notify the lithium BMS that there is connection between the external charger and the receptacle.

3. A charging system as in claim 2 wherein the detection circuitry is further configured to:
detect disconnection of the external charger from the receptacle, and
in response to detecting disconnection of the external charger from the receptacle, notify the lithium BMS that the external charger is disconnected from the receptacle.

4. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the lithium battery includes a set of lithium cell modules; and
wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
receive a set of temperature measurements from the set of lithium cell modules, the set of temperature measurements identifying at least a portion of the charging state of the lithium battery, and
provide the control signal further based on the set of temperature measurements.

5. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the utility vehicle includes a vehicle body; and
wherein the receptacle, the lithium battery, and the control circuitry are part of the utility vehicle and are supported by the vehicle body.

6. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the contactor is part of the utility vehicle and is separate from the external charger.

7. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is part of the utility vehicle and is interconnected between the receptacle and the lithium battery.

8. A charging system as in claim 1 wherein the utility vehicle includes a vehicle body;
wherein the receptacle, the lithium battery, and the control circuitry are part of the utility vehicle and are supported by the vehicle body;
wherein the contactor is part of the utility vehicle and is external to the external charger; and
wherein the control circuitry is part of the utility vehicle and is interconnected between the receptacle and the lithium battery.

9. A charging system for charging a lithium battery of a utility vehicle, the charging system comprising:
a receptacle configured to couple with an external charger;
a lithium battery configured to provide lithium battery power to a set of electrical loads of the utility vehicle; and
control circuitry coupled with the receptacle and the lithium battery, the control circuitry being configured to:
detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle,
in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, ascertain a charging state of the lithium battery, and
based at least in part on the charging state, provide a control signal to the external charger through the receptacle, the control signal being configured to control charging output from the external charger to charge the lithium battery;

wherein the control circuitry includes:
a lithium battery management system (BMS) coupled with the lithium battery and the receptacle, the lithium BMS having a contactor configured to close to provide electrical access to the lithium battery and open to remove electrical access to the lithium battery;

wherein the control circuitry further includes:
detection circuitry coupled with the lithium BMS, the detection circuitry being configured to (i) detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle and (ii) in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, notify the lithium BMS that there is connection between the external charger and the receptacle;

wherein the detection circuitry is further configured to:
detect disconnection of the external charger from the receptacle, and
in response to detecting disconnection of the external charger from the receptacle, notify the lithium BMS that the external charger is disconnected from the receptacle;

wherein the detection circuitry forms part of a motor controller of the utility vehicle, the motor controller being configured to:
control operation of an electric motor of the utility vehicle, and
communicate with the lithium BMS through a controller area network (CAN) bus; and

wherein the detection circuitry is configured to:
provide on multiple instances, while the external charger is connected with the receptacle, a first CAN message to the lithium BMS through the CAN bus to notify the lithium BMS that there is connection between the external charger and the receptacle, and
provide a second CAN message to the lithium BMS through the CAN bus to notify the lithium BMS that the external charger is disconnected from the receptacle, the first CAN message being different from the second CAN message.

10. A charging system for charging a lithium battery of a utility vehicle, the charging system comprising:
a receptacle configured to couple with an external charger;
a lithium battery configured to provide lithium battery power to a set of electrical loads of the utility vehicle; and
control circuitry coupled with the receptacle and the lithium battery, the control circuitry being configured to:
detect connection between the external charger and the receptacle,
in response to detecting connection between the external charger and the receptacle, ascertain a charging state of the lithium battery, and
based at least in part on the charging state, provide a control s

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Harvey Arthur James
• Padgett Norman R
• Ledden John

Classifications

• B60L2200/44

  Industrial trucks or floor conveyors · CPC title

• B60L2240/545

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60L2240/80

  Time limits · CPC title

• B60L2240/547

  Voltage · CPC title

• B60L3/04

  Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) · CPC title