Bi-directional electrical charging system for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383607-B1
Application number	US-202117208138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 22, 2021
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A bi-directional electrical charging system for a motor vehicle includes a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) configured to store a first voltage. The RESS is adapted for use with an off-board power source that is configured to store a second voltage. The system further includes an electric motor having a plurality of machine windings. The system further includes a power inverter disposed between the RESS and the off-board power source. The system is movable to a forward buck mode, a reverse buck mode, a forward boost mode, and a reverse boost mode for selectively delivering electrical power from one of the RESS and the off-board power source to the other of the RESS and the off-board power source, in response to the power inverter cycling between at least two of the ON state, the RESS OFF state, and the external OFF state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bi-directional electrical charging system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) configured to store a first voltage, and the RESS is adapted for use with an off-board power source that is configured to store a second voltage;
an electric motor having a plurality of machine windings; and
a power inverter disposed between the RESS and the off-board power source, the power inverter is movable to an ON state where the power inverter connects the RESS and the off-board power source to at least one of the machine windings, a RESS OFF state where the power inverter disconnects the RESS from each of the machine windings and connects the off-board power source to at least one of the machine windings, and an external OFF state where the power inverter connects the RESS to at least one of the machine windings and disconnects the off-board power source from each of the machine windings;
wherein the system is movable to a forward buck mode, a reverse buck mode, a forward boost mode, and a reverse boost mode for selectively delivering electrical power from one of the RESS and the off-board power source to the other of the RESS and the off-board power source, in response to the power inverter cycling between at least two of the ON state, the RESS OFF state, and the external OFF state.

2. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 1 , wherein the power inverter comprises:
a plurality of phase legs, with each of the phase legs connected to a corresponding one of the machine windings of the electric motor, and each of the phase legs comprises first and second semiconductor switches movable between open and closed positions; and
an inter-leg switch separate from the first and second semiconductor switches and movable between open and closed positions, with the inter-leg switch disposed between two of the phase legs for isolating the phase legs from one another when the inter-leg switch is moved to the open position.

3. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of phase legs comprises first and second phase legs;
wherein the first phase leg includes a positive terminal connected to a positive terminal of the RESS, and the second phase leg includes a positive terminal connected to a positive terminal of the off-board power source.

4. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 3 , wherein the system is disposed in the forward buck mode and the power inverter cycles between the ON state and the RESS OFF state for stepping down the first voltage from the RESS to the second voltage for charging the off-board power source in response to the inter-leg switch being moved to the open position, the first and second semiconductor switches of the first phase leg being subjected to a pulse width modulation, the first semiconductor switch of the second phase leg being moved to the closed position, and the second semiconductor switch of the second phase leg being moved to the open position.

5. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 4 , wherein the system is disposed in the reverse buck mode and the power inverter cycles between the ON state and the external OFF state for stepping down the second voltage from the off-board power source to the first voltage for charging the RESS in response to the inter-leg switch being moved to the open position, the first and second semiconductor switches of the second phase leg being subjected to a pulse width modulation, the first semiconductor switch of the first phase leg being moved to the closed position, and the second semiconductor switch of the first phase leg being moved to the open position.

6. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 5 , wherein the system is disposed in the forward boost mode and the power inverter cycles between the RESS OFF state and the ON state for stepping up the second voltage from the off-board power source to the first voltage for charging the RESS in response to the inter-leg switch being moved to the open position, the first semiconductor switch of the second phase leg being moved to the closed position, the first and second semiconductor switches of the first phase leg being subjected to a pulse width modulation, and the second semiconductor switch of the second phase leg being moved to the open position.

7. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 6 , wherein the system is disposed in the reverse boost mode and the power inverter cycles between the external OFF state and the ON state for stepping up the first voltage from the RESS to the second voltage for charging the off-board power source in response to the inter-leg switch being moved to the open position, the first semiconductor switch of the first phase leg being moved to the closed position, the first and second semiconductor switches of the second phase leg being subjected to a pulse width modulation, and the second semiconductor switch of the first phase leg being moved to the open position.

8. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 7 , further comprising:
an external switch disposed between the power inverter and the off-board power source, and the external switch is movable between a closed position where the off-board power source is connected to the power inverter and an open position where the off-board power source is disconnected from each of the machine windings; and
an inductor connected in series between the plurality of machine windings and the off-board power source, wherein the inductor is configured to mitigate at least one of current ripple or torque ripple.

9. A bi-directional electrical charging system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) configured to store a first voltage, and the RESS is adapted for use with an off-board power source that is configured to store a second voltage;
an electric motor having a plurality of machine windings; and
a power inverter disposed between the RESS and the off-board power source, the power inverter is movable to an ON state where the power inverter connects the RESS and the off-board power source to at least one of the machine windings, a RESS OFF state where the power inverter disconnects the RESS from each of the machine windings and connects the off-board power source to at least one of the machine windings, and an external OFF state where the power inverter connects the RESS to at least one of the machine windings and disconnects the off-board power source from each of the machine windings;
a controller connected to the power inverter, wherein the controller is configured to generate a plurality of control signals, and the power inverter cycles between at least two of the ON state, the RESS OFF state, and the external OFF state in response to the power inverter receiving the control signals from the controller;
wherein the system is movable to a forward buck mode, a reverse buck mode, a forward boost mode, and a reverse boost mode for selectively delivering electrical power from one of the RESS and the off-board power source to the other of the RESS and the off-board power source, in response to the power inverter cycling between at least two of the ON state, the RESS OFF state, and the external OFF state.

10. The bi-directional electrical charging system of claim 9 , wherein the power inverter comprises:
an inverter controller for generating a plurality of switch signals in response to the inverter controller receiving the control signals from the controller;
first and second phase legs, with each of the first and second phase legs connected to a corresponding one of the machine windings of the electric motor, and each of the first and

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Prasad Rashmi
• Namuduri Chandra S

Classifications

• B60L53/22 Primary

  Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• B60L2210/14

  Boost converters · CPC title

• B60L2210/12

  Buck converters · CPC title