Electrical power supply management for climate-controlled system associated with automotive application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623499-B2
Application number	US-201916678629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 8, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

Technologies described herein pertain to delivering power to primary and accessory electrical components associated with a vehicle that is at least partially electrically powered, as well as to a power source of the vehicle itself. To operate one or more of accessory electrical components and deliver power to a vehicle battery, via a power distribution unit, the embodiments facilitate understanding of dynamic power available to the accessory electrical components as well as the vehicle battery, and distributing of the power in a prioritized manner to optimize the system for a most efficient power delivery process, with regards to power needs and power availability. Managing power supplied to a climate control unit that is used in a transport climate control system providing climate control to at least one of an internal space of a vehicle, may be performed by a controller that is electrically connected to at least the climate control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing power supplied to a transport climate control system providing climate control to at least one of an internal space of a vehicle, the method being performed by a controller that is electrically connected to at least an electrical system corresponding to the vehicle, the method comprising:
communicatively connecting the transport climate control system to an electrical power source;
determining a maximum power delivery available from the electrical power source;
adjusting power transmission to the transport climate control system by reducing power to an electrical load of the transport climate control system to modify operation for the transport climate control system when the maximum power available is less than a minimum amount of power for the transport climate control system to start-up; and
removing any restrictions for power transmission to the transport climate control system when the determined maximum power delivery available provides a maximum steady state power delivery.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicatively connecting includes electrically connecting the controller to the electrical power source.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining includes receiving data indicating the maximum power delivery available via communication with the electrical power source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicatively connecting includes communicatively connecting the controller to the electrical power source wirelessly.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting power transmission to the transport climate control system includes displaying an error message indicating insufficient power for the transport climate control system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting power for the transport climate control system by reducing power to the electrical load of the transport climate control system, based on the determined maximum power delivery available.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the adjusting power for the transport climate control system further includes using power electronics to slowly ramp power to the electrical load to limit an expected maximum transient power draw for the transport climate control system, based on the determined maximum power delivery available, during start up.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing any restrictions for the transport climate control system includes using power electronics to slowly ramp power to the electrical load to limit an expected maximum transient power draw for the transport climate control system, based on the determined maximum power delivery available.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the removing any restrictions for the transport climate control system further includes operating the transport climate control system with no reduction on a back steady state power draw from the electrical power source.

10. A computer-readable medium that stores executable instructions that, upon execution, cause a power distribution controller, electrically connected to at least a power source and a transport climate control system providing climate control to at least one of an internal space of a vehicle, to protect the transport climate control system by performing functions comprising:
receiving information indicating a maximum power delivery available to the transport climate control system from the electrical power source;
adjusting power transmission to the transport climate control system by reducing power to the electrical load of the transport climate control system to modify operation for the transport climate control system when the maximum power delivery available to the transport climate control system from the electrical power source does not exceed a first threshold; and
permitting unrestricted power from the electrical power source to the transport climate control system when the maximum power delivery available to the transport climate control system from the electrical power source exceeds both the first threshold and the second threshold.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to receive the information indicating the maximum power delivery available to the transport climate control system from the electrical power source via communication with the electrical power source.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to receive the information indicating the maximum power delivery available to the transport climate control system from the electrical power source via a wireless connection.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first threshold upon which the controller is to prohibit start-up for the transport climate control system is a minimum amount of power for the transport climate control system to start-up.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the second threshold upon which the controller is to restrict power from the electrical power source is a maximum steady state power delivery.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to restrict power from the electrical power source by reducing power to the electrical load of the transport climate control system.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to restrict power from the electrical power source by further adjusting a ramp up rate of power to the electrical load and limiting a maximum power draw for the transport climate control system.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to permit unrestricted power from the electrical power source by adjusting a ramp up rate of power to the electrical load to reduce a maximum power draw for the transport climate control system.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the controller is to permit unrestricted power from the electrical power source by enabling operation of the transport climate control system with no reduction on a back steady state power draw from the electrical power source.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer-readable medium is associated with a power distribution unit for a vehicle that is at least partially electrically powered and a transport climate-control system providing climate control to at least one of an internal space of the vehicle, an internal space of a trailer, and an internal space of a shipping container.

20. A power distribution unit for a vehicle that is at least partially electrically powered and a transport climate-control system, comprising a controller that includes the computer-readable medium of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Thermo King Llc

Inventors

• Srnec Matthew
• Vanous Michael James
• Schumacher Ryan Wayne
• Lewelling Carolyn

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60P3/20

  Refrigerated goods vehicles (air treatment of goods space B60H; {air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048}) · CPC title

• Y02T10/88

  Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses · CPC title

• B60H1/00642

  Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices (B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title