Electric power transmission system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017546-B2
Application number	US-201817413378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Dec 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to an electric power transmission system (20) for a vehicle (10) comprising an energy storage system (30) for storing electrical power and a bidirectional power system (40) connected to the energy storage system, the bidirectional power system comprising a bidirectional DC/AC converter (50) for power conversion, the bidirectional DC/AC converter (50) being connected to the energy storage system, a junction unit (60) connected to the bidirectional DC/AC converter and comprising a charging interface (70) for connecting to an external power supply grid (72), and an electrical power take-off (ePTO) (80) interface for connecting to an external power load (82), and wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to perform any one of the following operations: an ePTO first operation (1 10), in which power is transferred from the energy storage system to the ePTO interface via the bidirectional power system, an ePTO second operation (120), in which power is transferred from the charging interface to the ePTO interface via the bidirectional power system, and a charging operation (130), in which power is transferred from the charging interface to the energy storage system via the bidirectional power system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric power transmission system for a vehicle comprising an energy storage system for storing electrical power and a bidirectional power system connected to the energy storage system, the bidirectional power system comprising:
a bidirectional DC/AC converter for power conversion, the bidirectional DC/AC converter being connected to the energy storage system,
a junction unit connected to the bidirectional DC/AC converter and comprising a charging interface for connecting to an external power supply grid, and an electrical power take-off (ePTO) interface which comprises a connector for connecting the junction unit to an external power load,

and wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to perform any one of the following operations:
an ePTO first operation, in which power is transferred from the energy storage system to the ePTO interface via the bidirectional power system,
an ePTO second operation, in which power is transferred from the charging interface to the ePTO interface via the bidirectional power system, and
a charging operation, in which power is transferred from the charging interface to the energy storage system via the bidirectional power system.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to simultaneously permit transfer of power in one direction between the energy storage system and the charging interface system and transfer of power from the energy storage system to the ePTO interface.

3. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to simultaneously perform the ePTO second operation and the charging operation.

4. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to simultaneously permit transfer of power from the energy storage system to the ePTO interface and transfer of power from the charging interface to the ePTO interface.

5. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional power system is configured to simultaneously perform the ePTO first operation and the ePTO second operation.

6. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional power system further is configured to operate the system in an additional external power supply operation, in which power is transferred from the energy storage system to the charging interface via the bidirectional power system.

7. System according to claim 1 , wherein the junction unit comprises:
a controllable switch configured to control flow of power output from the charging interface,
a first sensor configured to determine an electrical characteristic of the external power supply grid,
and a second sensor configured to determine the flow of current to the external power load.

8. System according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical characteristics determined by the first sensor is indicative of any one of amplitude, frequency and phase angle of the voltage from the external power supply grid.

9. System according to claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional DC/AC converter is configured to match amplitude, frequency and phase angle of the voltage from the external power supply grid.

10. System according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit arranged to operate the bidirectional power system.

11. System according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control charging communication between the external power supply grid, the bidirectional DC/AC converter and the vehicle.

12. System according to claim 1 , wherein the junction unit comprises a second controllable switch configured to control flow of power to the ePTO interface when connected to the external load.

13. A vehicle comprising an electric power transmission system according to claim 1 .

14. A method for controlling an electric power transmission system according to claim 1 , characterized by controlling the bidirectional power system, by means of a control unit, to set the system in any one of the following operations: an ePTO first operation; an ePTO second operation; and a charging operation.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code for performing the steps of claim 14 when said program code is run on a computer.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Rodionov Artem
• Widek Per
• Stockman Andreas

Classifications

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title

• B60L2210/40

  DC to AC converters · CPC title

• B60L2210/30

  AC to DC converters · CPC title

• B60L1/006 Primary

  to power outlets · CPC title

• B60L53/16

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title