Systems and methods for energy delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12580476-B2
Application number	US-202218060733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2022
Priority date	Dec 1, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Energy conversion is provided. An energy conversion device can include one or more power delivery interfaces. The energy conversion device can include a pre-charge circuit configured to charge a capacitor to an operating voltage. The energy conversion device can include a user accessible interface configured to provide energy to the pre-charge circuit. The pre-charge circuit can charge the capacitor associated with the one or more power delivery interfaces. The user-accessible interfaces can include a direct current (DC) input. The user-accessible interfaces can include an alternating current (AC) input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
an energy conversion device, the energy conversion device comprising: one or more power delivery interfaces; a pre-charge circuit configured to charge a capacitor to an operating voltage; a user accessible interface configured to provide energy to the pre-charge circuit to charge the capacitor associated with the one or more power delivery interfaces, the user accessible interface comprising:
a direct current (DC) input; and
an alternating current (AC) input; and
a controller to:
charge the capacitor to a test voltage prior to charging the capacitor to the operating voltage;
detect an insulation resistance of at least a portion of a first power delivery interface;
compare the insulation resistance to a minimum insulation resistance; and
determine that the operating voltage is permitted, responsive to the insulation resistance meeting or exceeding the minimum insulation resistance.

2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the user accessible interface to:
convert a voltage received by the user accessible interface to an interface voltage for the pre-charge circuit, wherein: the interface voltage is higher than the voltage received by the user accessible interface; the interface voltage is determined by a controller based on a communication channel established between an electric vehicle and the controller; and at least one of the one or more power delivery interfaces is configured to provide first energy in a first mode of operation, and to receive second energy in a second mode of operation.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the DC input comprises a DC to DC converter to convert a first voltage received by the user accessible interface to a voltage of a DC bus; the AC input comprises:
a rectification circuit to rectify a signal received from the AC input; and
an AC to DC conversion circuit to convert the rectified signal to the voltage of the DC bus; and
the DC input and the AC input are each separated from the DC bus by a respective diode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the energy conversion device to:
establish a communication channel with an electric vehicle; determine a voltage of a battery of the electric vehicle; and pre-charge the capacitor to a voltage based on the voltage of the battery.

5 . The system of claim 1 , comprising the energy conversion device to:
connect an energy storage device via a first power delivery interface; receive energy from a second power delivery interface while connected to the energy storage device; detect a power event at the second power delivery interface; and receive, incident to the detection of the power event, energy from the energy storage device via the first power delivery interface.

6 . The system of claim 1 , comprising:
the user accessible interface to provide energy to a controller, the controller to activate, responsive to the provision of energy, and thereupon provide a control signal to charge the capacitor to a test voltage in excess of 500 volts; the controller to determine a condition of insulation associated with a bidirectional power delivery interface; and the controller to cause the capacitor to be charged to the operating voltage in excess of 270 volts to configure the energy conversion device to receive energy from a battery of an electric vehicle.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy conversion device comprises:
a first power delivery interface to interface with an electric vehicle; and a second power delivery interface to interface with a power grid; wherein the first power delivery interface provides energy to the electric vehicle in a first mode of operation and receives energy from the electric vehicle in a second mode of operation.

8 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a controller to:
activate, responsive to the provision of energy, and thereupon establish a communication channel with an electric vehicle; receive, from the electric vehicle, a voltage for a battery of the electric vehicle; provide a first control signal to charge the capacitor to a battery voltage of the electric vehicle; detect a completion of the charging of the capacitor; and provide a second control signal to close a switchable connection of the one or more power delivery interfaces.

9 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a controller to:
cause a notification to be presented, the notification indicative of a status of the energy conversion device.

10 . A method, comprising:
activating a controller based on connecting a first power delivery interface between an energy conversion device and a first energy source and connecting a user accessible interface to a second energy source; charging a capacitor to a test voltage in excess of 500 volts and exceeding a voltage supplied by the second energy source, wherein the user accessible interface includes a DC input and an AC input, and the second energy source is coupled to the DC input or the AC input; closing a switchable connection between the energy conversion device and the first energy source; receiving energy from the first energy source at the first power delivery interface; determining a condition of insulation associated with a bidirectional power delivery interface; and causing the capacitor to be charged to an operating voltage in excess of 270 volts to configure the energy conversion device to receive energy from a battery of an electric vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first energy source is a battery of an electric vehicle; and the interface is isolated from the first energy source.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the DC input comprises a DC to DC converter to convert a first voltage received by the user accessible interface to a voltage of a DC bus; the AC input comprises:
a rectification circuit to rectify a signal received from the AC input; and
an AC to DC conversion circuit to convert the rectified signal to the voltage of the DC bus; and
the DC input and the AC input are each separated from the DC bus by a respective diode.

13 . The method of claim 10 , comprising the controller to cause a notification to be presented, the notification indicative of a power event.

14 . An energy conversion device, comprising:
a first power delivery interface configured to interface with an energy source, the first power delivery interface including a normally open switchable connection; a user accessible interface to provide power to a controller, the user accessible interface comprising:
a DC input; and
an AC input;
the controller configured to activate in response to the provision of energy; the controller to generate a first control signal to charge a capacitor associated with the first power delivery interface to a test voltage in excess of 500 volts; the controller to determine a condition of insulation associated with a bidirectional power delivery interface; and the controller to cause the capacitor to be charged to an operating voltage in excess of 270 volts to configure the energy conversion device to receive energy from a battery of an electric vehicle.

15 . The energy conversion device of claim 14 , comprising the controller to:
receive power from a second power delivery interface; establish a communication channel with an electric vehicle comprising the energy source attached to the energy conversion device via the first power delivery interface; charge the capacitor to a charging voltage equal to or exceeding a battery voltage of a battery of the electric vehicle; detect a completion of t

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Murthy Puneeth Kumar Srikanta
• Li Ming
• Wei Lixiang
• Schulz Steven
• Franck Walter Axel

Classifications

• H02M1/36

  Means for starting or stopping converters · CPC title

• B60L53/22 Primary

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

• B60L53/66

  Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/62

  in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge · CPC title

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title