Electric Vehicle Charging Via Grid And Engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017015208-A1
Application number	US-201514800095-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a traction battery, a generator coupled to the engine and battery, and a controller. The controller may be configured to, in response to a current flowing from a battery charge station to the battery being less than a maximum charge current, a selection of a fast charge mode, and a temperature of the engine being less than a predetermined temperature, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to charge the battery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
an engine; a traction battery; and a controller configured to, in response to a battery charge current from a battery charge station being less than a maximum charge current while the vehicle is parked and in a fast charge mode, operate the engine to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate a cooling fan for the engine when the engine is rotating.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a temperature of the engine being greater than a predetermined temperature, activate a cooling fan at a speed greater than a standard speed.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a level of carbon monoxide in an area proximate to the vehicle being greater than a predetermined concentration.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

9 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

10 . A powertrain control module for a hybrid vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to, in response to a selection of a fast charge mode and a flow of electric charge from a battery charge station to a traction battery, operate an engine to drive a generator to generate a supplemental current to increase a rate of charge of the battery.

11 . The module of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

12 . The module of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a vehicle location being indoors.

13 . The module of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

14 . The module of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to inhibit operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time of the future route and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

15 . The module of claim 10 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

16 . A method to supplement current from a battery charge station comprising:
while a traction battery is receiving current from a charge station, operating an engine to drive a generator electrically coupled with a traction battery to generate a supplemental current to increase a charge rate of the battery.

17 . The method of claim 16 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a temperature of the engine exceeding a predetermined temperature.

18 . The method of claim 17 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a signal indicative of a future route expected to traverse through a green zone.

19 . The method of claim 18 further including inhibiting operation of the engine in response to a charge duration defined by a difference in an expected start time and a current time being less than a time to charge the battery with the charge current.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the battery charge station is an inductive charge station.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dunlap Brock
• Lovett Karin
• Bolger Bryan Michael
• Treharne William David

Classifications

• B60L11/1816 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60L50/15 Primary

  with additional electric power supply (with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61) · CPC title

• B60L53/14 Primary

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title