Method and apparatus for supplying auxiliary electrical power to an electric or hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457666-B2
Application number	US-201213436316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2012
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

The present invention may include a towable trailer being mechanically couplable to a vehicle, the towable trailer including an auxiliary battery housing unit, a wheel being rotatably connected to the towable trailer, an auxiliary battery disposed within the auxiliary battery housing unit of the towable trailer, the vehicle including a storage battery, the auxiliary battery of the towable trailer being electrically couplable with the storage battery of the vehicle via a bidirectional pathway, and a control system configured to control a transfer of electrical energy between the auxiliary battery of the towable trailer and the storage battery of the vehicle along the bidirectional pathway.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An auxiliary power system for supplying auxiliary electrical power to an electric or hybrid vehicle, comprising:
a towable trailer being mechanically couplable to a vehicle including a drivetrain, the drivetrain of the vehicle including one or more storage batteries and an energy conversion portion electrically couplable with the one or more storage batteries via a third pathway, the towable trailer including an auxiliary battery housing unit;
at least one wheel being rotatably connected to the towable trailer;
one or more auxiliary batteries disposed within the auxiliary battery housing unit of the towable trailer,
a bidirectional electrical pathway electronically coupling the towable trailer and the vehicle, the bidirectional electrical pathway comprising:
a first pathway electrically coupling the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer to the one or more storage batteries via a first coupling control circuitry; and
a second pathway electrically coupling the energy conversion portion to the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer via a second coupling control circuitry; and

a control system configured to control a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain via the first pathway, a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain via the second pathway, or a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain via the third pathway.

2. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein the energy conversion portion of the drive train comprises:
an electric machine.

3. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein the energy conversion portion of the drive train comprises:
power conversion circuitry.

4. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pathway, the second pathway or the third pathway comprises:
a unidirectional pathway.

5. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pathway, the second pathway or the third pathway comprises:
a bidirectional pathway.

6. The auxiliary power system of claim 1 , wherein the control system configured to control at least one of a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain via the first pathway, a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain via the second pathway, or a transfer of electrical energy between the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain via the third pathway comprises:
a control system configured to at least one of selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer with the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain, selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain, or selectively electrically couple the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain.

7. The auxiliary power system of claim 6 , wherein the control system configured to at least one of selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer with the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain, selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain, or selectively electrically couple the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain comprises:
a control system configured to at least one of selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer with the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain utilizing a first coupling circuitry communicatively coupled with the control system, selectively electrically couple the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain utilizing a second coupling circuitry communicatively coupled with the control system, or selectively electrically couple the one or more storage batteries of the drivetrain and the energy conversion portion of the drivetrain utilizing a third coupling circuitry communicatively coupled with the control system.

8. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to maintain a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle above a preselected charge level.

9. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to maintain a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer above a preselected charge level.

10. The auxiliary power system claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to establish at least one of a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries, wherein at least one of the charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or the charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer are determined by one or more parameters.

11. The auxiliary power system claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to establish at least one of a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries, wherein at least one of the charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or the charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer are determined by one or more external parameters.

12. The auxiliary power system claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to establish at least one of a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries, wherein at least one of the charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or the charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer are determined by one or more internal parameters.

13. The auxiliary power system claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to establish at least one of a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries, wherein at least one of the charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or the charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer are determined by a difference between a first parameter and a second parameter.

14. The auxiliary power system claim 13 , wherein the control system is configured to establish at least one of a charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or a charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries, wherein at least one of the charge state of the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle or the charge state of the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer are determined by a difference between a cost of electricity associated with charging the one or more storage batteries of the vehicle and a cost of electricity associated with charging the one or more auxiliary batteries of the towable trailer.

15. The auxiliary power system c

Assignees

• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Chan Alistair K
• Cook Daniel B
• Duncan William David
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Latham John
• Salter Stephen H
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Weaver Thomas A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Chan Alistair K
• Cook Daniel B
• Duncan William David
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Latham John
• Salter Stephen H
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Weaver Thomas A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• B60L53/54

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• B60L58/16

  responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH] · CPC title

• B60L58/20

  having different nominal voltages · CPC title

• B60L58/22

  Balancing the charge of battery modules · CPC title

• B60L2250/16

  by display · CPC title