Charge cycle strategy for vehicles using smaller cross section cable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9656560-B2
Application number	US-201414570147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 15, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle includes a traction battery that is coupled to an external charger via a charge port. The traction battery has a maximum charge current. At least one conducting element between the charger and the traction battery is configured with a continuous current rating that is less than the maximum charge current. A controller within a vehicle charging system is programmed to control the current flow through the conducting element such that a current greater than the continuous current rating is conducted for less than a predetermined time that is based on an expected temperature rise of the conducting element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle charging system comprising:
a conducting element configured to couple a charger to a traction battery and having a continuous current rating less than a maximum charge current; and
a controller programmed to control current flow through the conducting element such that a current greater than the continuous current rating is conducted for less than a predetermined time that is based on an expected temperature rise of the conducting element caused by the current.

2. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the conducting element is a conductor having a predetermined cross sectional area.

3. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the conducting element is a connecter pin or a connector terminal.

4. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the conducting element includes a welded termination or a crimped termination.

5. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time decreases as the current increases.

6. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time is selected to limit a temperature rise of the conducting element to less than a predetermined temperature rise relative to an ambient temperature.

7. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time is further based on a cross sectional area of the conducting element.

8. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further programmed to decrease the current after the predetermined time.

9. The vehicle charging system of claim 1 wherein the current and the predetermined time are selected from a charging current profile.

10. The vehicle charging system of claim 9 wherein the charging current profile includes a plurality of charging currents and associated time values that are configured to limit a temperature of the conducting element to less than a predetermined temperature.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a traction battery;
a conducting element configured to couple a charge port to the traction battery and having a continuous current rating less than a maximum charge current; and
a controller programmed to control current flow through the conducting element such that a current greater than the continuous current rating is conducted for less than a predetermined time that is based on an expected temperature rise of the conducting element.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the conducting element is a conductor having a predetermined cross sectional area.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the conducting element is a connecter pin or a connector terminal.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the predetermined time decreases as the current increases.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the predetermined time is selected to limit a temperature rise of the conducting element to less than a predetermined temperature rise relative to an ambient temperature.

16. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the predetermined time is further based on a cross sectional area of the conducting element.

17. The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the controller is further programmed to decrease the current after the predetermined time.

18. A method comprising:
coupling a traction battery to an external power source with a conductive element having a continuous current rating that is less than a maximum charge current of the traction battery; and
controlling, by a controller, current flow through the conducting element such that a current greater than the continuous current rating is conducted for less than a predetermined time that is based on an expected temperature rise of the conducting element.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the predetermined time is selected to limit a temperature rise of the conducting element to less than a predetermined temperature rise relative to an ambient temperature.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein controlling current flow includes decreasing the current after the predetermined time.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lopez Juan
• Basoukeas Nondo G

Classifications

• B60L50/52

  characterised by DC-motors · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title

• B60L58/24

  for controlling the temperature of batteries · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/14 Primary

  Conductive energy transfer · CPC title