Electrified vehicle with power dissipation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9878703-B2
Application number	US-201615064039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An electrified vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, an energy recovery mechanism, and a controller configured to selectively activate at least a battery cooling mode to dissipate excess power from the energy recovery mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrified vehicle, comprising:
an energy recovery mechanism; and
a controller configured to simultaneously activate both a battery cooling mode and a battery heating mode to dissipate excess power from the energy recovery mechanism.

2. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle battery.

3. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the controller simultaneously activates both the battery cooling mode and the battery heating mode only if the vehicle battery is below a threshold temperature.

4. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the vehicle includes a battery cooling loop having a coolant pump configured to circulate cooling fluid to cool a vehicle battery, and
the controller is configured to activate the battery cooling mode by directing excess power to at least one of the coolant pump and an air conditioning compressor.

5. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 4 , wherein:
the vehicle includes a battery heating loop having a heater adjacent a vehicle battery, and
the controller is configured to activate the battery heating mode by directing excess power to the heater.

6. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the heater is an induction heater.

7. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle battery, wherein the controller selectively directs power from the energy recovery mechanism to the vehicle battery until the vehicle battery is fully charged, and wherein the excess power from the energy recovery mechanism is power in excess of what is required to fully charge the vehicle battery.

8. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the energy recovery mechanism is a regenerative braking system that selectively resists rotation of at least one wheel of the electrified vehicle.

9. The electrified vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electrified vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle.

10. A method of dissipating power within an electrified vehicle, comprising:
generating excess power from an energy recovery mechanism of the electrified vehicle; and
using a controller, simultaneously activating both a battery cooling mode and a battery heating mode to dissipate the excess power from the energy recovery mechanism.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the battery cooling mode and battery heating mode are simultaneously activated if the battery heating mode alone cannot dissipate the excess power.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the battery cooling mode and the battery heating mode are simultaneously activated only if a vehicle battery is below a threshold temperature.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein activating the battery cooling mode includes directing excess power to at least one of a coolant pump and an air conditioning compressor.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein activating the battery heating mode includes directing excess power to a heater adjacent a vehicle battery.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Inc
• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kava Chris Michael
• Hancock Kent
• Porras Angel Fernando
• Rockwell Mark Anthony
• Badger Justin Reuel
• Dunn Brett Allen

Classifications

• B60Y2400/112

  Batteries · CPC title

• B60W20/14 Primary

  in conjunction with braking regeneration · CPC title

• B60W2510/246

  Temperature · CPC title

• B60Y2300/92

  Battery protection from overload or overcharge · CPC title

• B60K2006/4833

  Step up or reduction gearing driving generator, e.g. to operate generator in most efficient speed range · CPC title