Powertrain controller for electric vehicle

Abstract

A powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV) includes a compressor controller configured to regulate a three-phase current supplied to an electrically actuated compressor by a vehicle battery of the EV or an electric motor of the EV; and a load bank controller configured to regulate a fourth phase current provided by a vehicle battery or an electric motor of the EV to the resistive load bank such that the compressor controller and the load bank controller are integrated into a common control system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to electric powertrain controllers, and more particularly to controllers used with electric vehicles (EVs). Background Art

[0002] Modern vehicles are increasingly propelled by electric motors that receive power from any of a variety of energy sources. Rather than relying solely on an internal combustion engine (ICE) for propulsion, vehicles may now primarily use electric motors to operate the EV. A vehicle may include one or more different energy sources that can be used to supply power to the electric motor. For example, a vehicle may include a battery, a fuel cell unit, and / or an ICE that is electrically connected to the electric motor to supply current to the electric motor, which is regulated by power control electronics. The power control electronics can regulate the power it receives and invert the received power for use by the vehicle's electric motor.

[0003] While the vehicle is coasting, the electric motor can recover electricity that can be used to charge the vehicle's energy storage system. In addition, the vehicle can include a resistive load in electrical communication with the power control electronics that receives excess current generated by the electric motor when the vehicle is coasting. The flow of current into the resistive load generates a significant amount of heat that can be dissipated in a variety of ways, such as using a fan to blow ambient air across the resistive group. Utility Model Content

[0004] In one embodiment, a powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV) includes: a compressor controller configured to regulate a three-phase current supplied by a vehicle battery of the EV or an electric motor of the EV to an electrically actuated compressor; and a load group controller configured to regulate a fourth-phase current provided by the vehicle battery of the EV or the electric motor to a resistive load group, such that the compressor controller and the load group controller are integrated into a common control system.

[0005] In another embodiment, a powertrain controller for an EV includes: a compressor controller configured to be electrically connected to an electrically actuated compressor, the compressor controller regulating current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor by a vehicle battery of the EV or an electric motor of the EV; and a load group controller configured to regulate current supplied to a resistive load group by a vehicle battery of the EV or an electric motor of the EV, wherein both the compressor controller and the load group controller are located within a powertrain controller housing.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, a powertrain controller for an EV includes: an electrically actuated compressor electrically connected to a control system of the powertrain controller; a resistive load group including a plurality of resistors electrically connected together, the resistive load group electrically connected to the control system of the powertrain controller; and a resistor housing housing the resistive load group and fluidly connected to a compressor portion of the electrically actuated compressor that cools the resistors, such that the control system is configured to receive current from a vehicle battery or an electric motor used by the EV for propulsion and provide a three-phase current to the electrically actuated compressor and a fourth-phase current to the resistive load group.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV) includes a compressor controller configured to regulate a three-phase alternating current (AC) current supplied to an electrically actuated compressor, and a load group controller including a DC chopper circuit and configured to regulate a fourth phase current supplied to a resistive load group, wherein the compressor controller and the load group controller are integrated into a common housing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of an electric vehicle (EV);

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view depicting an embodiment of a portion of an EV;

[0010] Figure 3 is a block diagram depicting an implementation of a portion of an EV;

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram depicting an embodiment of a control system implemented by a powertrain controller used by an EV;

[0012] Figure 5 is a perspective view depicting another embodiment of a portion of an EV;

[0013] Figure 6 is a circuit diagram depicting an embodiment of a powertrain controller implemented by an EV;

[0014] Figure 7 is a circuit diagram depicting an embodiment of a portion of a powertrain controller implemented by an EV;

[0015] Figure 8 is a circuit diagram depicting an embodiment of another portion of a powertrain controller implemented by an EV; and

[0016] Fig. 9is a circuit diagram depicting another embodiment of a portion of a powertrain controller implemented by an EV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] An electric vehicle (EV) may include one or more electric motors to propel the vehicle and one or more power supplies to supply current to the electric motors, and a powertrain controller to regulate the current supply. In addition to the electric motor(s), the EV may also include features to manage vehicle energy. For example, the EV may include a resistive load bank that includes an array of resistor elements that can receive excess current under certain conditions. A byproduct of receiving this current through the resistive load bank is heat, which can be managed using an electrically actuated compressor.

[0018] In the past, EVs have used relatively large resistive banks positioned at the front of the EV where they can be cooled using air flow generated by the movement of the vehicle, much like radiators used in internal combustion engine powered vehicles. However, these past implementations involved positioning the resistive banks at the front of the vehicle, limiting the shape of the vehicle and the use of space within the vehicle. The frontal area used by past air cooled load banks often exceeded the normal cooling capacity of the vehicle by two to five times.

[0019] The electrically actuated compressor can be actuated and controlled using a powertrain controller that regulates the current supply to the electric motor within the compressor housing to rotate the compressor impeller to pump compressed air onto the resistor element. The powertrain controller can be electrically connected to the resistive load group and the electrically actuated compressor, and include switches such as MOSFETs or IGBTs that invert the electrical energy stored in the vehicle battery to control the three-phase current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor. In addition to the switches that regulate the AC current supplied to the compressor, the powertrain controller can also include an additional set of switches that implement the fourth phase, which regulates the flow of current from one or more electric motors of the EV to the resistive load group. In this sense, the powertrain controller can regulate both the current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor and the current supplied to the resistive load group from the electric motor(s) of the EV in one controller.

[0020] Go to Figure 1, shows an embodiment of an electric vehicle (EV) 10. In this embodiment, the EV may include at least one electric motor 12, a vehicle battery 14 that supplies power to the electric motor 12 to propel the EV 10, a fuel cell unit 16 that supplies power to the electric motor 12 or the vehicle battery 14, a resistive load bank 18 that receives excess current from the electric motor 12, an electrically actuated compressor 20 that cools the resistive load bank 18, and a powertrain controller 22 that regulates both the current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor 20 and the current supplied to the resistive load bank 18.

[0021] The term "EV" may refer to a vehicle that is propelled in whole or in part by an electric motor. An EV may refer to a fuel cell vehicle, an electric vehicle, a plug-in electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or a battery-powered vehicle. The EV 10 may be a passenger vehicle or a commercial vehicle intended to transport goods and / or people. The electric motor(s) 12 may be implemented in any of a number of different ways. For example, the electric motor 12 may be a traction motor coupled to a transmission that transmits the rotational energy of the motor to the wheels of the EV 10. The vehicle battery 14 or battery is rechargeable and may include a lead-acid battery, a nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a lithium-ion battery, or a lithium-polymer battery. A typical range of vehicle battery voltage may be 200 V to 800 V, or higher, DC power (VDC). In this embodiment of the EV 10, the electric motor 12 may receive current from the vehicle battery 14 or the fuel cell unit 16, but other embodiments of the EV are possible, i.e., the electric motor thereon is powered only by the vehicle battery. Fuel cell units are known and convert fuel, such as hydrogen, into electrical current as part of a chemical reaction that produces byproducts, such as water. However, unlike the vehicle battery 14 , the fuel cell unit 16 cannot receive DC current from the EV 10 .

[0022] The electrically actuated compressor 20 includes a compressor portion 24 and an electric motor portion 26. This embodiment may sometimes be referred to as an electric supercharger because the forced induction in this embodiment relies solely on the rotational force provided by the electric motor, rather than using an exhaust turbine driven by the rotation of the exhaust gas as is common in turbocharging technology. A compressor shaft (not shown) extends through the compressor portion 24 and the electric motor portion 26. One end of the compressor shaft is coupled to a compressor located in the compressor portion, which rotates to compress air, which is ultimately supplied to a housing including a resistive load group 18. The compressed air flows through the housing and dissipates the heat generated by the resistive load group when current flows through the resistor. Another portion of the compressor shaft, which is spaced axially from the compressor and located in the electric motor portion 22, is coupled to the rotor assembly of the electric motor. The powertrain controller 22 may be electrically connected to the electrically actuated compressor 20, the electric motor 12 of the EV 10, the vehicle battery 14, and the resistive load group 18.

[0023] In one embodiment, the electric motor portion 26 may be implemented as a brushless motor powered by a DC voltage from the vehicle battery 14. The power of the electric motor that rotates the compressor and is included in the electric motor portion 26 may be above 1 kW. An electrical connector is included on the electrically actuated compressor 20 and transmits power from the vehicle battery 14 to the compressor 20 through the powertrain controller 22, which regulates the current supplied to the electric motor of the electrically actuated compressor 20. The power cable electrically connects the vehicle battery 14 to the powertrain controller, and the electrical connector electrically connects the powertrain controller 22 to the electrically actuated compressor 20 and the resistive load group 18.

[0024] The resistive load group 18 may include multiple resistors electrically connected in parallel and / or in series. The overall resistance of the resistive load group 18 may vary and may be specified by a specific application. However, in one embodiment, the resistance of the resistive load group 18 may be greater than 200 kW. The resistor may be positioned within a resistor housing 28 having an inlet 30 and an exhaust outlet 32. A pair of input terminals may electrically connect the resistive load group 18 to the powertrain controller 22. The resistive load group 18 may be mounted in any of a plurality of locations on the EV 10 so that the inlet 30 of the group 18 is in fluid communication with the electrically actuated compressor 20. In the past, the resistive load group was mounted toward the front of the vehicle so that an electrically or mechanically driven fan and the oncoming airflow generated by the movement of the vehicle cooled the resistor. However, in the present embodiment, the resistive load group 18 is cooled by the electrically actuated compressor 20 so that there is sufficient air flow over the resistor to allow greater freedom relative to the mounting position of the group 18. The electrically actuated compressor 20 may compress air into the inlet 30 of the resistor housing 28 to create a sufficient amount of airflow over the resistor exterior surface to dissipate heat and carry it out the exhaust outlet 32 ​​.

[0025] The powertrain controller 22 may be mounted at a location remote from the electrically actuated compressor 20, or in other embodiments, the powertrain controller 22 may be included in a common component with the compressor 20, such as Figure 4 The powertrain controller 22 includes a powertrain controller housing 34, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a plurality of electrical switches and electrical components that regulate the current to the electrically actuated compressor 20 and the resistive load bank 18. The electrical input terminal 38 can receive current from the vehicle battery 14. The powertrain controller 22 can also include three terminals 36 that are electrically coupled to the electrically actuated compressor 20.

[0026] The electrical switches may be implemented as MOSFETs, which are typically used to invert DC power into current that commutates the rotor relative to the stator in a traction motor. However, other types of switches are possible. And with respect to electrical components, this should be understood to include microprocessors, capacitors, resistors, and inductors that are typically used to implement modern control systems and power electronics as understood by those skilled in the art. Any of a variety of microprocessors is possible. For example, a microprocessor, such as an electronic control unit (ECU), may be any type of device capable of processing electronic instructions, including a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a host processor, a controller, a vehicle communication processor, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The microprocessor may be a dedicated processor used only to execute the control system described, or it may be shared with other vehicle systems. The microprocessor executes various types of digitally stored instructions, such as software programs or firmware programs stored in a memory.

[0027] The PCB, electrical switches, and electrical components can bidirectionally transmit current between the vehicle battery 14 and the electric motor 12 of the EV 10, supply current to the electrically actuated compressor 20, and selectively direct current to the resistive load bank 18. The housing 34 can be made of a material that is heat resistant and sufficiently resilient so that the housing protects the PCB and the electrical components included therein. The openings in the housing 34 can allow electrical connections to extend from within the housing 34 to components outside the housing 34, such as the vehicle battery 14, the electrically actuated compressor 20, or the electric motor 12 of the EV 10.

[0028] like Figure 3As shown, the EV 10 can receive braking energy at the electric motor 12. The movement of the EV 10 can be converted into AC power by the electric motor. The AC power can then be supplied to the powertrain controller 22. The powertrain controller 22 may include electrical components that implement a traction inverter 19 for the electric motor 12, a compressor inverter 21 for the compressor 20, a resistor chopper controller 23 for the resistive load group 18, and a junction box 25 that includes a plurality of switches for selectively providing power to the vehicle battery 14, the compressor 20, or the resistive load group 18. If the state of charge of the vehicle battery 14 is above a certain level, the junction box 25 may direct power to the compressor 20 and / or the resistive load group 18 through the inverter 21 or the resistor chopper controller 23.

[0029] Go to Figure 4 , shows an embodiment of a control system 40 used by the powertrain controller 22. The control system 40 includes electrical connections 42 to input terminals that carry current between the system 40 and the vehicle battery 14. The control system 40 also includes three electrical terminals 36 electrically connected to the electrically actuated compressor 20 and two resistor terminals 38 electrically connected to the resistive load bank 18. The control system 40 may include a compressor controller 44 and a load bank controller 46. The compressor controller 44 may include a three-phase DC motor controller for regulating the current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor 20. The three-phase controller may be implemented using six MOSFET switches, each switch being electrically connected to a microcontroller via a gate, the microcontroller including computer-readable instructions for motor control. In addition to the compressor controller 44, the control system may also include a load bank controller 46 that regulates the fourth phase. The load bank controller 46 may be implemented using a DC chopper circuit that generates a single-phase output that is selectively transmitted to the resistive load bank 18. The DC chopper circuit may be implemented using a MOSFET switch to adjust a fixed DC voltage received at the input terminal to a varying DC voltage applied to the resistive load bank. There are many control strategies for regulating these switches. Ultimately, however, the control system 40 integrates both the compressor controller 44 and the load bank controller 46 into one unified system within the motor controller.

[0030] Figure 5Another embodiment of the powertrain controller 22' when combined with the electrically-actuated compressor 20 is depicted. In this embodiment, the powertrain controller 22' is directly coupled to the electrically-actuated compressor 20. The air intake on the compressor portion 24 can have an air intake flow that is substantially co-linear with the DC electrical connection 60 of the powertrain controller 22'. That is, the electrical connection between the powertrain controller 22' and the resistive load group 18 can be pressed into mechanical engagement with the DC electrical connection 60, and its direction is the same as the direction of air flowing into the compressor portion 24 of the electrically-actuated compressor 20. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the air intake on the compressor portion 24 can have an air intake flow that is substantially co-linear with the DC electrical connection 60 of the powertrain controller 22', but its direction is 180 degrees (opposite) from the air intake of the compressor portion 24.

[0031] Figures 6 to 9 An embodiment of a powertrain controller 22 is depicted. The powertrain controller 22 may include a three-phase motor controller 48 for regulating current to the electric motor 12 and a DC chopper circuit 50 electrically connected to the resistive load bank 18 via a DC negative connection 52 and a DC positive connection 54. The control system 40 may be implemented using microprocessors 56 electrically connected to switches 58 implemented as MOSFETs. The powertrain controller 22 integrates the three-phase motor controller 48 and the DC chopper circuit 50 into one package that may be included within the powertrain controller housing 34. The integrated powertrain controller 22 including both the three-phase motor controller 48 and the DC chopper circuit 50 may include common electrical components shared by both the controller 48 and the circuit 50, unlike previous embodiments where the motor controller and the chopper circuit are separate structures. For example, the three-phase motor controller 48 and the DC chopper circuit 50 may share a DC high voltage interlock (HVIL) connector, EMI-EMC filter components, bulk capacitors, one or more microprocessors, CAN transceivers, driver boards, MOSFET switches, current sensors, and I / O.

[0032] It should be understood that the foregoing is a description of one or more embodiments of the utility model. The utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but is limited only by the following claims. In addition, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to specific embodiments and should not be interpreted as limitations on the definition of the terms used in the scope of the utility model or the claims, unless the terms or phrases are clearly defined above. For those skilled in the art, various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments will become apparent. All these other embodiments, changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0033] As used in this specification and claims, the terms "such as", "for example", "for example", "for example", and "like", and the verbs "comprise", "have", "include" and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a list of one or more components or other items, should each be interpreted as open-ended, meaning that the list should not be considered to exclude other, additional components or items. Other terms should be interpreted using their broadest reasonable meaning unless the context in which they are used requires a different interpretation.

Claims

1. A powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV), characterized in that: The powertrain controller comprises: a compressor controller configured to regulate a three-phase current supplied by a vehicle battery of the electric vehicle or an electric motor of the electric vehicle to an electrically actuated compressor; and A load bank controller is configured to regulate a fourth phase current provided by a vehicle battery or an electric motor of the electric vehicle to a resistive load bank, wherein the compressor controller and the load bank controller are integrated into a common control system.

2. The powertrain controller according to claim 1, wherein: The compressor controller controls a three-phase motor controller, and the load bank controller controls a DC chopper circuit.

3. The powertrain controller according to claim 2, wherein: The DC chopper circuit and the three-phase motor controller are implemented using six switches.

4. The powertrain controller according to claim 1, wherein: The powertrain controller further includes an electrical connection from the powertrain controller to the resistive load bank.

5. The powertrain controller according to claim 1, wherein: The compressor controller and the load group controller are both located in a powertrain controller housing.

6. A powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV), characterized in that: The powertrain controller comprises: a compressor controller configured to be electrically coupled to the electrically actuated compressor, the compressor controller regulating current supplied to the electrically actuated compressor by a vehicle battery of the electric vehicle or an electric motor of the electric vehicle; and A load bank controller is configured to regulate current provided by a vehicle battery or an electric motor of the electric vehicle to a resistive load bank, wherein the compressor controller and the load bank controller are both within a powertrain controller housing.

7. The powertrain controller according to claim 6, wherein: The compressor controller controls a three-phase motor controller, and the load bank controller controls a DC chopper circuit.

8. The powertrain controller according to claim 7, wherein: The DC chopper circuit and the three-phase motor controller are implemented using at least six switches.

9. The powertrain controller according to claim 6, wherein: The powertrain controller further includes an electrical connection from the powertrain controller to the resistive load bank.

10. A powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV), characterized in that: The powertrain controller comprises: an electrically actuated compressor electrically connected to a control system of the powertrain controller; a resistive load bank including a plurality of resistors electrically connected together, the resistive load bank being electrically connected to a control system of the powertrain controller; and a resistor housing housing the resistive load bank and in fluid communication with a compressor portion of an electrically actuated compressor for cooling the resistor, The control system is configured to receive current from an electric motor or a vehicle battery used for propulsion of the electric vehicle and provide three-phase current to the electrically actuated compressor and a fourth-phase current to the resistive load group.

11. The powertrain controller according to claim 10, wherein: The control system includes a three-phase motor controller and a DC chopper circuit.

12. The powertrain controller according to claim 11, wherein: The DC chopper circuit and the three-phase motor controller are implemented using at least six switches.

13. The powertrain controller according to claim 10, wherein: The powertrain controller further includes electrical connections from the powertrain controller to the resistive load bank and the electrically actuated compressor.

14. A powertrain controller for an electric vehicle (EV), characterized in that: The powertrain controller comprises: a compressor controller configured to regulate three-phase alternating current (AC) current supplied to the electrically-actuated compressor; and A load bank controller includes a DC chopper circuit and is configured to regulate a fourth phase current provided to a resistive load bank, wherein the compressor controller and the load bank controller are integrated into a common housing.

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