Power management of off-board loads in electrified vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to off-board load power management for electrified vehicles. A power management system for off-board loads for electrification is provided. The system may include a DC to AC inverter for powering auxiliary loads. Using a manual selector, an operator may select an amount of power that will always be allocated for use by the inverter during vehicle operation. A controller may ensure that the selected amount of power is available for use by the inverter and control the generator accordingly. The controller may manage the distribution of power from a battery and / or generator to a powertrain and other vehicle accessories to ensure that the selected amount of power for the inverter always remains available.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to off-board load power management in an electrified vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle or a fully electric vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Today's electrified vehicles generate a large amount of power for on-board and off-board use. On-board loads may include traction motors, vehicle accessories, and other loads associated with the operation of the vehicle. Off-board loads, referred to as auxiliary loads, are not associated with the operation of the electrified vehicle. Auxiliary loads may receive their power through a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) inverter. These auxiliary loads may include such objects that require power, such as appliances, computer equipment, mobile homes, or military-based weapon systems. The power available for off-board or auxiliary loads may fluctuate based on the power requirements of the electrified vehicle, especially the power requirements of the powertrain. This may result in possible damage to the devices that have been powered or at least cause dissatisfaction to the operator. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for an electrified vehicle. The system may include: an inverter; a battery that receives energy from a generator and powers the inverter; and a manual selector that receives an input indicating a minimum amount of power to be allocated to the inverter. The system may also include a controller that controls the output of the generator based on the input and allocates at least the minimum amount of power to the inverter.

[0004] A manual selector may provide a selection of a percentage of power as the minimum power amount. Alternatively, an actual power value may be selected as the minimum power amount using the manual selector. The minimum power amount may be reset to zero in response to a change in ignition switch state, or the minimum power amount may be maintained between changes in ignition switch state.

[0005] The system may also include a motor that receives power from the battery and provides torque to the drive wheels. The controller may be configured to limit the power received by the motor from the battery or the generator to ensure that the minimum amount of power is allocated to the inverter. The system may also include an interface that communicates with the controller and has an indicator that displays a warning when the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter affects the power available to propel the vehicle and power accessories. The interface may also have an indicator that displays the minimum amount of power selected by the operator. In addition, a manual selector may be integrated into the interface.

[0006] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle. The vehicle may include an inverter, a manual selector, and a generator. The inverter may convert DC energy from a high voltage bus into AC energy for off-board use during vehicle operation. The manual selector may receive an input indicating a minimum amount of power to be allocated to the inverter. The generator may provide energy to the high voltage bus based in part on the minimum amount of power.

[0007] The manual selector may provide a selection of a percentage of power as said minimum power amount. Alternatively, the manual selector may provide a selection of an actual power value as said minimum power amount.

[0008] The vehicle may also include a controller in communication with the manual selector to control the generator based on the input and provide at least the selected amount of power to the inverter. The vehicle may also include a motor that receives power from the battery and provides torque to the drive wheels. The controller may be configured to limit the power received by the motor from the battery to ensure that the minimum amount of power is allocated to the inverter. An interface in communication with the controller may have an indicator that displays a warning when the minimum amount of power allocated for use by the inverter affects the power available to propel the vehicle and power accessories.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method, comprising: receiving operator input indicating a minimum amount of power to be allocated to an inverter through an interface; controlling an output of a generator in an electrified vehicle based on the minimum amount of power; and allocating at least the minimum amount of power to the inverter during operation of the electrified vehicle.

[0010] The method may also include: resetting the minimum power amount to zero in response to a change in the ignition switch state, or displaying the minimum power amount selected by the operator. In addition, the method may also include: storing energy generated by the generator in a battery; limiting the power provided from the battery to the motor for propelling the vehicle to ensure that the minimum power amount is allocated to the inverter. A warning may be displayed when the minimum power amount allocated to the inverter affects the power available for propelling the vehicle and powering accessories. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) including an inverter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2A is an interface having a display including a manual selector and an indicator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2B is another example of an interface and a display including another indicator;

[0014] Figure 3 is a flow chart depicting a method for distributing power to inverters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, wherein the present invention may be implemented in various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to utilize the present invention in various ways.

[0016] Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1 is a simplified schematic diagram of a vehicle 10, which may include an engine 12 and an electric motor (or generator) 14. The engine 12 and the generator 14 may be connected via a power transmission device, which in this embodiment is a planetary gear device 16. Of course, other types of power transmission devices, including other gear sets and transmissions, may be used to connect the engine 12 to the generator 14. The planetary gear device 16 may include a ring gear 18, a carrier 20, planetary gears 22, and a sun gear 24.

[0017] Generator 14 may also output torque to shaft 26 connected to sun gear 24. Similarly, engine 12 may output torque to crankshaft 28, which may be connected to shaft 30 via passive clutch 32. Passive clutch 32 may provide protection against over-torque conditions. Shaft 30 may be connected to carrier 20 of planetary gear arrangement 16, and ring gear 18 may be connected to shaft 34, which may be connected to a first set of vehicle drive wheels (or primary drive wheels) 36 via gear set 38.

[0018] The vehicle 10 may include a second electric machine or motor 40 that may be used to output torque to the drive shaft 36 via a shaft 42 connected to the gear set 38. Other vehicles within the scope of the present disclosure may have different electric machine arrangements (e.g., more or less than two electric machines). Figure 1 In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the electric machine arrangement (i.e., the motor 40 and the generator 14) can both be used as motors to output torque. Optionally, each electric machine arrangement can also be used as a generator to output electrical power to a high voltage bus 44 and an energy storage system 46, which may include a battery 48 and a battery control module (BCM) 50.

[0019] The battery 48 can be a high voltage battery capable of outputting electrical power to operate the motor 40 and the generator 14. The BCM 50 acts as a controller for the battery 48. Other types of energy storage systems can be used in vehicles (such as the vehicle 10). For example, a device such as a capacitor can be used, which is similar to a high voltage battery and is capable of both storing and outputting electrical energy. Alternatively, a device such as a fuel cell can be used in conjunction with a battery and / or a capacitor to provide electrical power to the vehicle 10. Here, the terms "power" and "energy" can be used interchangeably. As understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, energy is the amount of work done, and power is the rate at which work is done (or the rate at which energy is transmitted). Therefore, energy is simply the integral of power over time.

[0020] As in Figure 1 , the motor 40, the generator 14, the planetary gear arrangement 16, and a portion of the second gear set 38 may generally be referred to as a transmission 52. In order to control the components of the engine 12 and the transmission 52 (i.e., the generator 14 and the motor 40), a vehicle control system (generally shown as a controller 54) may be provided. Although a single controller is shown, multiple controllers that can be used to control multiple vehicle systems may also be included. For example, the controller 54 may be a vehicle system controller / powertrain control module (VSC / PCM). In this regard, the PCM portion of the VSC / PCM may be software embedded within the VSC / PCM, or may be a separate hardware device.

[0021] A controller area network (CAN) 56 allows the controller 54 to communicate with the transmission 52 and the BCM 50. Just as the battery 48 includes the BCM 50, other devices controlled by the controller 54 may have their own controllers. For example, an engine control unit (ECU) (not shown) may communicate with the controller 54 and may perform control functions for the engine 12. In addition, the transmission 52 may include a transmission control module (TCM) (not shown) that is configured to coordinate control of specific components within the transmission 52, such as the generator 14 and / or the motor 40. In accordance with the present disclosure, some or all of these various controllers and associated components may make up the control system 58. Although shown and described in the context of the vehicle 10 (the vehicle 10 being a full HEV), it should be understood that embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented on other types of electrified vehicles, such as vehicles including other hybrid powertrains or full electric vehicles.

[0022] In addition to providing power to the motor 40 and the generator 14, the battery 48 can also provide power to onboard loads associated with the operation of the vehicle. For example, the battery 48 can be used to power various other accessories of the vehicle, headlights, etc. (collectively referred to as accessories 60 herein). Power can be supplied directly or indirectly. As an example, the vehicle 10 may include a separate secondary battery (not shown) (such as a typical 12 volt battery) that supplies power to the accessories 60, and the battery 48 is used to charge the secondary battery via a DC to DC converter (not shown).

[0023] The vehicle may also include a DC to AC inverter 62 connected to the battery 48 via the high voltage bus 44. The inverter 62 may also receive power from the battery 48 and / or the generator 14 and power "off-board" or auxiliary loads 64 that are not associated with the operation of the vehicle 10. The inverter 62 may convert the DC energy received from the high voltage bus 44 into AC energy for use by the off-board vehicle during operation. Today's electrified vehicles can generate a lot of power. Some auxiliary loads (such as weapon systems and radar units towed by the vehicle 10 in military use) may require a large amount of power. As another example of an auxiliary load, an inverter may be used to power a mobile home towed by the vehicle. Other auxiliary loads 64 powered by the inverter 62 may include refrigerators, small appliances, and the like.

[0024] The inverter 62 may compete with the dynamic traction power demand that is typically present when the vehicle 10 is being driven. The motor 40 may require power for propulsion of the vehicle based on operator demand, while the inverter 62 may require a specific amount of power to support the auxiliary loads 64. According to an embodiment, the vehicle 10 may allocate a minimum amount of power to the inverter 62 to avoid starving the inverter of power during the highest traction power demand events. As used herein, the term "allocate" may refer to supplying power to the inverter 62, or reserving power that will be provided to the inverter when needed. The vehicle 10 may include a manual selector 66 that allows an operator of the vehicle to allocate a specific amount of power generated by the vehicle's electrical system to the inverter 62 for off-board use of the auxiliary loads 64. The specific amount of power may be the minimum amount of power available from the high voltage bus 44 that is always available to the inverter for use during a start-up drive event.

[0025] The manual selector 66 may be a hardware-based input device, a software-based input device, or a combination of hardware-based input devices and software-based input devices. For example, the manual selector 66 may be a physical dial, a momentary rocker switch, a virtual dial, one or more physical or virtual buttons, etc. The manual selector 66 may be integrated into an interface 68 (such as a human-machine interface having a display 70).

[0026] The interface 68 may be disposed within an instrument panel (such as an instrument panel or center console area) (not shown) of the vehicle 10. The display 70 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light emitting display (OLED), or any other suitable display. The display 70 may include a touch screen for receiving driver input associated with a selected area of ​​the display. The interface 68 may also include one or more buttons (not shown), including hard keys or soft keys located near the display 70 for implementing driver input. Accordingly, as shown in Figure 2A , the driver or other operator can make inverter power allocations using the manual selector 66 via the interface 68. The display 70 can also include an indicator 72 showing the selected minimum power amount. The operator can make an allocation of the minimum power amount for inverter use because the operator knows approximately how much power the auxiliary load 64 requires.

[0027] The controller 54 may receive an input indicating a minimum amount of power to allocate to the inverter 62. The controller 54 may use the input for powertrain control purposes. The operator-selected minimum amount of power may be used, at least in part, by the controller 54 to control the generator output. For example, the greater the selected minimum amount of power for inverter use, the more the controller 54 can operate the generator 14 to generate power for charging the battery 48 and / or directly powering the inverter 62 via the high voltage bus 44. The controller 54 can ensure that the power demand of the inverter 62 is always met.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the manual selector 66 may provide a selection of a percentage of the available system power as the minimum amount of power to be allocated for use by the inverter. For example, the operator may have the option of selecting 25% of full power, the option of selecting 50% of full power, etc. via the manual selector 66. According to another embodiment, the manual selector 66 may provide a selection of an actual power value as the minimum amount of power to be allocated for use by the inverter. For example, the operator may have the option of selecting 1.5 kW, 3 kW, 7 kW, etc. via the manual selector 66.

[0029] The minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter 62 may be changed by the operator at any time. In addition, according to some embodiments, the allocation of the minimum amount of power used by the inverter may only apply to an ignition cycle (during which the selection is made). Accordingly, the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter for use may be reset in response to a change in the ignition switch state. Alternatively, the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter for use may be maintained between changes in the ignition switch state. The operator can choose whether to reset the selected power allocation or to maintain the selected power allocation between ignition switch cycles.

[0030] In certain situations, the allocation of the minimum amount of power for inverter use may affect the available power required for motor 40 to produce torque to propel vehicle 10. For example, when the inverter power allocation is relatively high, the available powertrain traction energy may be insufficient to meet the relatively high motor torque demand. In these situations, controller 54 may limit the power received by motor 40 from battery 48 to ensure that the minimum amount of power is always allocated to inverter 62. As in Figure 2B As shown in FIG. 1 , the interface 68 may include an indicator 74 that displays a warning when the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter for use affects the power available to propel the vehicle and power accessories. Thus, the interface 68 may convey to the driver that powertrain performance may be limited due to the current inverter power allocation.

[0031] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method 300 for allocating a minimum amount of power to the inverter 62 for off-board use of the auxiliary load 64 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 305, the controller 54 may receive an operator input indicating a minimum amount of power to be allocated to the inverter 62. The input may be received through the interface 68 (such as, via the manual selector 66). The interface 68 may display an indicator 72, which displays the selected minimum amount of power. At step 310, the controller 54 may control the output of the generator 14 based on the minimum amount of power selected by the operator. As provided in step 315, the energy generated by the generator 14 may be stored in the battery 48, or the energy may be directly supplied to the inverter. Further, as provided in step 320, the controller 54 may allocate at least the minimum amount of power from the battery 48 or the generator 14 or both to the inverter 62 for use during operation of the vehicle 10.

[0032] At step 325, the controller 54 may determine whether the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter 62 affects the required traction energy (i.e., the energy required by the motor 40 to propel the vehicle 10). If the inverter power allocation affects the required traction energy, the controller 54 may limit the power provided to the motor 40 from the battery 48 to ensure that the minimum amount of power selected by the operator is allocated to the inverter 62, as provided at step 330. At step 335, the interface 68 may display the warning indicator 74, which communicates the impact on the powertrain performance when the minimum amount of power allocated for use by the inverter affects the available energy required by the motor 40. The method may then return to step 325.

[0033] If it is determined at step 325 that the inverter power allocation does not currently affect the required traction energy, the method may proceed to step 340. At step 340, the controller 54 may determine whether the vehicle 10 has been powered off. If the vehicle 10 has been powered off, the controller 54 may reset the minimum amount of power allocated to the inverter 62 to zero as set at step 345. In this way, there may be no carryover of inverter power allocation from one ignition cycle to the next. More specifically, if desired, the operator may be required to select the minimum amount of power that will be allocated to the inverter for use per ignition cycle. If the vehicle 10 has not been powered off, the method may then return to step 305 and start over.

[0034] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms of the present invention. More specifically, the words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, the features of the various embodiments of implementation may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for an electrified vehicle, comprising: Inverter; a battery, which receives energy from the generator and powers the inverter; a manual selector that receives an operator input indicating a minimum amount of power to allocate to the inverter for off-board loads not associated with propulsion of the vehicle; A controller is configured to control an output of the generator based on the operator input and distribute at least the minimum amount of power to the inverter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: The generator provides energy to the high voltage bus based at least in part on the operator input, and the inverter converts DC energy from the high voltage bus to AC energy for use by off-board loads during vehicle operation.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein: A manual selector provides for selection of a percentage of power as the minimum amount of power.

4. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein: A manual selector provides for selection of an actual power value as the minimum power amount.

5. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The minimum amount of power is reset to zero in response to a change in ignition switch state.

6. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein: The selected minimum amount of power is maintained between changes in the ignition switch state.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a motor that receives power from the battery and provides torque to the drive wheels, wherein: The controller is also configured to limit the power received by the motor from the battery to ensure that the minimum amount of power is allocated to the inverter.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an interface in communication with the controller and having an indicator that displays a warning when the minimum amount of power allocated for use by the inverter affects the power available to propel the vehicle and power accessories.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface in communication with the controller and having an indicator that displays the minimum amount of power selected by the operator.

10. The system of claim 8 or 9, wherein: A manual selector is integrated into the interface.

11. A method for managing an electrified vehicle, comprising: receiving, via the interface, an operator input indicating a minimum amount of power to allocate to the inverter for off-board loads not associated with propulsion of the vehicle; controlling an output of a generator in the electrified vehicle based on the minimum amount of power; At least the minimum amount of power is allocated to the inverter during operation of the electrified vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The minimum amount of power is reset to zero in response to a change in the ignition switch state.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: Displays the minimum power amount selected by the operator.

14. The method of claim 11, 12 or 13, further comprising: storing the energy generated by the generator in a battery; The power provided from the battery to the electric machine for propelling the vehicle is limited to ensure that the minimum amount of power is allocated to the inverter.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: A warning is displayed when the minimum amount of power allocated for use by the inverter affects the power available to propel the vehicle and power accessories.

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