Predictive control for energy storage management in electric vehicles

Abstract

This invention provides predictive control for energy storage management in electric vehicles. Specifically, it provides a method for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle via a controller. The method includes receiving driver information, road information, and environmental information associated with the electric vehicle. The method further includes predicting high-voltage energy demand and low-voltage energy demand of the electric vehicle based on the received information. Based on the predicted high-voltage and low-voltage energy demands, the method includes operating a DC-DC converter to control energy flow between a high-voltage energy storage device, a low-voltage energy storage device, and multiple low-voltage accessory loads in the electric vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to electric vehicles, and more specifically, to methods and systems for energy storage management in electric vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] In electric vehicles, energy storage systems typically include high-voltage (“HV”) energy storage units (e.g., main batteries) that power the electric generator that drives the vehicle, and low-voltage (“LV”) energy storage units (e.g., auxiliary batteries) that power the vehicle’s various electrical loads. Traditional energy storage management approaches focus on controlling energy flow based on current energy demand and the state of charge (“SOC”) of the energy storage units. However, relying solely on current energy demand and SOC limits the rate of energy input and output. For example, if a large input or output that the system cannot consume exists, the HV and LV energy storage units can overcharge and discharge. As a result, the energy storage units may suffer irreversible damage. Furthermore, without considering the entire system, HV and LV energy storage units are often managed separately.

[0003] Ineffective energy storage management, where energy cannot be easily replenished or supplied on demand, leads to a significant decline in the performance of electric vehicles. More effective management of the entire energy storage system still needs to be developed by considering the effectiveness of State of Charge (SOC) and future energy demand requirements. This will also improve the overall safety, lifespan, and cost-effectiveness of electric vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to an embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle via a controller. The method includes the steps of: receiving information associated with the electric vehicle, wherein the information includes driver information, road information, and environmental information. The method further includes: predicting the HV energy demand and LV energy demand of the electric vehicle based on the information. The method can aggregate information to predict the HV energy demand and LV energy demand. Based on the predicted HV energy demand and predicted LV energy demand, the method further includes: operating a DC / DC converter to control energy flow between an HV energy storage device, an LV energy storage device, and multiple LV accessory loads in the electric vehicle. In one aspect, the method further includes: determining the HV SOC of the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC of the LV energy storage device. In another aspect, when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, operating the DC / DC converter includes the step of: controlling the DC / DC converter to disable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the multiple LV accessory loads. In another aspect, when the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum LV SOC, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and a plurality of LV accessory loads. In yet another aspect, when the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the minimum HV SOC, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and a plurality of LV accessory loads, and shutting down one or more of the plurality of LV accessory loads according to a priority rule.

[0005] In a further aspect, when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum HV SOC, and when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LVSOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum HV SOC, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow starting from the HV energy storage device and receiving input from the HV energy storage device. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum LV SOC, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads and between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads.

[0006] In another aspect, the input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and predicted LV energy demand are less than the maximum LV SOC. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, and the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC and the input from the HV energy storage device are greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, operating the DC / DC converter includes the steps of: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand and the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC and the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, operating the DC / DC converter includes the following steps: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads and between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads, and shutting down one or more of the multiple accessory loads according to priority rules.

[0007] According to another embodiment, this disclosure provides a controller for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to receive information associated with the electric vehicle, including driver information, road information, and environmental information. The processor also causes the controller to predict the HV energy demand and LV energy demand of the electric vehicle based on the information. The processor can cause the controller to aggregate the information to predict the HV energy demand and LV energy demand. Based on the predicted HV energy demand and predicted LV energy demand, the processor causes the controller to operate a DC / DC converter to control energy flow between the HV energy storage device, the LV energy storage device, and multiple LV accessory loads in the electric vehicle. In one aspect, the processor further causes the controller to determine the HV SOC of the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC of the LV energy storage device. In another aspect, when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to disable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device and between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In another aspect, when the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum LV SOC, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In yet another aspect, when the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the minimum HV SOC, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads and shut down one or more of the multiple LV accessory loads according to priority rules.

[0008] In a further aspect, when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum HV SOC, and when the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LVSOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum HV SOC, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow originating from the HV energy storage device and to receive input from the HV energy storage device. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum LV SOC, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads, and between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads.

[0009] In another aspect, the input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and predicted LV energy demand are less than the maximum LV SOC. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In yet another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand and the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC, and the input from the HV energy storage device is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads. In another aspect, when the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand and the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC, and the input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, the processor causes the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads and between the LV energy storage device and multiple LV accessory loads, and to shut down one or more of the multiple accessory loads according to priority rules. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other features and advantages of this disclosure, as well as the ways in which they are obtained, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by taking into account the accompanying drawings and the following description of embodiments of the invention, wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an energy storage system in an electric vehicle;

[0012] Figure 2 It is an operation Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for energy storage systems;

[0013] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the control architecture of the energy storage system; and

[0014] Figure 4 It is an operation Figure 3 The flowchart of the control architecture method.

[0015] The corresponding reference numerals throughout the views indicate the respective components. The examples set forth herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, and such examples are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure in any way. Detailed Implementation

[0016] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of this disclosure, reference is now made to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings described below. The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this disclosure to the precise forms disclosed in the detailed description below. Rather, these exemplary embodiments were chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize the teachings of these exemplary embodiments.

[0017] The terms “connected,” “connected,” and variations thereof are used to describe arrangements involving direct physical contact between two or more components, and arrangements where two or more components are not in direct contact with each other (e.g., components are “connected” via at least one third component) but still cooperate or interact with each other. Furthermore, the terms “connected,” “connected,” and variations thereof refer to any connection of machine parts known in the art, including but not limited to connections using bolts, screws, threads, magnets, electromagnets, adhesives, friction clamps, welded heads, snaps, clips, etc.

[0018] Throughout this disclosure and in the claims, numerical terms such as "first" and "second" refer to individual components or features. This use is not intended to indicate an order of components or features. Rather, numerical terms are used to help the reader identify the referenced components or features and should not be narrowly interpreted as indicating a particular order of components or features.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the provided embodiments can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, and / or a combination thereof. The programming code according to the embodiments can be implemented in any feasible programming language, such as C, C++, HTML, XTML, JAVA, or any other feasible high-level programming language, or a combination of high-level and low-level programming languages.

[0020] Now refer to Figure 1 The components of the energy storage system 100 in the electric vehicle are shown in the conceptual block diagram. As used herein, the term "electric vehicle" can refer to a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, and / or other alternative fuel vehicle that provides an alternative to or completely replaces a conventional fuel engine system such as an internal combustion engine. The energy storage system 100 typically includes an HV energy storage device 102, an LV energy storage device 104, a DC-DC converter ("DC / DC") converter 106, and an energy management controller 108.

[0021] HV energy storage device 102 may include batteries, electrochemical capacitors, fuel cells, and / or other suitable energy storage technologies capable of providing the energy required to drive an electric vehicle. In one embodiment, HV energy storage device 102 is a main battery comprising one or more lithium-ion battery packs. As shown, HV energy storage device 102 provides energy or electricity to an electric generator (“MG”) 112 (indicated by arrow 110). MG 112 can be any of a variety of different devices configured to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion and mechanical motion into electrical energy. Although MG 112 is in Figure 1 While shown as a single device, it should be understood that separate devices (e.g., an electric motor separate from the generator) may be used in other embodiments. MG 112 may be coupled to other propulsion components of the electric vehicle (e.g., engine, transmission, brakes, etc.), the operation of which is known to those skilled in the art.

[0022] HV energy storage device 104 may include batteries, electrochemical capacitors, fuel cells, and / or other suitable energy storage technologies capable of providing energy required to operate the various electrical loads of the electric vehicle. In one embodiment, LV energy storage device 104 is an auxiliary battery comprising one or more lead-acid battery packs. As shown, LV energy storage device 104 provides energy or power to accessory load group 116 (indicated by arrow 114). Accessory load group 116 includes various electrical loads or devices, such as electronic braking system (“EBS”) 116A, electric power steering system (“EPS”) 116B, heating and cooling system 116C (e.g., heater, air conditioning), ignition system 116D, lighting system 116E (e.g., cabin lights, headlights), entertainment system 116F (e.g., radio), and other accessories 116G (e.g., power windows, power mirrors, etc.).

[0023] DC / DC converter 106 facilitates energy transfer between HV energy storage device 102, LV energy storage device 104, and accessory load group 116 (indicated by arrow 118). In one embodiment, DC / DC converter 106 converts 48VDC (from HV energy storage device 102) to 24VDC suitable for use by accessory load group 116. In other embodiments, different voltages may be used.

[0024] The DC / DC converter 106 can be controlled by an energy management controller 108, which includes an energy demand prediction unit 120 and an energy flow control unit 122. The energy demand prediction unit 120 predicts the future HV energy demand and future LV energy demand of the electric vehicle based on various received information associated with the electric vehicle, such as driver information 124, road information 126, and environmental information 128. Based on the predicted energy demand, the energy flow control unit 122 generates control signals to operate the DC / DC converter 106 to enable or disable (i) energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104, (ii) between the HV energy storage device 102 and the accessory load group 116, and / or (iii) between the LV energy storage device 104 and the accessory load group 116. Although the energy demand prediction unit 120 and the energy flow control unit 122 are shown as separate units within the energy management controller 108, the function of each unit may be performed by a single unit in some embodiments. Typically, the implementing elements that functionally perform the operation of the energy management controller 108 may include logic circuits, hard-connected logic circuits, reconfigurable logic circuits, analog control elements, and / or digital control elements.

[0025] The energy management controller 108 also receives data representing the State of Charge (SOC) of the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104. Typically, SOC information can be used as a fuel meter for the energy storage device. In another example, SOC information represents the remaining available energy or electricity in the energy storage device. Additionally, the energy management controller 108 receives State of Health (“SOH”) information and presents the voltage / current levels of each device in the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104. SOH information can represent an indication of the current total capacity, internal resistance, and / or degree of degradation of the energy storage device. In some embodiments, each device in the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104 includes a power consumption estimator configured to estimate the SOC, SOH, and / or voltage / current levels. In other embodiments, the energy management controller 108 includes a power consumption estimator for measuring the SOC, SOH, and / or voltage / current levels.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the energy management controller 108 communicates with each of the HV energy storage device 102, LV energy storage device 104, and DC / DC converter 126 via a controller area network (“CAN”) bus 130. Furthermore, any of the driver information 124, road information 126, and environmental information 128 can be transmitted to the energy management controller 108 via the CAN bus 130. However, it should be understood that various suitable wired or wireless connections and networks can be used.

[0027] In some embodiments, the energy management controller 108 may include a non-transitory memory with instructions that, in response to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the functions of the units 120, 122 described above. The processor, non-transitory memory, and energy management controller 108 are not particularly restricted to being physically separate in the past.

[0028] In some embodiments, the energy management controller 108 may be part of a processing subsystem that includes one or more computing devices having storage, processing, and communication hardware. The energy management controller 108 may be a single device or a distributed device, and the functions of the energy management controller 108 may be executed by hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as non-transitory memory.

[0029] In some embodiments, the energy management controller 108 includes one or more interpreters, determiners, evaluators, regulators, and / or processors that functionally perform the operation of the energy management controller 108. The interpreters, determiners, evaluators, regulators, and processors may be implemented in hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and may be assigned to various hardware or computer-based components.

[0030] Now refer to Figure 2 A method 200 for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle is illustrated. This method 200 can be executed by an energy management controller 108. In block 202, the energy management controller 108 receives information associated with the electric vehicle. This information includes driver information 124, road information 126, and environmental information 128.

[0031] Driver information 124 represents information related to the driver's behavior in the electric vehicle (e.g., driver's seating position, whether the driver yaws, driver blinking) and passenger behavior (e.g., passengers turning on the air conditioning). This information can be obtained from various sensors in the electric vehicle (such as cameras, motion sensors, seating position sensors, cabin temperature sensors, etc.).

[0032] Road 126 represents information related to a specific route for electric vehicles, including road length, road configuration (e.g., uphill, downhill, straight, curved, etc.), road condition (e.g., rough, paved), etc. This information can be obtained using mapping and navigation data from navigation systems such as GPS.

[0033] Environmental information 128 represents information related to the surrounding environment of the electric vehicle, including traffic conditions, time of day (e.g., day versus night), weather (e.g., temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind speed, etc.), information about other vehicles (e.g., distance between adjacent vehicles), etc. This information may be obtained from sensors in the electric vehicle (e.g., brightness sensor, rain sensor, etc.), smartphones connected to the electric vehicle (e.g., traffic condition applications running on the smartphone), and other sources (e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle networks, local radio broadcasts, etc.).

[0034] In block 204, the energy management controller 108 predicts the HV (High Voltage) and LV (Low Voltage) energy demands of the electric vehicle based on received information. Specifically, the energy management controller 108 (specifically, the energy demand prediction unit 120) predicts or estimates the HV and LV energy demands based on received driver information 124, road information 126, and environmental information 128. In one example, the energy demand prediction unit 120 aggregates some or all of the received driver information 124, road information 126, and environmental information 128 to predict the HV and LV energy demands. The predicted HV and LV energy demands represent the future energy or electricity demand (in kilowatt-hours) required by the electric vehicle.

[0035] Predicting HV energy demand involves maintaining the propulsion and regeneration operation of MG 112, while predicting LV energy demand involves maintaining the functionality of the accessory load group 116. For example, if environmental information 128 indicates high outdoor temperatures and driver information 124 indicates that the air conditioning has been turned up to its maximum level by passengers, the energy demand prediction unit 120 can predict the maximum value of the predicted LV energy demand. As another example, if road information 126 indicates that the road ahead is a steep uphill slope and environmental information 128 indicates nighttime driving, the energy demand prediction unit 120 can predict the maximum value of both the predicted HV energy demand and the predicted LV energy demand. Subsequently, if the road becomes flat again, the predicted HV energy demand can be reduced to a smaller value. In this way, the energy management controller 108 can automatically and proactively predict the future peak and off-peak energy demands of the electric vehicle.

[0036] In block 206, the energy management controller 108 (specifically, the energy flow control unit 122) generates control signals based on predicted HV energy demand and predicted LV energy demand. These control signals are used to operate the DC / DC converter 106 and control the energy flow between the HV energy storage unit 102, the LV energy storage unit 104, and the accessory load group 116. The following is about... Figure 3 and Figure 4 To describe an example implementation of box 206.

[0037] Some of the operations described herein include operations for determining and / or predicting one or more parameters. The determination or prediction as used herein includes: receiving values ​​by any method known in the art, including: receiving at least a value from a data link or network communication; receiving an electronic signal representing the value (e.g., voltage, frequency, current, etc.); receiving a computer-generated parameter representing the value; reading a value from a memory location on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and receiving a value as a runtime parameter by any means known in the art and / or by reference to a default value that is interpreted as the received value.

[0038] Now refer to Figure 3 A block diagram of the control architecture 300 of the energy storage system 100 is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The control architecture 300 includes: an HV energy storage device 102, an LV energy storage device 104, a DC / DC converter 106, an energy management controller 108, an MG 112, and an accessory (LV) load group 116. The DC / DC converter 106 includes: a power conversion circuit 302 and switches S1 to S4. The power conversion circuit 302 includes conventional components (e.g., transformers, filters, etc.) and operates in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. Switch S1 connects the HV energy storage device 102 to the power conversion circuit 302. Switch S2 connects the power conversion circuit 302 to the accessory load group 116. Switch S3 connects the LV energy storage device 104 to the power conversion circuit 302. Switch S4 connects the LV energy storage device 104 to the accessory load group 116.

[0039] The opening and closing of switches S1 to S4 are controlled by the energy management controller 108 (indicated by arrow 304). Closing switches S1 and S3 enables energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104. Closing switches S1 and S2 enables energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and multiple devices (e.g., 116A to 116G) in the accessory load group 116. Closing switch S4 enables energy flow between the LV energy storage device 104 and multiple devices in the accessory load group 116.

[0040] Now refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The method 400 of the operation control architecture 300 is explained. In block 402, the energy management controller 108 calculates the predicted HV energy demand and LV energy demand (based on information 124 to 128). The energy management controller 108 also receives or determines the current SOC (HV SOC) of the HV energy storage device 102 and the current SOC (LVSOC) of the LV energy storage device 104. Determining the HV SOC is important for safety reasons because the HV energy storage device 102 is the propulsion power source for the electric vehicle.

[0041] In block 404, the energy management controller 108 compares the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand with the maximum HV SOC value, where the maximum HV SOC value represents the upper limit of the SOC of the HV energy storage device 102.

[0042] If the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC value, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to turn on switches S1 to S3 (block 406) in the DC / DC converter 106. Turning on switch S1 indicates that the HV energy storage device 102 has the capability to receive additional charge (e.g., energy developed during regenerative braking that can be transferred to the HV energy storage device 102). Similarly, turning on switch S3 indicates that the LV energy storage device 104 has the capability to receive additional charge.

[0043] In block 408, the energy management controller 108 compares the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand with a minimum LV SOC value, where the minimum LV SOC value represents the lower limit of the SOC of the LV energy storage device 104. If the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum LV SOC value, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to close switch S4 (block 410) in the DC / DC converter 106. Closing switch S4 indicates that the LV energy storage device 104 has sufficient energy or power to support the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the adjacent load group 116. Therefore, by closing switch S4, the energy management controller 108 enables energy flow between the LV energy storage device 104 and the multiple devices in the adjacent load group 116.

[0044] On the other hand, if the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC value, the LV energy storage device 104 does not have enough energy or power to support the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the accessory load group 116. In this case, in block 412, the energy management controller 108 compares the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand with the minimum HV SOC value, where the minimum HV SOC value represents the lower limit of the SOC of the HV energy storage device 102. If the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the minimum HV SOC value, the HV energy storage device 102 also does not have enough energy or power to support the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the accessory load group 116. However, some devices must still remain operational (e.g., EPS 116B). Therefore, in block 414, the management controller 108 closes switch S4 to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device 104 and the accessory load group 116, but simultaneously shuts down some devices in the accessory load group 116. For example, non-critical devices (e.g., entertainment system 116F) may be shut down. The energy management controller 108 can shut down devices in advance based on priority rules (e.g., from the most critical devices to the least critical devices).

[0045] If the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum HV SOC value (box 412) and if the HV SOC and the predicted energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum HV SOC value (box 404), then the energy management controller 108 determines that the HV energy storage device 102 has sufficient energy or power to supply the devices in the adjacent load group 116. Similarly, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to close switch S1 (box 416) in the DC / DC converter 106. In doing so, the DC / DC converter 106 receives an input (HV input) from the HV energy storage device 102. This also allows the HV energy storage device 102 to discharge.

[0046] In block 418, if the HV input, LV SOC, and predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum LV SOC value, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to open switch S3 and close switches S2 and S4 in the DC / DC converter 106 (block 420). The maximum LV SOC value represents the upper limit of the SOC of the LV energy storage device 104. By closing switches S2 and S4, the energy management controller 108 enables energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and multiple devices in the accessory load group 116, and also enables energy flow between the LV energy storage device 104 and multiple devices in the accessory load group 116. This also allows the LV energy storage device 104 to discharge.

[0047] In block 418, if the HV input, LV SOC, and predicted LV energy demand are less than the maximum LV SOC value, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to open switch S4 (block 422) in the DC / DC converter 106. At this time, the LV energy storage device 104 can operate to maintain a stable LV SOC. Now, if in block 424 the HV input is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, the HV input can meet the predicted LV energy demand (i.e., the HV input is large enough to support the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the accessory load group 116). Therefore, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to close switches S2 and S3 (block 426). This enables energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and the accessory load group 106, and also enables energy flow between the HV energy storage device 102 and the LV energy storage device 104.

[0048] If the HV input in block 424 is less than the predicted LV energy demand, then the HV input cannot meet the predicted LV energy demand (i.e., the HV input is too small to support the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the adjacent load group 116). In this case, in block 428, the energy management controller 108 determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the HV input and the LV SOC is less than the predicted LV energy demand. If the energy management controller 108 determines that the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the HV input and the LV SOC is less than the predicted LV energy demand, then the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to open switch S3 and close switches S2 and S4 (block 430). Switch S3 is open because the LV energy storage device 104 cannot be charged. In block 430, energy flow is enabled between the LV energy storage device 104 and the devices in the adjacent load group 116 to supplement the power supplied from the HV energy storage device 102 (HV input). However, overall, there is insufficient energy to meet the predicted power consumption demand for all devices in the adjacent load group 116. Similarly, the energy management controller 108 shuts down some devices (i.e., non-critical devices) in the accessory load group 116 in advance according to priority rules.

[0049] On the other hand, if the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC value from the HV input in block 428 is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, the energy management controller 108 generates a control signal to close switches S2 and S3 (block 426).

[0050] As described herein, the energy management controller 108 provides predictive control of energy flow among the various units in the HV energy storage unit 102, LV energy storage unit 104, and accessory load group 116 by taking into account the SOC of the energy storage units and any future energy demand requirements. This also ensures the reliability and effectiveness of the overall energy storage system 100 in the electric vehicle.

[0051] Although the invention has been described with exemplary design, further modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or alterations of the invention employing its general principles. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover any deviations from this disclosure that fall within the scope of known or conventional practice in the field to which this invention pertains and that fall within the limitations of the appended claims.

[0052] Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and / or physical connections between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in actual systems. However, no benefit, advantage, solution to a problem, or any element that may lead to or make more apparent any benefit, advantage, or solution should be construed as a critical, essential, or necessary feature or element. Therefore, the scope of protection is not limited to anything other than the appended claims, wherein references to elements in the singular form are not intended to mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more" unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0053] Furthermore, when phrases such as "at least one of A, B, or C" are used in the claims, it is intended to interpret the phrase as meaning that A may appear alone in an embodiment, B may appear alone in an embodiment, C may appear alone in an embodiment, or any combination of elements A, B, or C may appear in a single embodiment, for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

[0054] Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed that its effect known to those skilled in the art is within the scope of knowledge of such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether explicitly described or not. Upon reading this specification, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art how to implement the disclosure in the alternative embodiments.

[0055] Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in this disclosure is intended to be exclusive to the public, whether or not such element, component, or method step is expressly stated in the claims. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements may include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: The controller receives information associated with the electric vehicle, including driver information, road information, and environmental information. Based on the information, the controller predicts the high-voltage (HV) energy demand and low-voltage (LV) energy demand of the electric vehicle; and Based on the predicted HV energy demand and predicted LV energy demand, the controller operates the DC-to-DC converter (DC / DC converter) to control the energy flow between the HV energy storage device, the LV energy storage device, and multiple LV accessory loads in the electric vehicle. The method further includes the following steps: determining the HV state of charge (HV SOC) of the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC of the LV energy storage device. in, The HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to disable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads. Wherein, the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum LV SOC, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LVSOC, the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the minimum HV SOC, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads; and One or more of the multiple LV accessory loads may be shut down according to priority rules.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: When the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum HV SOC; as well as When the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum HV SOC, Operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: controlling the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow from the HV energy storage device and receiving input from the HV energy storage device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum LV SOC, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads, as well as between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the maximum LV SOC.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC and the input from the HV energy storage device are greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC and the input from the HV energy storage device are both less than the predicted LV energy demand, and operating the DC / DC converter further includes the following steps: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads, as well as between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads; as well as One or more of the multiple LV accessory loads may be shut down according to priority rules.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Predicting the HV energy demand and the LV energy demand includes the following steps: aggregating the information to predict the HV energy demand and the LV energy demand.

10. A controller for controlling energy flow in an electric vehicle, the controller comprising: processor; as well as The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to perform the following operations: Receive information associated with the electric vehicle, including driver information, road information, and environmental information; Based on the information, the high-voltage (HV) energy demand and low-voltage (LV) energy demand of the electric vehicle are predicted. as well as Based on predicted HV energy demand and predicted LV energy demand, a DC-to-DC converter is operated to control the energy flow between the HV energy storage device, the LV energy storage device, and multiple LV accessory loads in the electric vehicle. When executed by the processor, the instruction further enables the controller to determine the HV state of charge (HV SOC) of the HV energy storage device and the LV SOC of the LV energy storage device. Wherein, the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to disable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, as well as between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads. Wherein, the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum LV SOC, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

11. The controller according to claim 10, wherein, The LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC, the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the minimum HV SOC, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads; and One or more of the multiple LV accessory loads may be shut down according to priority rules.

12. The controller according to claim 10, wherein: When the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum HV SOC; as well as When the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are less than the maximum HV SOC, the LV SOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the minimum LV SOC, and the HV SOC and the predicted HV energy demand are greater than or equal to the minimum HV SOC, When executed by the processor, the instructions further cause the controller to control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow from the HV energy storage device and receive input from the HV energy storage device.

13. The controller according to claim 12, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device, the LVSOC, and the predicted LV energy demand are greater than or equal to the maximum LV SOC, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads, as well as between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

14. The controller according to claim 12, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device and the LVSOC and the predicted LV energy demand are less than the maximum LV SOC.

15. The controller according to claim 14, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

16. The controller according to claim 14, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC and the input from the HV energy storage device are greater than or equal to the predicted LV energy demand, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the LV energy storage device, and between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads.

17. The controller according to claim 14, wherein, The input from the HV energy storage device is less than the predicted LV energy demand, the value obtained by subtracting the minimum LV SOC from the LV SOC, and the input from the HV energy storage device are both less than the predicted LV energy demand, and when executed by the processor, the instruction further causes the controller to perform the following operations: Control the DC / DC converter to enable energy flow between the HV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads, as well as between the LV energy storage device and the plurality of LV accessory loads; as well as Close one or more of the multiple attachment loads according to priority rules.

18. The controller according to claim 10, wherein, When executed by the processor, the instructions for predicting the HV energy demand and the LV energy demand further include instructions that cause the controller to aggregate the information to predict the HV energy demand and the LV energy demand.

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