Electrified vehicle, battery system architecture, and control logic for vehicle-to-vehicle charging

Abstract

A high voltage (HV) electrical system architecture for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging of a vehicle battery, a method for making / using such a system, and a vehicle equipped with such a system are presented. An HV electrical system for a motor vehicle includes a main HV bus electrically connecting traction motor (s) of the vehicle to battery pack (s) of the vehicle, and a charging inlet port electrically cooperating with and receiving direct current (DC) power from DC fast charge (DCFC) cables of a donor vehicle and a charging station. A DC-to-DC (DC-DC) converter is interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus, and electrically connects the charging inlet port to the main HV bus. The DC-DC converter is operable in a bypass mode in which the DC-DC converter delivers DC power received from the DCFC cable of the charging station therethrough, and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mode in which the DC-DC converter regulates DC power received from the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle.

Description

[0001] introduction The present disclosure relates generally to rechargeable electrochemical devices. More specifically, aspects of the present disclosure relate to a high-voltage electrical system for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging of a traction battery of an electrified vehicle.

[0002] Currently produced motor vehicles (such as modern automobiles) are initially equipped with a powertrain that operates to propel the vehicle and power the vehicle's onboard electronics. For example, in automotive applications, the vehicle powertrain is generally represented by a prime mover that delivers drive torque to the vehicle's final drive system (e.g., differential, axle shaft, corner module, wheels, etc.) through an automatic or manually shifted power transmission. Automobiles have historically been powered by reciprocating piston internal combustion engine (ICE) assemblies due to their easy availability, power output capabilities, relatively light weight, and overall efficiency. As some non-limiting examples, such engines include compression ignition (CI) diesel engines, spark ignition (SI) gasoline engines, two-stroke, four-stroke and six-stroke architectures, and rotary engines. On the other hand, hybrid electric vehicles and all-electric vehicles (collectively referred to as "electrically driven vehicles") utilize alternative power sources to propel the vehicle and thereby minimize or eliminate reliance on fossil fuel-based engines for traction power.

[0003] A full electric vehicle (FEV) - colloquially known as an "electric vehicle" - is a type of electric drive vehicle configuration that completely omits the internal combustion engine and accompanying peripheral components from the powertrain system, relying instead on a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and traction motors to propel the vehicle. The engine assembly, fuel supply system, and exhaust system of an ICE-based vehicle are replaced with a single or multiple traction motors, rechargeable battery cells, and battery cooling and charging hardware in a battery-based FEV. In contrast, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain employs multiple traction power sources to propel the vehicle, most commonly an internal combustion engine assembly operating in conjunction with a battery-powered or fuel cell unit-powered traction motor. Since hybrid-type electric drive vehicles are able to obtain their power from sources other than the engine, the HEV engine can be fully or partially shut down when the vehicle is propelled by the electric motor(s). Summary of the invention

[0004] The high voltage (HV) electrical system governs the transfer of power between the traction motor and the rechargeable battery cells that supply the necessary power for operating many hybrid electric and all-electric powertrains. In order to provide the power capacity and energy density required to propel the vehicle at the desired speed for the desired range, contemporary traction battery packs may group multiple battery cells (e.g., 8-16+ battery cells / stack) into individual battery modules (e.g., 10-40+ modules / pack) that are electrically interconnected to each other and mounted on the vehicle chassis, for example, via a battery pack housing or support tray. Located on the battery side of the HV electrical system is a front-end DC to DC power converter that is electrically connected to the battery pack(s) in order to boost the voltage level supplied to the main DC bus and power inverter module (PIM). High frequency bulk capacitors may be arranged across the positive and negative rails of the main DC bus to provide electrical stability and store supplemental electrical energy. A dedicated electronic battery control module (EBCM), operating in cooperation with the powertrain control module (PCM) and the power electronics package for each motor, may manage the operation of the battery pack(s) and traction motor(s).

[0005] As hybrid and electric vehicles become more common, infrastructure is being developed and deployed to make everyday use of such vehicles feasible and convenient. Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) for recharging electrically driven vehicles has many form factors, including residential electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) purchased and operated by vehicle owners (e.g., installed in the owner's garage), publicly accessible EVCS provided by utility companies or private retailers (e.g., at municipal or commercial charging facilities), and advanced high-voltage fast charging stations (e.g., multi-coupler 360+kW superchargers) used by manufacturers, dealers, and service stations. For example, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles can be recharged by physically connecting the EVSE's charging cable to the vehicle's complementary charging port. In contrast, wireless AC charging systems use electromagnetic field (EMF) induction to provide vehicle charging capabilities without the need for charging cables and cable ports. Direct current fast charging (DCFC) EVSE significantly increases the energy transfer rate (eg, from 120 / 240 VAC to 480 VAC), which in turn reduces the time required to charge a vehicle's traction battery (eg, from approximately 4-8 hours to approximately 15-40 minutes).

[0006] A HV electrical system architecture for V2V charging of vehicle batteries, a method for manufacturing such a system, and a method for operating such a system, and a vehicle equipped with such a system are presented herein. As an example and not limitation, an electric drive vehicle includes an HV electrical architecture having a main DC bus that connects a RESS including one or more rechargeable traction battery packs and an electrified propulsion system including one or more traction motors. Although not limiting per se, the disclosed concepts may be particularly relevant to medium-duty (MD) or heavy-duty (HD) plug-in FEV trucks having an 800V dual independent drive unit (DIDU) spit-axle powertrain and a 450-750 kilowatt-hour (kWh) dual-pack RESS (e.g., depending on gross vehicle weight (GVW) and expected mileage). Integrated into the HV electrical system is an on-board (or off-board) DC-DC converter that provides V2V energy exchange using, for example, a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J3253 electric power take-off (ePTO) connector for charging communication handshake. The vehicle may also be equipped with a separate megawatt charging system (MCS) charging inlet port and / or an optional alternating current (AC) output interface. The intelligent integrated DC-DC converter is operable to step up or step down the power input received by the RESS of the host vehicle from the donor vehicle based on the host vehicle RESS state of charge (SOC), RESS voltage, RESS power limit, etc.

[0007] During normal DCFC events, the integrated DC-DC converter can operate in a bypass mode in which the DC power input is passed unadulterated through the converter, for example, to eliminate the need for HV cable connectors or external contactors to provide an additional DCFC path. If desired, the DC-DC converter can be liquid-cooled and therefore integrated with the HV power electronics (PE) cooling loop so that the loop operates during the V2V charge sharing mode. The system can employ a J3253 controller area network (CAN)-based protocol that utilizes a low voltage (LV) upfitter module to implement communication requests and optionally provides a gateway to the software defined vehicle (SDV) network of the recipient vehicle. For example, if there is no existing ePTO mode, an ePTO connector-based solution can be implemented for V2V DCFC using an upfitter module, or multiple upfitter modules can be utilized. For an on-board DC-DC converter architecture, voltage and current dynamic handshaking for voltage regulation on the donor vehicle can be added to the ePTO solution. For off-board DC-DC converter architectures, the V2V DCFC PE package may be housed inside an external “V2V box.” Isolation monitoring of the donor vehicle and / or recipient vehicle may be incorporated into the DCFC port monitoring / control module.

[0008] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an HV electrical system architecture that provides both standard charging and V2V DCFC charging for rechargeable battery cells of an electric drive vehicle. In one example, a high voltage electrical system for a motor vehicle is proposed, which is equipped with one or more traction motors (such as multi-phase permanent magnet (PM) or field-wound separately excited (SE) motors), and one or more rechargeable battery cells, such as a dual pack RESS containing a stacked array of rechargeable battery cells (e.g., prismatic, pouch or cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells). The HV electrical system includes a main HV electrical bus rail system ("bus"), at least one DCFC compatible HV charging inlet port, and a DC to DC (DC-DC) power converter module. In order to achieve HV power distribution, the main bus electrically connects the vehicle's (one or more) propulsion traction motors to (one or more) on-board battery cells. The charging inlet - which can have the properties of an 800V J3253 DCFC port - electrically cooperates with and receives DC power from the corresponding DCFC cables of both the donor vehicle and the charging station. To regulate the power input feed, a DC-DC converter is interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus and electrically connects them. The DC-DC converter can operate in a bypass mode, in which the converter passes DC power received from the DCFC cable of the charging station through it, and in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mode, in which the converter regulates the DC power received from the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle.

[0009] Additional aspects of the present disclosure relate to an electrically driven vehicle equipped with an HV electrical system that provides both EVCSDCFC and V2V DCFC for the rechargeable battery units of the vehicle. As used herein, the terms "vehicle" and "motor vehicle" may be used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to any relevant vehicle platform, such as passenger vehicles (ICE, HEV, FEV, fuel cell, fully autonomous and partially autonomous vehicles, etc.), commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles, tracked vehicles, off-road and all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, farm equipment, boats, aircraft, electric bicycles, etc. In one example, a motor vehicle includes a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a plurality of wheels mounted to the vehicle body (e.g., via a corner module coupled to a unibody or body-on-frame chassis), and other standard original equipment. For electric drive vehicle applications, the vehicle's electrified powertrain employs one or more electric traction motors that operate alone (e.g., for an FEV powertrain) or in conjunction with an internal combustion engine assembly (e.g., for an HEV powertrain) to selectively drive one or more of the wheels and thereby propel the vehicle. Each motor is operably connected to a resident RESS containing a rechargeable battery assembly, which may be in the nature of a chassis-mounted HV traction battery pack or an array of HV battery modules.

[0010] Continuing with the previous discussion, the motor vehicle is also equipped with an HV electrical system that manages the electrical power and signal exchange between the resident electrical equipment of the vehicle and the remote electrical device. The HV electrical system includes, for example, a main HV bus that electrically connects the vehicle traction motor and the rechargeable battery pack. Also installed to the vehicle body is a charging inlet port that electrically cooperates with and receives DC power from the corresponding DCFC cables of one or more donor vehicles and one or more DCFC charging stations. The DC-DC converter is between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus and electrically connects them. The DC-DC converter is structurally configured to operate in bypass mode and V2V mode. When in bypass mode, the DC-DC converter passes the DC power received from the DCFC cable of the charging station through it. When in V2V mode, the DC-DC converter regulates the DC power received from the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle.

[0011] Aspects of the disclosure also relate to manufacturing workflows, computer readable media, and control logic for making or using any disclosed HV electrical system and / or motor vehicle.In one example, a method for assembling a high voltage electrical system for a motor vehicle is presented. The representative method includes, in any order and in any combination with any options and features disclosed above and below: attaching a main HV bus to a vehicle body; electrically connecting a traction motor to a rechargeable battery assembly via the main HV bus; attaching a charging inlet port to the vehicle body, the charging inlet port being configured to electrically cooperate with and receive DC power from a DC fast charging cable of a donor vehicle and a charging station; attaching a DC-DC converter to the vehicle body; and electrically connecting the charging inlet port and the main HV bus via the DC-DC converter so that the DC-DC converter is electrically interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus, the DC-DC converter being operable in a bypass mode and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mode, in which the DC-DC converter passes DC power received from a DCFC cable of a charging station therethrough, and in which the DC-DC converter regulates the DC power received from a DCFC cable of a donor vehicle.

[0012] For any disclosed system, method and vehicle, the DC-DC converter may include a bypass (relay) switch that can be selectively switched between a closed state and an open state via an electronic control signal. In this case, turning the bypass switch to a closed state places the DC-DC converter in bypass mode, and turning the bypass switch to an open state places the DC-DC converter in V2V mode. As a further option, the DC-DC converter may include at least one pair of electronic switches (e.g., paired semiconductor switches) that are electrically connected in series with each other and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch. For multiple pairs of switch configurations, each switch pair is electrically connected in parallel with other switch pairs. As another option, a capacitor may be electrically connected in parallel with an electronic switch pair and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch. In addition, one or more resistors may be electrically connected in series with the electronic switch pair and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0013] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and vehicles, a battery disconnect unit (BDU) may be interposed between the DC-DC converter and the rechargeable battery assembly and electrically connect them. In this case, the BDU includes a pair of (first and second) relay switches that can be switched between a closed state and an open state, in which the BDU connects the DC-DC converter and, therefore, the charging inlet port to the battery assembly, and in which the BDU disconnects the DC-DC converter and the charging inlet from the battery assembly. For some system architectures, the HV electrical system may include an AC output interface (e.g., one or more 110-125V / 15-20A electrical outlets) that outputs AC power from the rechargeable battery assembly. In this case, the charging inlet port is interposed between the AC output interface and the DC-DC converter and electrically connects them, such that the DC-DC converter electrically connects the AC output interface to the main HV bus.

[0014] For any of the disclosed systems, methods, and vehicles, the HV electrical system may include an MCS charging inlet port electrically connected to a main HV bus and operable to electrically mate with and receive electrical power from an MCS connector plug (e.g., a cable delivering at least 3.0-4.5MW / 2500-3000A / 1000-1250VDC). In this case, a BDU may be between the MCS charging inlet port and the rechargeable battery assembly; the BDU includes a pair (first and second) of relay switches that can be switched between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the MCS charging inlet port from the battery assembly. An onboard charging module (OBCM) may be electrically connected to the charging inlet port and operable to regulate the transfer of DC power received from a DCFC cable. As another option, an accessory power module (APM) may be electrically connected to the charging inlet port and may be operated as a DC-DC power converter to selectively reduce DC electrical power from a first voltage level to a second voltage level, and one or more accessory loads of the motor vehicle are rated at the second voltage level.

[0015] The present disclosure provides the following embodiments.

[0016] 1. A high voltage (HV) electrical system for a motor vehicle having a traction motor and a rechargeable battery assembly, the HV electrical system comprising: a main HV bus configured to electrically connect the traction motor and the rechargeable battery assembly; a charging inlet port configured to electrically mate with and receive direct current (DC) power from a donor vehicle and a DC fast charging (DCFC) cable of the charging station; and A DC to DC (DC-DC) converter is interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus and electrically connects them, the DC-DC converter being operable in a bypass mode to pass DC power from the DCFC cable of the charging station therethrough, and the DC-DC converter being operable in a vehicle to vehicle (V2V) mode to condition DC power received through the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle.

[0017] 2. The HV electrical system of embodiment 1, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises a bypass switch, the bypass switch being switchable between a closed state that places the DC-DC converter in a bypass mode and an open state that places the DC-DC converter in a V2V mode.

[0018] 3. The HV electrical system of embodiment 2, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a first pair of electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0019] 4. The HV electrical system of embodiment 3, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a second pair of electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other, electrically connected in parallel with the first pair of electronic switches, and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0020] 5. The HV electrical system of embodiment 4, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the first and second pairs of electronic switches and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0021] 6. The HV electrical system of embodiment 5, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises first and second resistors electrically connected in series with the first and second pairs of electronic switches.

[0022] 7. The HV electrical system according to Example 1 further includes a battery disconnect unit (BDU), which is located between the DC-DC converter and the rechargeable battery assembly, and the BDU includes a first and a second relay switch, which can be switched between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the DC-DC converter from the rechargeable battery assembly.

[0023] 8. The HV electrical system according to embodiment 1, further comprising an alternating current (AC) output interface configured to output AC power from the rechargeable battery assembly, the charging inlet port being interposed between the AC output interface and the DC-DC converter and electrically connecting them.

[0024] 9. The HV electrical system of embodiment 1 further comprising a megawatt charging system (MCS) charging inlet port electrically connected to the main HV bus and configured to electrically mate with and receive electrical power from the MCS connector.

[0025] 10. The HV electrical system according to Example 9 further includes a battery disconnect unit (BDU), which is located between the MCS charging inlet port and the rechargeable battery assembly, and the BDU includes a first and a second relay switch, which can be switched between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the MCS charging inlet port from the rechargeable battery assembly.

[0026] 11. The HV electrical system of embodiment 1, further comprising an on-board charging module (OBCM) electrically connected to the charging inlet port and configured to condition receipt of DC power from the DCFC cable.

[0027] 12. The HV electrical system according to Example 1 further includes an accessory power module (APM), which is electrically connected to the charging inlet port and is configured as a DC-DC power converter, which is operable to reduce DC electrical power from a first voltage level to a second voltage level, and one or more accessory loads of the motor vehicle are rated at the second voltage level.

[0028] 13. A motor vehicle comprising: Vehicle body; a plurality of wheels attached to the vehicle body; a traction motor mounted to the vehicle body and operable to drive one or more of the wheels to propel the motor vehicle; a rechargeable battery pack mounted to the vehicle body and operable to power the traction motor; and High voltage (HV) electrical systems, including: a main HV bus electrically connecting the traction motor and the rechargeable battery pack; a charging inlet port configured to electrically mate with and receive direct current (DC) power from a donor vehicle and a DC fast charging (DCFC) cable of a charging station; and A DC-to-DC (DC-DC) converter interposed between the charging inlet port and electrically connecting them to the main HV bus, the DC-DC converter being operable in a bypass mode, in which the DC-DC converter passes DC power received from the charging station's DCFC cable through it, and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mode, in which the DC-DC converter conditions the DC power received from the donor vehicle via the DCFC cable 14. A method of assembling a high voltage (HV) electrical system of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising a vehicle body, a traction motor, and a rechargeable battery assembly, the method comprising: Attaching the main HV bus to the vehicle body; electrically connecting the traction motor to the rechargeable battery assembly via a main HV bus; attaching a charging inlet port to the vehicle body, the charging inlet port being configured to electrically mate with and receive direct current (DC) power from a DC fast charging (DCFC) cable of a donor vehicle and a charging station; attaching a DC to DC (DC-DC) converter to the vehicle body; and The charging inlet port and the main HV bus are electrically connected via a DC-DC converter so that the DC-DC converter is electrically interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus, and the DC-DC converter can operate in a bypass mode and a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) mode. In the bypass mode, the DC-DC converter passes DC power received from a DCFC cable of the charging station therethrough, and in the V2V mode, the DC-DC converter regulates DC power received from a donor vehicle through the DCFC cable.

[0029] 15. The method of embodiment 14, wherein the DC-DC converter comprises a bypass switch switchable between a closed state and an open state, wherein the closed state places the DC-DC converter in a bypass mode and the open state places the DC-DC converter in a V2V mode.

[0030] 16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a first pair of electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0031] 17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the first pair of electronic switches and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

[0032] 18. The method of embodiment 14, further comprising: attaching a battery disconnect unit (BDU) to a vehicle body; and The BDU is electrically connected to the DC-DC converter and the rechargeable battery assembly, and includes first and second relay switches that can be switched between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the DC-DC converter from the rechargeable battery assembly.

[0033] 19. The method of embodiment 14, further comprising: Attaching a Mega Charging System (MCS) charging inlet port to the vehicle body; and An MCS charging inlet port is electrically connected to the main HV bus, the MCS charging inlet port being configured to electrically mate with and receive electrical power from the MCS connector.

[0034] 20. The method of embodiment 14, further comprising: Attaching an on-board charging module (OBCM) to a vehicle body; and The OBCM is electrically connected to the charging inlet port, the OBCM being configured to condition receipt of DC power from the DCFC cable.

[0035] The above summary of the invention does not represent every embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. On the contrary, the above summary of the invention only provides an overview of some novel concepts and features set forth herein. When considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims, the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present disclosure and other features and attendant advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrated examples and representative modes for implementing the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure explicitly includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the elements and features presented above and below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 is a partially schematic side view of a representative motor vehicle having an electrified powertrain, a rechargeable battery pack, and a high voltage electrical system for V2V DCFC smart charging of battery pack cells according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle HV electrical system having an integrated DC-DC converter between a DCFC charging port and a main HV bus for V2V DCFC according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a vehicle HV electrical system having an integrated DC-DC converter between a DCFC charging port and a main HV bus for V2V DCFC according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a representative vehicle control method for automated V2V DCFC between a recipient vehicle and a donor vehicle according to aspects of the disclosed concepts, which method may correspond to memory-stored instructions executable by a resident or remote controller, control logic circuit, programmable control unit, or other integrated circuit (IC) device or network of devices.

[0040] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a representative HV electrical system of a donor vehicle operably coupled to an off-board DC-DC converter for V2V DCFC charging of a recipient vehicle according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating another representative vehicle control method for automated V2V DCFC between a recipient vehicle and a donor vehicle according to aspects of the disclosed concepts, which method may correspond to memory-stored instructions executable by a resident or remote controller, control logic circuit, programmable control unit, or other IC device or network of devices.

[0042] The present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, and some representative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings by way of example and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the novel aspects of the present disclosure are not limited to the specific forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings listed above. On the contrary, the present disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, combinations, permutations, groupings and alternatives that fall within the scope of the present disclosure, such as those covered by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The present disclosure allows for embodiments in many different forms. Representative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein, where it is understood that these embodiments are provided as illustrations of the disclosed principles, rather than limitations on the broad aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, elements and limitations that are described in the abstract, introduction, summary of the invention, illustrations, and specific implementation sections but not explicitly set forth in the claims should not be incorporated into the claims individually or collectively by implication, inference, or otherwise. In addition, the recording of "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification or claims is not itself used to establish sequence or numerical limitations; unless specifically stated otherwise, these names can be used to facilitate reference to similar features in the specification and drawings, and to distinguish between similar elements in the claims.

[0044] For the purposes of this Detailed Description, unless specifically denied: the singular includes the plural, and vice versa (e.g., the indefinite articles "a" and "an" should be construed to mean "one or more" unless explicitly denied); the words "and" and "or" should be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the words "any" and "all" should both mean "any and all"; and the words "include," "comprising," "including," "having," and the like should all mean "including but not limited to." In addition, approximate words, such as "approximately," "almost," "substantially," "substantially," "approximately," and the like may all be used herein to mean, for example, "at, close to, or nearly at," or "within 0-5% of," or "within an acceptable manufacturing tolerance," or their logical combinations. Finally, directional adjectives and adverbs, such as front, rear, inside, outside, starboard, port, vertical, horizontal, up, down, front, rear, left, right, etc., may be related to a motor vehicle, such as the forward direction of travel of a motor vehicle when the vehicle is operably oriented on a level driving surface.

[0045] Referring now to the drawings—in which like reference numerals refer to like features throughout the several views—, Figure 1 A representative motor vehicle is shown in , generally indicated at 10, and for discussion purposes, is depicted herein as a sedan-type electric drive vehicle. The illustrated vehicle 10 - also referred to herein as simply "motor vehicle" or "vehicle" - is merely an exemplary application that can be used to practice aspects of the present disclosure. In the same manner, the incorporation of the present concept into a FEV powertrain powered by a single battery pack RESS should be understood as a non-limiting implementation of the disclosed features. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of the present disclosure can be applied to other powertrain systems and RESS architectures - the other powertrain systems and RESS architectures are incorporated into any logically related type of motor vehicle - and are also used for both automotive and non-automotive applications. In addition, only selected components of the motor vehicle and HV electrical system are shown and additionally described in detail herein. However, the vehicle and electrical system discussed below may include many additional and alternative features and other available peripheral components for implementing the various methods and functions of the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 1 The representative vehicle 10 is initially equipped with a center stack telecommunications and information ("telematics") unit 14 that communicates with a remotely located cloud computing host service 24 (e.g., ) for wireless communication. As a non-limiting example, Figure 1Other in-vehicle hardware components 16 shown in the figure include an electronic video display device 18, a microphone 28, an audio speaker 30, and a variety of user input controls 32 (e.g., buttons, knobs, switches, touch screens, etc.). These hardware components 16 act as a human / machine interface (HMI) that enables a user to communicate with the telematics unit 14 and other components resident in or remote from the vehicle 10. For example, the microphone 28 provides a means for the passenger to enter verbal commands. Conversely, the speaker 30 provides auditory output to the vehicle occupants and can either be a separate speaker dedicated for use with the telematics unit 14 or can be part of the audio system 22. The audio system 22 is operably connected to the network connection interface 34 and the audio bus 20 to receive analog information so as to present it as sound via one or more speaker assemblies.

[0047] Communicatively coupled to the telematics unit 14 is a network connection interface 34, suitable examples of which include twisted pair / fiber optic Ethernet switches, parallel / serial communication buses, local area network (LAN) interfaces, controller area network (CAN) interfaces, etc. The network connection interface 34 enables the vehicle hardware 16 to send and receive signals with each other and with the on-board and off-board systems and subsystems of the vehicle body 12. This allows the vehicle 10 to perform a variety of vehicle functions, adjust the powertrain output, activate the vehicle braking system, control the vehicle steering, regulate the charging and discharging of the vehicle battery, and other automated functions. For example, the telematics unit 14 can receive and transmit signals to / from the powertrain control module (PCM) 52, the on-board charging module (OBCM) 54, the electronic battery control module (EBCM) 56, the steering control module (SCM) 58, the brake system control module (BSCM) 60, and a variety of other vehicle ECUs.

[0048] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the telematics unit 14 is an onboard computing device that provides a mix of services, either alone or through its communication with other networked devices. The telematics unit 14 is generally composed of one or more processors 40, each of which may be embodied as a discrete microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a dedicated control module. The vehicle 10 may provide centralized vehicle control via a central processing unit (CPU) 36, which may be operably coupled to an integrated circuit (IC) real time clock (RTC) 42 and one or more electronic memory devices 38, each of which may take the form of a CD-ROM, solid state drive (SSD) memory, hard disk drive (HDD) memory, semiconductor memory, or the like.

[0049] Long range communication (LRC) capabilities utilizing off-board equipment may be provided via a cellular communication component, a navigation and positioning component (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) transceiver), or a wireless modem, all of which are collectively represented at 44. Long range communication (LRC) capabilities utilizing off-board equipment may be provided via a short range wireless communication device 46 (e.g., Unit), dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) component 48 and / or dual antenna 50 to provide short-range communication (SRC). It should be understood that the vehicle 10 can be implemented without one or more of the components listed above, or alternatively, can include additional components and functions desired for a particular end use. The above-mentioned communication devices can provide data exchange as part of periodic broadcasts in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication system or a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication system.

[0050] The CPU 36 receives sensor data from one or more sensing devices that use, for example, light detection, radar, laser, ultrasound, optics, infrared, or other suitable technologies, including short-range communication technologies (e.g., DSRC) or ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technologies, such as for performing automated vehicle operations or vehicle navigation services. According to the illustrated example, the automobile 10 may be equipped with one or more digital cameras 62, one or more distance sensors 64, one or more vehicle speed sensors 66, one or more vehicle dynamics sensors 68, and any necessary filtering, classification, fusion, and analysis hardware and software for processing the raw sensor data. The type, placement, quantity, and interoperability of the distributed array of on-board sensors may be adapted individually or collectively to a given vehicle platform for achieving a desired level of autonomous vehicle operation.

[0051] To propel the motor vehicle 10 , the electrified powertrain is operable to generate tractive torque and deliver it to one or more of the vehicle drive wheels 26 . Figure 170 is represented by an electric traction motor 78 connected to a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), which may be in the nature of a chassis mounted traction battery pack 70. The battery pack 70 may include one or more battery modules 72, each of which houses a group of electrochemical cells 74, such as lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cells of the pouch, can, or prismatic type. One or more motors (such as adjustable speed multi-phase SEM motor / generator (M) units 78) draw electrical power from one or more rechargeable battery cells (such as the traction battery pack 70) and optionally deliver electrical power to one or more rechargeable battery cells. The HV electrical system with a power inverter 80 electrically connects the battery pack 70 to (one or more) motor / generator units 78 and regulates the current transfer between them. The battery pack 70 may be configured so that module management, cell sensing, and module-to-host communication functions are directly integrated into each module 72 and performed wirelessly via a wirelessly enabled cell monitoring unit (CMU) 76.

[0052] Discussed below is a high voltage electrical system architecture that provides both standard EVCS DCFC charging and intelligent V2V DCFC charging for rechargeable battery units of electric drive vehicles. As an example and not limitation, a motor vehicle may be equipped with an HV electrical system that uses an intelligent integrated DC-DC converter to step up or step down the voltage level of the DC power input received by the vehicle (recipient vehicle) from a third party vehicle (donor vehicle). The DC-DC converter's adjustment of the received DC power can be based on the SOC, SOH, requested voltage level, requested power, etc. of the recipient RESS, which can be transmitted to the vehicle's OBCM via a suitable connector (such as a J3253 ePTO connector plug). The optional MCS charging inlet port can be integrated into the EV electrical system on a separate line and, if desired, can be electrically connected to the main HV bus via a separate DC-DC converter.

[0053] The DC-DC converter can be disposed between the DCFC charging port and the main HV bus of the vehicle, and thus acts as an electrical interface between the DCFC charging port and the main HV bus of the vehicle. During vehicle propulsion and standard DCFC based on EVCS, the DC-DC converter can operate in bypass mode, in which the DC power input is passed through the converter without doping, for example, to eliminate the need for HV cable connectors or external contactors to provide additional DCFC paths. In addition, the DC-DC converter can adopt a liquid-cooled design, and thus can be integrated with the PE cooling loop so that the loop can work even during charge sharing mode. For at least some implementations, the integrated DC-DC converter of the HV electrical system is capable of operating at a continuous power of at least about 50kW to about 100kW at an input voltage of at least about 350 volts (V) to about 850V and an output voltage of at least about 150V to about 850V, with a continuous output current of at least about 150 amperes (A) to about 300A.

[0054] The optional HV electrical system architecture of the motor vehicle can be adapted for docking with an external DC-DC converter, which is connected to the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle through a pair of ePTO power connector plugs. The J3253CAN-based protocol can adopt a LV assembler module that supports communication requests and provides a gateway to the SDV network of the vehicle. In this example, the V2V DCFC can utilize the assembler module under the existing ePTO connector solution, or utilize an additional assembler module when the vehicle does not have an existing ePTO mode. For the on-board DC-DC converter architecture, dynamic handshakes of voltage and current can be added to the (existing or added) ePTO solution for voltage regulation on the donor vehicle. For the off-board DC-DC converter architecture, the V2V DCFC PE package can be housed in an external "V2V box", which is off-board for both the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle. Isolation monitoring of the donor vehicle and / or the recipient vehicle can be incorporated into the DCFC port monitoring / control module. Charging control code may be incorporated into a charging hardware module (CHM) to implement regulated discharge functionality for the vehicle.

[0055] Next go to Figure 2 and Figure 3 - wherein the same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to indicate the same or similar components, Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two non-limiting examples of high voltage electrical systems are shown, indicated at 200 and 300, respectively, for battery cells (such as Figure 1The traction battery pack 70 of the electric drive vehicle 10 provides both EVCSDCFC and V2V DCFC. Although different in appearance, it is conceivable that the above reference Figure 1 Any of the features and options described for vehicle 10 may be incorporated individually or in any combination into Figure 2 and Figure 3 200 and 300, and vice versa. As an example, each HV electrical system 200, 300 connects one or more rechargeable traction battery packs 202 of a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) 204 to one or more electric traction motors (M) 206 of an electrified powertrain (EP) 208 and a combined charging standard (CCS) DCFC charging inlet (CI) 210 of a battery charging system (BCS) 212. Although two battery packs 202, a single motor (M) 206, and a single CI port 210 ( Figure 2 ) or dual CI ports 210, 310 ( Figure 3 ), but the disclosed HV electrical system architecture can be adapted for vehicle powertrains with multiple motors, RESS assemblies with more or less than two battery packs, and BCSs with single or multiple charging inlets of any suitable design. In addition, for the purposes of brevity and clarity, the illustrated system architecture has been greatly simplified; however, these systems may include additional and alternative hardware and other available peripheral components without departing from the intended scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] As the main load of current consumption, each motor 206 can be embodied as an integrated electric drive unit (DU), which includes a multi-phase or induction motor generator unit (MGU), a multi-ratio gearbox and a power electronics (PE) package. As the main interface of the off-board charging point, each charging inlet 210 can be embodied as a charging cable connector port, which is compatible with the cable plug of the level 3 DCFC vehicle charging station for wired connection. Figure 2The RESS 204 is depicted as a dual battery pack variation having two high capacity, deep cycle traction battery packs 206 connected across the positive and negative bus rails 211 and 213 of the battery side high voltage DC bus, respectively. Each battery pack 206 has corresponding cathode / positive (+) and anode / negative (-) terminals that couple the battery pack to the positive and negative bus rails 211, 213, respectively. Referring to either terminal as an "anode" or "cathode," or for that matter, as "positive" or "negative," does not limit the battery terminals to a particular polarity, as the system polarity may change depending on whether the battery pack 206 is operating in a charging mode or a discharging mode. For this reason, referring to one feature as "upstream" or "downstream" of another feature will depend on the charge / discharge state of the battery, and thus on the direction of current flow across the electrical system.

[0057] The exemplary system architecture described below enables improved high power connectivity and smart charging of various HV system loads using EVCS-based DCFC and V2V-based DCFC. As indicated above, Figure 2 and 3 The HV electrical system 200 and 300 of the embodiment of the present invention can be bifurcated into two main circuit loops: a first (main) circuit loop, which electrically connects the RESS 204 to the electrified powertrain 208; and a second (DCFC) circuit loop, which is connected in parallel with the first circuit loop and electrically connects the RESS 204 to the battery charging system 212. Representative electrical loads on the main circuit of the electrical system 200, 300 can include, but are not limited to: one or more electric traction motors 206, one or more traction power inverter modules (TPIM) 214, a condenser, radiator, fan module (CRFM) 216, and a main accessory power module (APM) 218. The TPIM 214 is operable to convert DC power output from the RESS 204 into AC power for operating the motor(s) 206, such as when operating in an electrified propulsion mode, and to convert AC power generated by the motor(s) 206 into DC power for recharging the RESS 204, such as when operating in a regenerative braking mode. In contrast, the CRFM 216 can provide automated control of one or more heat exchange devices and one or more coolant loops in an integrated active thermal management (ATM) system for heat generating components of the HV system. The main APM 218 can act as a DC-DC power converter that adjusts DC electrical power from a high (first) voltage level to a low (second) voltage level at which one or more accessory loads of the HV system are rated, such as a starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) battery module 220. Other electrical loads on the main circuit loop can include, but are certainly not limited to, an air conditioning electric compressor (ACEC) and a RESS heater (not shown).

[0058] Representative electrical loads on the DCFC loop of the electrical system 200, 300 may include, but are not limited to: one or more charging inlets 210, a bidirectional onboard charging module (BD OBCM) 222, an AC output (ACO) interface 224, and a DC to DC (DC-DC) power converter (DCX) 226. The charging inlet 210 is electrically coupled to and receives DC power from corresponding DC fast charging cables / plugs of one or more donor vehicles (e.g., V2V DCFC charging events) and one or more charging stations (e.g., EVCS DCFC charging events). When battery charging is desired, the OBCM 222 can monitor and selectively manage the charging rate, current, voltage, start / stop time, etc. of the wired or wireless charging event. The OBCM 222 can also act as a low voltage DC to AC converter to convert the DC voltage from the RESS 204 into an AC voltage suitable for use by the ACO interface 224. The ACO interface 224, which may be embodied as one or more 110-125V / 15-20A electrical outlets, outputs AC power from the RESS 204 and conditioned by the BD OBCM 222. In addition to the CCS-type DCFC charging inlet 210, the DCFC circuit of the HV electrical system 200, 300 may also incorporate an electrical power take-off (ePTO) connector (e.g., on the "rear vehicle" portion of the architecture) and / or a megawatt charging system (MCS) charging inlet 310 ( Figure 3 ) (e.g., on the "front of vehicle" portion of the architecture). Other optional hardware may include, but is certainly not limited to, an auxiliary accessory power module (APM2) 324 ( Figure 3 ) and vehicle-to-vehicle power inlet (V2LIM) modules (e.g., 120V, 240V, 7.2kW outlets).

[0059] To achieve both EVCS-based and V2V-based DCFC via a shared charging inlet, a DC-DC converter 226 is electrically interposed between the charging inlet port 210 and the main HV electrical bus rail system ("bus") 228, and thus electrically connects them. The main HV bus 228 may include at least one pair of positive and negative HV main bus rails, 215 and 217, respectively, which cooperatively electrically connect the (one or more) rechargeable battery packs 202 to both the (one or more) traction motors 206 and the charging inlet port 210. The smart integrated DC-DC converter 226 is operable to step up or step down the power input received by the recipient vehicle RESS 204 from the donor vehicle and / or the external charging station based on, for example, the state of charge (SOC) of the recipient vehicle RESS, the RESS voltage, the RESS power limit, etc. Figure 2The CI port 210 is located between the ACO interface 224 and the DC-DC converter 226 and electrically connects them. Figure 2 In the system architecture of FIG. 2 , the DC-DC converter 226 acts as an electrical intermediary that arbitrates the transfer of AC power and DC power to and from both the main bus 228 and the CCSDCFC CI 210 and ACO 224. During a battery charging event, the CI port 210 is fluidly upstream of the DCX 226 and directly connected to the DCX 226 so that all power input received via the CI port 210 is passed through the DCX 226. To help reduce system cost and complexity, the CI port 210 may lack an alternative conduit for passing DC power to the main HV bus 228 and therefore to the RESS 204.

[0060] To eliminate the need for junction boxes, HV cable connectors, additional contactors, etc., the DC-DC converter 226 can be designed to operate in both bypass mode and V2V mode. When in bypass mode, such as during normal vehicle propulsion or during standard DCFC charging, the DC-DC converter 226 includes internal circuitry that passes DC power received from the DCFC cable of the EVCS by the CI port 210 therethrough to the main HV bus 228. When in V2V mode, such as during V2V DCFC charging, the DC-DC converter 226 includes internal circuitry that adjusts the DC power received from the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle. To provide fast actuation current switching with resettable bidirectional short circuit protection, a battery disconnect unit (BDU) 230 can be interposed between the DC-DC converter 226 and the rechargeable battery pack(s) 202 within the RESS 204. Figure 2 The BDU 230 includes a pair of controller-actuatable relay switches 232 and 234 that can be switched between closed and open relay states to selectively disconnect the DCX 226 , and therefore the CI 210 and ACO 224 , from the RESS 204 .

[0061] Similar to Figure 2 The HV electrical system 200, the DC-DC converter 226 is integrated into Figure 3In the HV electrical system 300, the MCS DCFC charging inlet port 210 is electrically interposed between and electrically connects the main HV bus 228. However, in this example architecture, the MCS DCFC charging inlet (CI) port 310 is electrically connected to the main HV bus 228 via the positive and negative main bus branch rails 221 and 223. Unlike a CCS or ePTO inlet, the MCS CI port 310 electrically mates with the MCS connector plug and cable, and thereby receives electrical power from the MCS connector plug and cable, for example, the MCS connector plug and cable delivers DC power of approximately at least 3.0-4.5MW, 2500-3000A, and 1000-1250VDC. Figure 3 In the embodiment, a battery disconnect unit (BDU) 330 is interposed between the RESS 204 and both the CCSDCFC CI 210 and the MCSDCFC CI 310. In addition to the relay switches 232 and 234 for the DCX 226, Figure 3 The BDU 330 also includes another pair of controller-actuatable relay switches 236 and 238 that can be switched between closed and open relay states to selectively disconnect the MCS CI port 310 from the RESS 204 .

[0062] Figure 3 The inset is a simplified schematic diagram of a unidirectionally controlled stand-alone DC-DC converter 226 that electrically connects the DCFC CI port 210 and the rechargeable battery pack(s) 204 and regulates the DC power exchange therebetween. To provide the bypass and V2V modes of operation described above, the DC-DC converter 226 includes a controller-actuated bypass relay switch 240 that is selectively switchable between closed and open relay states. For example, transitioning the bypass switch 240 to a closed state places the DC-DC converter 226 in a bypass mode such that the voltage input is passed unadulterated through the DCX 226. On the other hand, transitioning the bypass switch 240 to an open state places the DC-DC converter 226 in a V2V mode, such as to step up the voltage input received from the donor vehicle.

[0063] To step up or step down the power input received by the recipient vehicle's CCSDCFC CI 210, the DCX 226 includes a CI-side (first) switch pair 242 ("left switch branch") having at least two electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other and arranged in parallel with (but not electrically connected to share current with) a bypass switch 240. In a similar manner, a BDU-side (second) switch pair 244 ("right switch branch") includes at least two electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other, electrically connected in parallel with the switches of the first switch pair 242, and arranged in parallel with (but not electrically connected to share current with) a bypass switch 240. The internal switches of the DC-DC converter 226 may be embodied as electromechanical contactors, or in alternative embodiments as solid-state switches, such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, or other switchable semiconductor-based components. According to the illustrated example, a DCX capacitor 246 is electrically connected in parallel with the two switch pairs 242, 244, e.g., on a “center branch,” and is arranged in parallel with the bypass switch 240. Two (first and second) DCX resistors 248 and 250 are electrically connected in series with each other and with the two switch pairs, while also being arranged in parallel with the bypass switch 240.

[0064] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the unidirectional independent DC-DC converter 226 can have a wide input and output operating voltage range (e.g., at least about 350V to 1000V IN (input); at least about 150V to 1000V OUT (output)), for example to accommodate different charging capabilities of heterogeneous donor vehicles. For at least some applications, it may be desirable for the DC-DC converter 226 to be a non-isolated buck-boost converter, an isolated DC-DC converter, or other suitable DC to DC converter topology. As previously noted, the DC-DC converter 226 can be designed to be used only during V2V charging; otherwise, the DCX can automatically default to bypass mode (e.g., using an internal DCX bypass switch during EVCS-based DCFC charging). The bypass switch 240 carries the DCFC current during normal DCFC charging mode of the RESS 204. The DC-DC converter 226 is directly connected to the charging inlet port 210 and can use three (3) relay switches (two BDU relays and a bypass relay integrated inside the DC-DC box).

[0065] Next reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 Flowchart of Figure 4 and Figure 6Improved methods 400 and 600 are presented, respectively, for using an HV electrical system such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 The HV electrical systems 200, 300 and 500 shown in FIG. 1 are connected between a recipient vehicle and a donor vehicle (such as Figure 1 V2V DCFC is automatically performed between the cars 10). Figure 4 and Figure 6 Some or all of the operations illustrated in and described in further detail below may represent an algorithm corresponding to non-transitory processor-executable instructions stored in, for example, main memory or secondary or remote memory (e.g., Figure 1 (one or more) memory devices 38) and by, for example, an electronic controller, a processing unit, a dedicated control module, a logic circuit or other module, or a device or a module / device network (e.g., Figure 1 resident CPU 36 and / or remote host service 24) to execute to implement any or all of the above and below functions associated with the disclosed concepts. It should be appreciated that the execution order of the illustrated operation blocks can be changed, additional operation blocks can be added, and some operations described herein can be modified, combined or eliminated.

[0066] Method 400 begins with Figure 4 The "Start" terminal box 401 of the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory of the programmable controller or control module or similar suitable processor call the initialization process of the vehicle charging control protocol. At the "Charging Mode" decision box 403, the method 400 determines whether the vehicle is in a charging mode or a discharging mode. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a discharging operation mode (box 403 = yes), the method 400 proceeds to the "Supply Handshake" process box 405 and enables the vehicle supply equipment communication controller (SECC) handshake. When the SECC handshake is completed (whereby the power supply vehicle is communicatively paired with the power receiving vehicle), the method 400 executes the "Control Loop" process box 407, which enables the control loop for managing the DC-DC V2V discharge mode. Proceeding to the "Power Transfer" process box 409, the method 400 regulates the transfer of DC power to the receiving vehicle through the DC-DC converter. At the "Target" decision box 411, the method 400 determines whether the target SOC and / or target energy transfer amount have been reached. If not (block 411 = No), the method 400 may loop back to process block 409 and continue V2V charging operations. If the target SOC / energy transfer has been reached (block 411 = Yes), the method 400 may proceed to the "Stop" terminal block 413 and terminate temporarily, or alternatively, may loop back to terminal block 401 and run in a continuous loop.

[0067] When it is determined that the host vehicle is in a charging mode of operation (block 403 = No), the method 400 proceeds to the "Charging Mode" process block 415 and executes a preliminary protocol for receiving DC power. From process block 415, the method 400 proceeds to the "Charging Handshake" process block 417 and enables an electric vehicle communication controller (EVCC) handshake. Upon completion of the EVCC handshake (whereby the power receiving vehicle is communicatively paired with the electric vehicle supply equipment), the method 400 executes the "Converter Bypass" process block 419 and bypasses the integrated DC-DC converter. After completing the DC-DC converter bypass, the method 400 determines at the "Target" decision block 411 whether the target SOC and / or target energy transfer amount has been reached. While the vehicle is charging, the method 400 may execute the "BMS Charging Tracking" process block 421 and monitor a predefined set of charging parameters, such as voltage (V), current (I), state of charge (SOC), and other related sensing outputs.

[0068] Next reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 A simplified schematic diagram of a representative HV electrical system 500 of a donor vehicle 510 operatively coupled to an off-board DC-DC converter subsystem 512 for V2V DCFC charging of a recipient vehicle 510′ is shown, which may include Figure 2 and Figure 3 One of the HV electrical systems 200 and 300 of FIG. 5 . In this example, the donor vehicle 510 includes an electrical power take-off connector interface (ePTO CI) 514 , such as a SAE J3253 plug connection port, which is electrically connected to an auxiliary junction box 516 and an assembler module (UM CAN Comm) 518 . Figure 5 The auxiliary junction box 516 includes a bonding fuse 520 that is in series power flow communication with first and second bonding switches 522 and 524, respectively, and a bonding resistor 526. The bonding resistor 526 is connected in series with the first bonding switch 522 and in parallel with the second bonding switch 524. The third bonding switch 528 cooperates with the first and second bonding switches 522, 524 (i.e., one at a time) to selectively connect and disconnect the ePTO CI 514 to the BDU 230, 330 and therefore to the RESS 204. The UM CAN Comm 518 may include a suitable CAN-type interface, input-output (I / O) configuration logic, and handshake control module.

[0069] The donor vehicle ePTO CI 514 is operably coupled to the V2V ePTO CI 530 of the off-board DC-DC converter subsystem 512 via a complementary cable and plug 531 (e.g., an SAE J3253 plug). The V2V ePTO CI 530 is in turn operably coupled to the HV electrical system of the recipient vehicle 510' via a V2V box 532. The V2V box 532 may contain a DC-DC converter through which DC power is transferred from the donor vehicle 510 to the recipient vehicle 510', as described above with respect to Figure 2 and 3 The V2V box 532 may also include an integrated thermal management system, a control sensor array, a human-machine interface (HMI), an external communication module, a V2V system controller, and a vehicle communication interface. Optionally, the V2V box 532 may initially be equipped with at least two cable-and-plug connectors 531 for operably coupling with the donor vehicle 510 and the recipient vehicle 510'. The aforementioned system architecture 500 uses an off-board unidirectionally controlled V2V box 532 to achieve V2V charging. The independent DC-DC converter contained in the V2V box 532 can adopt a variety of topologies. The EPTO connector interface allows the exchange of V2X discharge current and handshake signals, which allow specific signal exchanges such as voltage, current / power, energy, SOC, etc.

[0070] Figure 6 Illustration of the use Figure 5 A representative vehicle control method for automatically performing V2V DCFC between a recipient vehicle and a donor vehicle using a DC-DC converter subsystem 512 of the embodiment of the present invention. The method 600 begins at Figure 6 The "Start" terminal box 601 of the present invention, wherein the processor executable instructions stored in the memory of the programmable controller or control module or similar suitable processor call the initialization process of the vehicle charging control protocol. At the "Charging Mode" determination box 603, the method 600 determines whether the vehicle is in the ePTO V2V discharge mode. If not (box 603 = No), the method 600 can proceed to the "Exit" terminal box 605 and temporarily terminate. When it is determined that the vehicle is in the V2V discharge mode (box 603 = Yes), the method 600 proceeds to the "Off-board Handshake" process box 607 and enables the vehicle ePTO handshake, for example, whereby the power supplying "donor" vehicle is communicatively paired with the off-board V2V box, and through the box, the power receiving "recipient" vehicle is communicatively paired.

[0071] At the "BMS Charging Tracking" process box 609, the method 600 monitors a predefined set of charging parameters, such as charging voltage, charging current, state of charge of the RESS of the recipient vehicle and / or the RESS of the donor vehicle, and other relevant sensed outputs. Concurrently with process box 609, the method 600 may execute the "Assembler Module" process box 611 and enable communication and signal exchange with one or more assembler modules. Proceeding to the "Power Transfer" process box 613, the method 600 regulates the transfer of DC power to the receiving vehicle through the off-board DC-DC converter. At the "Target" decision box 615, the method 600 determines whether the target SOC and / or target energy transfer amount has been reached. If not (box 615 = No), the method 600 can run in a continuous loop until these target metrics are achieved. If the target SOC / energy transfer has been reached (box 615 = Yes), the method 600 can proceed to the "Stop" terminal box 617 and temporarily terminate, or alternatively, it can loop back to the terminal box 601 and run in a continuous loop.

[0072] In some embodiments, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented by a computer executable instruction program (such as a program module), which generally refers to a software application or application program executed by any controller or controller variant described herein. In a non-limiting example, software may include routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform specific tasks or implement specific data types. Software may form an interface to allow a computer to react based on an input source. Software may also collaborate with other code segments to initiate various tasks in response to data received in conjunction with the source of the received data. Software may be stored on any of a variety of storage media, such as CD-ROMs, disks, and semiconductor memories (e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).

[0073] In addition, aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented using various computer systems and computer network configurations, including multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based electronic devices or programmable consumer electronic devices, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. In addition, aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented in a distributed computing environment, where tasks are performed by resident and remote processing devices linked through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules can be located in local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented in a computer system or other processing system in combination with various hardware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0074] Any method described herein may include machine-readable instructions for execution by: (a) a processor, (b) a controller, and / or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any algorithm, software, control logic, protocol, or method disclosed herein may be embodied as software stored on a tangible medium, such as, for example, a flash memory, a solid-state drive (SSD) memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) memory, a CD-ROM, a digital versatile disk (DVD), or other memory device. The entire algorithm, control logic, protocol, or method and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed by a device other than a controller and / or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware in a usable manner (e.g., implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable logic device (FPLD), discrete logic, etc.). In addition, although a particular algorithm may be described with reference to the flowcharts and / or workflow diagrams depicted herein, many other methods for implementing the example machine-readable instructions may be used alternatively.

[0075] Aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments; however, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the precise configurations and compositions disclosed herein; any and all modifications, changes, and variations apparent from the foregoing description are within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, the present concept expressly includes any and all combinations and sub-combinations of the foregoing elements and features.

Claims

1. A high voltage (HV) electrical system for a motor vehicle having a traction motor and a rechargeable battery assembly, the HV electrical system comprising: a main HV bus configured to electrically connect the traction motor and the rechargeable battery assembly; a charging inlet port configured to electrically mate with and receive direct current (DC) power from a donor vehicle and a DC fast charging (DCFC) cable of the charging station; and A DC to DC (DC-DC) converter is interposed between the charging inlet port and the main HV bus and electrically connects them, the DC-DC converter being operable in a bypass mode to pass DC power from the DCFC cable of the charging station therethrough, and the DC-DC converter being operable in a vehicle to vehicle (V2V) mode to condition DC power received through the DCFC cable of the donor vehicle.

2. The HV electrical system of claim 1 , wherein the DC-DC converter includes a bypass switch that is switchable between a closed state that places the DC-DC converter in a bypass mode and an open state that places the DC-DC converter in a V2V mode. 3 . The HV electrical system of claim 2 , wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a first pair of electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch.

4. The HV electrical system of claim 3, wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a second pair of electronic switches electrically connected in series with each other, electrically connected in parallel with the first pair of electronic switches, and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch. 5 . The HV electrical system of claim 4 , wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises a capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the first and second pairs of electronic switches and arranged in parallel with the bypass switch. 6 . The HV electrical system of claim 5 , wherein the DC-DC converter further comprises first and second resistors electrically connected in series with the first and second pairs of electronic switches.

7. The HV electrical system according to claim 1 further includes a battery disconnect unit (BDU), which is located between the DC-DC converter and the rechargeable battery assembly, and the BDU includes a first and a second relay switch, which can be switched between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the DC-DC converter from the rechargeable battery assembly.

8. The HV electrical system of claim 1, further comprising an alternating current (AC) output interface configured to output AC power from the rechargeable battery assembly, the charging inlet port being interposed between the AC output interface and the DC-DC converter and electrically connecting them.

9. The HV electrical system of claim 1 , further comprising a megawatt charging system (MCS) charging inlet port electrically connected to the main HV bus and configured to electrically mate with and receive electrical power from the MCS connector.

10. The HV electrical system of claim 9, further comprising a battery disconnect unit (BDU) interposed between the MCS charging inlet port and the rechargeable battery assembly, the BDU comprising first and second relay switches switchable between a closed state and an open state to selectively disconnect the MCS charging inlet port from the rechargeable battery assembly.

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