# US 2019/0168628 A1 · On-board vehicle electrical system for charging an electrically operated vehicle, and method

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- Number: US 2019/0168628 A1
- Document ID: US20190168628A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/314,913
- Filed: 2017-07-13
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-18
- Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH
- Applicants: Continental Automotive GmbH
- Inventors: Franz Pfeilschifter; Philip Brockerhoff; Martin Brüll; Matthias Töns; Edmund Schirmer; Paul-Markus Schweizer-Berberich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168628A1

## CPC

- B60L 53/24: Using the vehicle's propulsion converter for charging
- B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)
- B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors
- B60L 53/11: {DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4}
- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/34: Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles (positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38)
- B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
- H02J 1/082: DC supplies with two or more different DC voltage levels
- B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages
- B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters
- B60L 2210/12: Buck converters
- B60L 2210/14: Boost converters
- B60L 2210/30: AC to DC converters
- B60L 2210/42: Voltage source inverters
- B60L 2220/54: Windings for different functions
- H02J 3/48: Controlling the sharing of active power
- H02J 7/56: Active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters
- H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV]
- H02J 2207/40: adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 10/92: Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A method and a vehicle electrical system having an inverter, an electrical energy store, an electrical machine and an AC transmission terminal. The inverter has first and second sides and is configured to transmit power between these sides. Two output terminals of the inverter are connected or connectable to the energy store on the first side of the inverter. At least two phase current terminals of the inverter are connected or connectable to the electrical machine on the second side of the inverter. At least one of the charging inputs of the vehicle electrical system is connectable to a respective inner motor phase of the electrical machine by a switching device controlled by a controller. The vehicle electrical system initially charges the electrical energy store with a first voltage, and then charges the electrical energy store with a second voltage, which second voltage is higher than the first voltage.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle electrical system comprising:
an inverter,
an electrical energy store,
an electrical machine and
an AC transmission terminal,
wherein the inverter has a first side and a second side and is configured to transmit power between these sides,
wherein two output terminals of the inverter are connected or connectable to the energy store on the first side of the inverter,
wherein at least two phase current terminals of the inverter are connected or connectable to the electrical machine on the second side of the inverter,
wherein at least one of the charging inputs of the vehicle electrical system is connectable to a respective inner motor phase of the electrical machine by a switching device controlled by a controller,
and wherein the vehicle electrical system is designed to initially charge the electrical energy store with a first voltage to at least one voltage sufficient for charging with a second voltage,
and then to charge the electrical energy store with the second voltage, which second voltage is equal to or greater than the first voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a DC transmission terminal,
wherein at least one of the charging inputs of the AC transmission terminal is connectable to an inner motor phase of the electrical machine by a controlled switching device to charge with the first voltage,
and then at least one of the DC charging inputs is connectable to an inner motor phase of the electrical machine to charge with the second voltage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the vehicle electrical system is designed so as, when the energy store is being charged with DC voltage via at least one input of the DC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system, to connect each switched input to the energy store only via one inner motor phase of the electrical machine each.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle electrical system is designed to initially charge the electrical energy store with the first voltage by virtue of only one phase terminal of the AC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system being connected to the electrical energy store via only one of the phases of the electrical machine and via the inverter by a controlled switching device,
and wherein the vehicle electrical system is designed to thereby connect terminals of the AC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system to the electrical energy store via three inner motor phases of the electrical machine and via the inverter, in order to charge the electrical energy store with the second voltage, which second voltage is higher than the first voltage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching device has switches for multiple charging inputs of the AC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system for a charging device for the vehicle electrical system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching device has one or more switches for one each of the charging inputs of the DC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system, for connection to a charging device for the vehicle electrical system, for connecting these charging inputs to one inner motor phase of the electrical machine each.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching device has switches connected to the electrical machine for a star delta connection and/or for shorting phases of the electrical machine to change over from a traction mode to a charging mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein all the switches of the switching device for a star delta connection and/or switches for charging inputs, are arranged in a common housing and/or module, either between the electrical machine and an EMC filter in the vehicle electrical system and/or a connector of the vehicle electrical system or between the electrical machine and the inverter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a switching device is arranged to connect an N conductor closer to the connector or further from the connector than an inductance in series with it.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a switching device for one phase is connected between a switching device for connecting an N conductor and the connector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein switching devices and for one each of the charging inputs of the AC transmission terminal are connected between an inductance in series therewith and the connector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging inputs for an AC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system and the charging inputs for a DC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system are arranged in a connector of the vehicle electrical system, in a connector pluggable into a charging station.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is designed to automatically take the energy store state of charge as a basis for deciding whether single-phase or three-phase charging is required.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is designed to automatically take the energy store state of charge as a basis for deciding to change over from single-phase to three-phase.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical energy store has an voltage band for the permissible charging voltage of the electrical energy store, which voltage band is partially or mostly above the level of the lower and/or the higher rectified system AC voltage provided for charging when charging via the AC transmission terminal and/or DC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system, a voltage range of from 230 V or 500 V, when the energy store is discharged or partially discharged to no more than 20%, to 450 V or 800 V, when the energy store is full or at least 80% full, that is to say from 230 V to 450 V or from 500 V to 800 V.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the electrical energy store is discharged, to a relative limit value of less than approximately 20% or 25% of the maximum, the electrical energy store is first charged with the first voltage and/or using a single phase via o phase of the electrical machine and/or slowly, with a first voltage, which is an AC voltage of no more than 156 V or 360 V single-phase and/or until the voltage on the energy store is higher than the rectified first or second system AC voltage.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first voltage on the energy store is 230 V and the second voltage on the energy store is 400 V, or the first voltage on the energy store is 170 V and the second voltage on the energy store is 340 V.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the AC transmission terminal for charging is a single-phase AC transmission terminal and/or a three-phase transmission terminal.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a switching device is in each case either a mechanical switch, contactor, or a semiconductor switch, or a hybrid switch consisting of a mechanical switch and a semiconductor switch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein both an AC transmission terminal of the vehicle electrical system and a DC transmission terminal are connectable via at least one switching device.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The vehicle electrical system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the connector ensures that charging is effected only either via the AC transmission terminal or via the DC transmission terminal.

### Claim 22

A method for charging an electrical energy store, using a vehicle electrical system, comprising:
an inverter,
an electrical energy store,
an electrical machine and
an AC transmission terminal,
wherein the inverter has a first side and a second side and is configured to transmit power between these sides,
wherein two output terminals of the inverter are connected to the energy store on the first side of the inverter,
wherein at least two phase current terminals of the inverter are connected to the electrical machine on the second side of the inverter,
wherein the vehicle electrical system initially charges the electrical energy store with a first voltage, and then charges the electrical energy store with a second voltage, which second voltage is higher than the first voltage.