Electrical system control for a vehicle

An electrical system control for a vehicle comprising:

• a charging source;
• a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply connected to the charging source;
• a third battery forming a secondary power supply and selectably connectable in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery;
• a first bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the second battery, the first bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter;
• a second bidirectional battery equalizer connected to the charging source and further connected to the third battery, the second bidirectional battery equalizer including a switching-type converter;
• at least one load connected to at least one of the first, second and third batteries:
• the load providing a variable current demand;
• and
• a controller adapted to monitor the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load, the controller being configured to control the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner by selective configuration of the direction of current flow through the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers and by selective reconfiguration of each of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers as one of a buck-type switching converter and a boost-type switching converter,
• wherein the controller adjustably reconfigures at least one of the bidirectional battery equalizers in accordance with the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load to selectably connect together the first, second and third batteries in accordance with a predetermined priority to provide current capacity corresponding to the current demand placed upon the electrical system by the load.

A method for controlling the electrical system of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• providing a charging source, a first battery connected in series with a second battery to form a primary power supply connected to the charging source, and a third battery forming a secondary power supply and selectably connectable in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery;
• connecting a first bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the second battery;
• connecting a second bidirectional battery equalizer to the charging source and to the third battery;
• connecting at least one load to at least one of the first and second batteries, the load providing a variable current demand;
• and
• monitoring the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries and the load and controlling the operation of at least one of the first and second bidirectional battery equalizers in a predetermined manner,
• adjustably reconfiguring at least one of the bidirectional battery equalizers in accordance with the state of at least one of the charging source, the first, second and third batteries, and the load to selectably connect together the first, second and third batteries in accordance with a predetermined priority to provide current capacity corresponding to the current demand placed upon the electrical system by the load.