# US 8,751,085 B2 · Method and system for battery charging and thermal management control in electrified vehicles

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- Number: US 8,751,085 B2
- Document ID: US8751085B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/566,064
- Filed: 2012-08-03
- Published: 2014-02-06
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-08-03
- Assignees: Chrysler Group LLC
- Applicants: Gregory Major; Mark Utter; Jian Cao
- Inventors: Gregory Major; Mark Utter; Jian Cao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751085B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/11: {DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4}
- B60L 53/64: Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- B60L 58/22: Balancing the charge of battery modules
- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60L 58/27: by heating
- G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00)
- B60L 2240/34: Cabin temperature
- B60L 2240/545: Temperature
- B60L 2240/80: Time limits
- B60L 2250/14: by input of vehicle departure time
- H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV]
- 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 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

A method and a control system for charging a battery in a plug-in hybrid or all electric vehicle, thermally conditioning the battery, and/or thermally conditioning the passenger compartment of the plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicle. Multiple variables may be used in order to determine the optimal timing of conducting the charging and thermal conditioning processes including time required to complete the processes, energy costs, and user set preferences.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control system for controlling vehicle systems, comprising:
a thermal conditioning system for a battery;
a vehicle thermal conditioning system; and
a control unit configured to accept external inputs and configured to control a charging system for the battery, the thermal conditioning system for the battery, and the vehicle thermal conditioning system;
wherein the control unit determines if a battery temperature is beyond a tolerance of an optimal battery temperature and activates the battery thermal conditioning system to bring the battery within the tolerance of the optimal battery temperature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a first duration of time until a preset drive time and a second duration of time required to bring the battery within the tolerance of the optimal battery temperature and activates the battery thermal conditioning system when the first duration equals the second duration.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit:
calculates a first duration of time until a preset drive time and a second duration of time required to charge the battery, if the second duration is less than or equal to the first duration, begins charging the battery, and if the second duration is greater than the first duration, recalculates the first duration and the second duration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit:
determines a first duration of time until a preset drive time, a second duration of time required to charge the battery, and a third duration of time required to balance the battery;
begins charging the battery when the first duration equals the sum of the second and third durations; and
begins balancing the battery when the first duration equals the third duration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a first time at which a reduced electrical utility rate is available and begins charging the battery at the first time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit enables a preset number of vehicle cabin conditioning events to thermally condition a vehicle cabin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The control system of claim 6, wherein the control unit:
calculates a first duration of time until a preset drive time, a second duration of time required to thermally condition the vehicle cabin to reach a preset cabin temperature, and a number of vehicle cabin conditioning events required to thermally condition the vehicle cabin to reach the preset cabin temperature;
if the number of vehicle cabin conditioning events required is less than or equal to the number of vehicle cabin conditioning events enabled and the first duration of time is equal to or less than the second duration of time, begins conditioning the cabin; and
if the number of vehicle cabin conditioning events required is greater than the number of vehicle cabin conditioning events enabled or the first duration of time is greater than the second duration of time, recalculates the first duration of time until a preset drive time, the second duration of time required to thermally condition the vehicle cabin to reach a preset cabin temperature, and the number of vehicle cabin conditioning events required to thermally condition the vehicle cabin to reach the preset cabin temperature.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines:
a first duration of time until a preset drive time;
a second duration of time required to charge the battery
a third duration of time required to thermally condition the battery;
a fourth duration of time required to balance the battery; and
a fifth duration of time required to thermally condition a vehicle cabin; and
begins to charge the battery when the first duration equals the sum of the second, third, fourth, and fifth durations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The control system of claim 1, wherein the tolerance comprises an upper bounds and a lower bounds and the thermal conditioning system for the battery increases a temperature of the battery if the temperature of the battery is below the lower bounds and decreases a temperature of the battery if the temperature of the battery is above the upper bounds.

### Claim 10

A method of controlling vehicle systems comprising:
determining a first duration of time until a predetermined drive time, utilizing a control unit;
determining a second duration of time required to charge a battery, utilizing the control unit;
determining a first time to start charging the battery based on the first duration of time and the second duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
charging the battery at the first time, utilizing a battery charging system;
monitoring a temperature of the battery;
cooling the battery if the temperature of the battery increases above a preset tolerance; and
heating the battery if the temperature of the battery decreases below the preset tolerance.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a third duration of time required to thermally condition the battery, utilizing the control unit;
determining the first time based on the first duration of time, the second duration of time, and the third duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a second time based on the third duration of time, utilizing the control unit; and
thermally conditioning the battery at the second time, utilizing a thermal conditioning system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a third duration of time required to balance charge among battery cells, utilizing the control unit;
determining the first time based on the first duration of time, the second duration of time, and the third duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a second time based on the third duration of time and the first duration of time, utilizing the control unit; and
balancing the charge among battery cells at the second time, utilizing the battery charging system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a third duration of time required to thermally condition a vehicle cabin to a preset cabin temperature, utilizing the control unit;
determining the first time based on the first duration of time, the second duration of time, and the third duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a second time based on the third duration of time and the first duration of time, utilizing the control unit; and
thermally conditioning the vehicle cabin at the second time, utilizing a vehicle cabin conditioning system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
enabling a preset first number of cabin preconditioning events, utilizing the control unit;
determining a second number of cabin preconditioning events required to thermally condition the vehicle cabin to the preset cabin temperature, utilizing the control unit;
if the second number is greater than the first number, determining a fourth duration equal to the duration of time to execute the preset first number of cabin preconditioning events, utilizing the control unit; and
further determining the second time based on the fourth duration of time, utilizing the control unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a third duration of time required to thermally condition the battery, utilizing the control unit;
determining a fourth duration of time required to balance charge among battery cells, utilizing the control unit;
determining a fifth duration of time required to thermally condition a vehicle cabin to a preset cabin temperature, utilizing the control unit;
determining the first time based on the first duration of time, the second duration of time, third duration of time, fourth duration of time, and fifth duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a second time based on the first duration of time, third duration of time, fourth duration of time, and fifth duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a third time based on the first duration of time, fourth duration of time and the fifth duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
determining a fourth time based on the first duration of time and the fifth duration of time, utilizing the control unit;
thermally conditioning the battery at the second time, utilizing a thermal conditioning system;
balancing the charge among battery cells at the third time, utilizing the battery charging system; and
thermally conditioning the vehicle cabin to the preset temperature at the fourth time, utilizing a vehicle cabin conditioning system.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the first time occurs when the first duration of time equals the sum of the second duration of time, third duration of time, fourth duration of time, and fifth duration of time;
the second time occurs when the first duration of time equals the sum of the third duration of time, the fourth duration of time, and the fifth duration of time;
the third time occurs when the first duration of time equals the sum of the fourth duration of time and the fifth duration of time; and
the fourth time occurs when the first duration of time equals the fifth duration of time.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the charging the battery step, thermally conditioning the battery step, balancing the battery charge step, and thermally conditioning the vehicle cabin step occur concurrently for at least a portion of time.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a third duration of time during which a reduced electrical utility rate is available, utilizing the control unit;
determining if the first duration of time is greater than the second duration of time, utilizing the control unit; and
if the first duration of time is greater than the second duration of time, setting the first time, utilizing the control unit such that the battery will be fully charged at an end of the third duration of time.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first time occurs when the first duration equals the second duration.