Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

A123 Systems LLC

Bruce Carvell Blakemore

Allan Roy Gale

Paul Theodore Momcilovich

Larry Dean Elie

Duane M Grider

Hasdi R Hashim

Arnold Kweku Mensah-Brown

Michael W Degner

Dale Gilman

Bala Chander

Ron Brost

Jenny Brzozowski

Andrew Robert Drews

Michael Alan Tamor

Jun Yang

Mark Douglas Malone

Joseph F Stanek

Richard Dyche Anderson

Shinichi Hirano

Philip Michael Gonzales

Tae-Kyung Lee

William Hubert Schank

Josephine S Lee

Ronald David Brost

John Peter Bilezikjian

James Waldecker

Jin Wang

Andrea Pulskamp

Donald Charles Franks

Steven F Chorian

Donald Siegel

Daniel William Forthoffer

Douglas Piccard

Bob Taenaka

Viet Quoc To

Chih-Lun Wang

David W Schultz

Patrick G Larochelle

Ted James Miller

Bijal Patel

Hamid Falahati

A battery pack system and methods for operating the battery pack system are disclosed. In one example, the battery pack system may simultaneously output two different voltages from a stack of battery cells. One voltage may be applied to a first group of electric power consumers and the second voltage may be applied to a second group of electric power consumers.

Dual voltage battery and method for operating the same

A vehicle wireless information system includes a vehicle, an onboard vehicle computer provided in the vehicle and at least one external access point adapted to wirelessly access the onboard vehicle computer.

Vehicle wireless information system

A vehicle may include an engine and electric machine each configured to generate motive power for the vehicle, a battery configured to store energy for the electric machine, and a tank configured to store fuel for the engine. The vehicle may further include one or more controllers configured to determine a vehicle drive range based on an amount of fuel in the tank and an available charge depletion energy in the battery.

Method and system for determining a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle expected drive range

A powertrain having a battery system including at least two batteries of different chemical types connected in parallel is operated according to predicted responses of the batteries to a demanded current command for the battery system to output a demanded current. The battery responses are predicted directly from the demanded current using a backward-looking model of the battery system.

Method of operating vehicle powertrain based on prediction of how different chemical type batteries connected in parallel will operate to output demanded current

A vehicle is disclosed having a traction battery and an electrical impedance connected by a contactor. A pre-charge circuit is disclosed that controls current flow from the traction battery through the pre-charge circuit to the electrical impedance to increase voltage at the electrical impedance such that as the voltage approaches a voltage of the traction battery, a duty cycle of the pre-charge circuit approaches a maximum value and a current through the pre-charge circuit approaches a minimum value. In response to current falling below a predetermined value, the contactor is closed. A current sensor is disclosed that is located in the pre-charge circuit. A method of operating the pre-charge circuit is disclosed.

Bus pre-charge control using a buck converter

A vehicle starter assembly includes a switching circuit configured to operate in a charging state and a discharging state, and a first energy storage device and a second energy storage device electrically connected to the switching circuit. The first energy storage device and the second energy storage device are connected in parallel to one another in the charging state and in series with one another in the discharging state. The processor is programmed to detect an engine start request and output a switch control signal that toggles the switching circuit between the charging state and the discharging state to start an internal combustion engine of a host vehicle.

Vehicle start-stop system

A vehicle includes an auxiliary battery and one or more accessory loads. An accessory load command is modulated such that the auxiliary battery outputs a discharge current to an accessory load. The discharge current has, in addition to a current component for driving the accessory load, an alternating current (AC) component to cause a temperature of the auxiliary battery to increase.

Method and system for heating auxiliary battery of vehicle

A vehicle includes an electric machine, a traction battery to power the electric machine, and a starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) battery. The vehicle also includes a galvanically isolated DC-DC converter connecting the batteries and having a bus capacitance in parallel therewith. The vehicle further includes a contactor to electrically connect the traction battery in parallel with the bus capacitance, and a controller. The controller, in response to a command to close the contactor, activates switches of the DC-DC converter to drive energy from the SLI battery to the bus capacitance before closing the contactor.

Bus pre-charge with vehicle power converter

A linear current regulator is provided for precharging a high voltage bus, such as within a hybrid electric vehicle, in a quick, efficient, and optimal manner. The linear current regulator can include a battery; a bus; a transistor having, a base, a collector coupled to the bus, and an emitter; a resistor coupled between a precharge switch and the base; the precharge switch coupled to the battery and the resistor; and a main contactor coupled to the battery, the emitter, and the bus. When the recharge switch is closed, the bus is connected to the battery through the resistor and the transistor so that the bus is charged. When the voltages of the bus and the battery are nearly equal, the transistor turns off, the precharge switch is opened, and the main contactor is closed for normal operation of the vehicle.

Linear current regulator for high voltage bus precharging

A method for diagnosing a battery may include applying a generally constant current to the battery for a period of time, measuring a response voltage of the battery to the applied current, determining battery impedance parameters based on at least one of the applied current, period of time, and response voltage, and determining a degradation condition of the battery based on the battery impedance parameters.

Vehicle and method of diagnosing battery condition of same

A system includes an isolation detection unit (IDU) having a first leakage detection circuit and being configured to determine an isolation characteristic for a voltage bus; and a circuit detection and response unit (CDRU) configured to determine whether the first leakage detection circuit is coupled to a second leakage detection circuit by a common ground. The CDRU can use a change in isolation characteristic of the voltage bus to determine whether a second detection circuit is coupled, and can characterize a coupled circuit. IDU operation and fault detection thresholds can be altered to mitigate confounding effects caused by simultaneous operation of both circuits. A system can be disposed at an electric vehicle to detect coupling of a detection circuit at a charging apparatus, or disposed at a charging apparatus to detect coupling of a leakage detection circuit at an electric vehicle.

Detection of and response to second leakage detection circuit

An electric vehicle such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and a battery-only electric vehicle (BEV) includes a traction battery. A torque command is generated for a motor such that a traction battery electrically connected therewith outputs a discharge current having an alternating current (AC) component to cause a temperature of the traction battery to increase.

Method and system for heating traction battery of electric vehicle

An electric drive system for an electric vehicle has a DC power source and a contactor with an output coupled to a main bus and an input adapted to be connected to the DC power source. The contactor is selectably switched between an open state and a closed state. A link capacitor is coupled to the main bus. A precharge circuit is coupled between the DC power source and the link capacitor comprised of a controlled current source. The controlled current source is selectably activated with the contactor in the open state to charge the link capacitor to a predetermined voltage to before switching the contactor to the closed state.

Capacitor precharging and capacitance/resistance measurement in electric vehicle drive system

An exemplary battery charge monitoring method includes, among other things, calculating expected charge data for a battery using at least a capacity of the battery and a charge rate, and comparing actual charge data to the expected charge data to identify differences between the actual charge data and the expected charge data.

Battery overcharge monitoring system and method

A vehicle may include an electric machine that generates motive power for the vehicle, a plurality of cells that store energy for the electric machine, and at least one controller. The at least one controller may cause the cells to receive current for a period of time and, during the period of time, cause at least some of the cells to supply cell load current such that at the expiration of the period of time, the amount of energy stored by the cells is at least equal to a predetermined target energy level.

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Plymouth, MI, United States of America

Bruce Carvell Blakemore