IP Library › Granted Patent US 12686378

Granted Patent B1

US 12686378 · App. 18/669,182 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Prioritized charging of an energy storage system of a vehicle

Inventors: Chad Smith (Oshkosh, WI); Nader Nasr (Neenah, WI); Rachell Harsh (Oshkosh, WI); Mike J. Bolton (Oshkosh, WI); Bradon Zeitler (Oshkosh, WI); Ryan Crabtree (Oshkosh, WI)

Assignee: Oshkosh Defense, LLC

B60W20/13 H02J7/1415 H02J7/143 H02J7/1438 H02J7/1446 H02J7/865 B60W2300/26 H02J2105/37

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12686378
App. No.: 18/669,182
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B1

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Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine configured to drive a front-end accessory drive and a tractive element, an energy storage system including a battery and a controller configured to control the flow of electrical energy to and from the energy storage system, a first generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to be selectively driven by the front-end accessory drive to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery, and a second generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to selectively be driven by the engine to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery.

Claims (57)

1 . A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to drive a front-end accessory drive and a tractive element;

an energy storage system comprising a battery and a controller configured to control a flow of electrical energy to and from the energy storage system;

a first generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to be selectively driven by the front-end accessory drive to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery;

a second generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to be selectively driven by the engine to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery, wherein the controller is configured to supply energy generated by the first generator to the energy storage system only when an amount of power demanded by the energy storage system exceeds the amount of power available from the second generator; and

a power takeoff, wherein the controller is configured to selectively couple the second generator to the front-end accessory drive via the power takeoff such that the second generator drives the front-end accessory drive.

2 . A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to drive a front-end accessory drive and a tractive element;

an energy storage system comprising a battery and a controller configured to control a flow of electrical energy to and from the energy storage system;

a second generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to be selectively driven by the engine to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery, wherein the controller is configured to supply energy generated by the first generator to the energy storage system only when power generated by the second generator and supplied to the energy storage system exceeds a first amount; and

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second generator is coupled to the engine via an engine clutch.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second generator is directly coupled to a shaft of the engine.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a first voltage regulator of the first generator to control an amount of power generated by the first generator and with a second voltage regulator of the second generator to control an amount of power generated by the second generator.

6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , the front-end accessory drive comprises a belt configured to drive various accessories of the front-end accessory drive and the first generator.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first generator is operable as a motor to drive the front-end accessory drive using power from the energy storage system, and the second generator is operable as a motor to start the engine using energy from the energy storage system.

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second generator is operable as a starter motor to start the engine using energy from the energy storage system.

9 . A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to drive a front-end accessory drive and a tractive element;

an energy storage system comprising a battery and a controller;

a first motor/generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to selectively (a) be driven by the front-end accessory drive to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery and (b) drive the front-end accessory drive using energy from the energy storage system;

a second motor/generator electrically coupled to the energy storage system and configured to selectively (a) be driven by the engine to generate electrical energy and supply energy to the energy storage system to charge the battery and (b) drive the tractive element using energy from the energy storage system;

a power takeoff, wherein the controller is configured to selectively couple the second motor/generator to the front-end accessory drive via the power takeoff such that the second motor/generator drives the front-end accessory drive; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, the controller configured to receive a user input via the user interface and to control flow of energy to and from the energy storage system, the first motor/generator, and the second motor/generator based on the user input, wherein the user input comprises a selection of one of (i) the first motor/generator (ii) the second motor/generator, or (iii) both the first motor/generator and the second motor/generator, and the controller is configured to supply energy from the selected motor/generator or motor/generators to the energy storage system in response to receiving the user input.

10 . A vehicle comprising:

an engine configured to drive a front-end accessory drive and a tractive element;

an energy storage system comprising a battery and a controller;

a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, the controller configured to receive a user input via the user interface and to control a flow of energy to and from the energy storage system, the first motor/generator, and the second motor/generator based on the user input, wherein:

the user input comprises an indication of a preferred operating mode, the preferred operating mode selected from a list comprising a “standard charging mode” and a “rapid charging mode”;

wherein in the “standard charging mode”, the controller is configured to cause only the second motor/generator to supply energy to the energy storage system; and

in the “rapid charging mode”, the controller is configured to cause both the second motor/generator and the first motor/generator to supply energy to the energy storage system.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the preferred operating mode indicated by the user input is an electric-motor-only mode, wherein, in the electric-motor-only mode, the controller is configured to cause the first motor/generator to drive the front-end accessory drive and the second motor/generator to drive the tractive element.

12 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein, in response to the user input indicating a selection of both the first motor/generator and the second motor/generator, the controller is configured to cause all available energy from the second motor/generator to be supplied to the energy storage system before causing any energy to be supplied from the first motor/generator to the energy storage system.

13 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein, in response to the user input indicating a selection of both the first motor/generator and the second motor/generator, the controller is configured to supply energy from the first motor/generator to the energy storage system only when an amount of power demanded by the energy storage system exceeds the amount of power available from the second motor/generator.

14 . A charging system for a vehicle, the charging system comprising:

an energy storage system comprising a battery pack and a controller configured to control a flow of electrical energy to and from the energy storage system;

a first generator configured to be coupled to a front-end accessory drive of the vehicle;

a second generator configured to be coupled to an engine of the vehicle; and

selectively control the first generator to generate power to charge the battery pack when the front-end accessory drive is driven by the engine;

selectively control the second generator to generate power to charge the battery pack when the second generator is driven by the engine; and

supply power generated by the first generator to the energy storage system only when the power generated by the second generator and supplied to the energy storage system exceeds a first amount.

15 . The charging system of claim 14 , wherein:

the first generator is further configured to be operated as a motor using energy from the battery pack to drive the front-end accessory drive; and

the second generator is further configured to be operated as a motor using energy from the battery pack to drive the front-end accessory drive.

16 . A charging system for a vehicle, the charging system comprising:

an energy storage system comprising a battery pack and a controller configured to control a flow of electrical energy to and from the energy storage system;

a first generator configured to be coupled to a front-end accessory drive of the vehicle;

a second generator configured to be coupled to an engine of the vehicle; and

selectively control the first generator to generate power to charge the battery pack when the front-end accessory drive is driven by the engine;

selectively control the second generator to generate power to charge the battery pack when the second generator is driven by the engine; and

control the first generator to generate power to charge the battery pack only when the second generator is generating a maximum amount of power.