Charging system for an electric work vehicle and associated method
An electric work vehicle includes a frame and a traction device coupled to the frame. Furthermore, the electric work vehicle includes an electric motor configured to drive the traction device and an energy storage device configured to supply electric energy to the electric motor. Additionally, the electric work vehicle includes an electric charging port configured to receive electric power from a power source, with the electric charging port being electrically coupled to the energy storage device. Moreover, the electric work vehicle includes an electric outlet configured to provide electric power to a remote device, with the electric outlet being electrically coupled to the electric charging port and the energy storage device. In addition, the electric work vehicle includes a computing system configured to control a distribution of the electric power received by the electric charging port between the energy storage device and the electric outlet.
1 . An electric work vehicle, comprising:
a frame;
a traction device coupled to the frame;
an electric motor configured to drive the traction device;
an energy storage device configured to supply electric energy to the electric motor;
an electric charging port configured to receive electric power from a power source, the electric charging port being electrically coupled to the energy storage device;
an electric outlet configured to provide electric power to a remote device, the electric outlet being electrically coupled to the electric charging port and the energy storage device;
a power flow control device electrically coupled to the energy storage device, the electric charging port, and the electric outlet, the power flow control device positioned between the electric charging port and the energy storage device such that the power flow control device controls a flow of the electric power received by the electric charging port between the energy storage device and the electric outlet; and
a computing system that controls an operation of the power flow control device such that a first portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to the energy storage device and a second portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to the electric outlet.
2 . The electric work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the computing system:
determines a charging capacity of the energy storage device; and
determines a charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port.
3 . The electric work vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the computing system determines when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet.
4 . The electric work vehicle of claim 3 , wherein, when the remote device is not electrically coupled to the electric outlet, the computing system further controls the operation of the power flow control device such that the first portion of the electric power is an amount equal to a lesser of the charging capacity of the energy storage device or the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port.
5 . The electric work vehicle of claim 3 , wherein, when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet, the computing system further determines an electric power draw from the remote device.
6 . The electric work vehicle of claim 5 , wherein, when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet, the computing system further controls the operation of the power flow control device such that the second portion of the electric power is an amount equal to a lesser of the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port or the electric power draw from the remote device.
7 . The electric work vehicle of claim 6 , wherein when the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port exceeds the electric power draw from the remote device, the computing system further controls the operation of the power flow control device such that the second portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is an amount equal to a difference between the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port and the electric power draw from the remote device.
8 . The electric work vehicle of claim 6 , wherein, when the electric power draw from the remote device exceeds the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port, the computing system further: initiates supply of additional electric power from the energy storage device to the electric outlet in an amount equal to a difference between the electric power draw from the remote device and the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port.
9 . The electric work vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:
a power draw sensor configured to generate data indicative of the electric power draw from the remote device, the power draw sensor being communicatively coupled to the computing system,
wherein the computing system further determines the electric power draw from the remote device based on the data generated by the power draw sensor.
10 . The electric work vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising:
a charging capacity sensor configured to generate data indicative of the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port, the charging capacity sensor being communicatively coupled to the computing system,
wherein the computing system further determines the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port based on the data generated by the charging capacity sensor.
11 . The electric work vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the computing system further determines the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port from the power source based on a user input.
12 . A system for charging an electric work vehicle, the system comprising:
an electric motor configured to drive a traction device of the electric work vehicle;
an energy storage device configured to supply electric energy to the electric motor;
an electric charging port configured to receive electric power from a power source, the electric charging port being electrically coupled to the energy storage device;
an electric outlet configured to provide electric power to a remote device, the electric outlet being electrically coupled to the electric charging port and the energy storage device;
a power flow control device electrically coupled to the energy storage device, the electric charging port, and the electric outlet such that the power flow control device controls a flow of the electric power received by the electric charging port between the energy storage device and the electric outlet; and
a computing system that controls an operation of the power flow control device such that a first portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to the energy storage device and a second portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to the electric outlet.
13 . A method for charging an electric work vehicle, the electric work vehicle including an electric motor configured to drive a traction device of the electric work vehicle and an energy storage device configured to supply electric energy to the electric motor, the method comprising:
determining, with a computing system, a charging capacity of the energy storage device;
determining, with the computing system, a charging capacity of electric power received by an electric charging port on the electric work vehicle, the electric charging port configured to receive the electric power from a power source, the electric charging port being electrically coupled to the energy storage device; and
controlling, with the computing system, an operation of a power flow control device such that a first portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to the energy storage device and a second portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is supplied to an electric outlet based on at least one of the determined charging capacity of the energy storage device or the determined charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port, the electric outlet configured to provide electric power to a remote device, the electric outlet being electrically coupled to the electric charging port and the energy storage device.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining, with the computing system, when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein, when the remote device is not electrically coupled to the electric outlet, controlling the operation of the electric power comprises controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the power flow control device such that the first portion of the electric power is an amount equal to a lesser of the charging capacity of the energy storage device or the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein, when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet, the method further comprises:
determining, with the computing system, an electric power draw from the remote device.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein, when the remote device is electrically coupled to the electric outlet, controlling the operation of the electric power comprises controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the power flow control device such that the second portion of the electric power is an amount equal to a lesser of the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port or the electric power draw from the remote device.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein
when the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port exceeds the electric power draw from the remote device, controlling the operation of the power flow control device comprises controlling, with the computing system, the operation of the power flow control device such that the second portion of the electric power received by the electric charging port is an amount equal to a difference between the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port and the electric power draw from the remote device.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein, when the electric power draw from the remote device exceeds the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port, the method further comprising:
initiating, with the computing system, supply of additional electric power from the energy storage device to the electric outlet in an amount equal to a difference between the electric power draw from the remote device and the charging capacity of the electric power received by the electric charging port.
20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving, with the computing system, sensor data indicative of the electric power draw from the remote device,
wherein determining the electric power draw from the remote device comprises determining, with the computing system, the electric power draw from the remote device based on the received sensor data.