Apparatus and method for rapidly charging an electric vehicle

1. An energy storage and management system (ESMS) comprising:

one or more energy storage devices configured to store electrical energy;

a power electronic conversion system having a plurality of energy ports, the power electronic conversion system comprising a plurality of DC electrical converters; and

a controller configured to:

split a source current flowing from an electrical source that is connected to one of the plurality of energy ports into a first current and a second current, wherein the first current flows through a first of the plurality of DC converters and the second current flows through a second of the plurality of DC converters;

alter the first current and the second current by selectively turning on and turning off current flow to the first and second DC converters; and

form a charging current by passing the first current and the second current simultaneously to a first of the one or more energy storage devices that is coupled to a second of the plurality of energy ports.

2. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein the charging current is greater than 125 A.

3. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein each DC electrical converter is configured to:

step up a DC voltage;

step down a DC voltage; and

pass a current without a significant change in voltage, wherein:

each of the plurality of energy ports is coupleable to each of the one or more energy storage devices; and

each of the plurality of energy ports is coupleable to an electrical source.

4. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to interleave the first current and the second current respectively through the first and second DC converters by being configured to:

perform the following steps sequentially in time:

(1) switch on the first DC converter;

(2) switch off the first DC converter;

(3) switch on the second DC converter; and

(4) switch off the second DC converter; and

repeat steps (1) through (4) in order to generate the charging current.

5. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein the first and second DC converters are each respectively configured to boost an incoming voltage that corresponds to each of the first and second currents.

6. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to direct the source current through a third DC converter prior to splitting the source current into the first current and the second current.

7. The ESMS of claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to operate the third DC converter such that the third DC converter performs one of the following:

buck the voltage of the source current to a lower voltage; and

pass the source current to where the current is split into the first current and the second current without significantly altering the voltage thereof.

8. The ESMS of claim 1 wherein a second of the one or more energy storage devices is coupled a third of the plurality of energy ports and configured to provide a supply current to the first energy storage device.

9. A method of managing an energy storage and management system (ESMS) comprising:

coupling a current source to a first port of the ESMS;

coupling a first energy storage device to a second port of the ESMS;

providing a source current to the ESMS from the current source;

splitting the source current into a first current at a first voltage and a second current at the first voltage;

directing the first current to a first DC voltage converter of the ESMS;

directing the second current to a second DC voltage converter of the ESMS;

boosting the first voltage of the first current to a second voltage to form a first modified current by selectively turning on and turning off the first DC voltage converter;

boosting the first voltage of the second current to the second voltage to form a second modified current by selectively turning on and turning off the second DC voltage converter; and

combining the first modified current with the second modified current to provide a charging current to the first energy storage device at the second voltage.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the charging current is greater than 125 A.

11. The method of claim 9 comprising interleaving operation of the first DC voltage converter and the second DC voltage converter by sequentially in time performing the following steps:

(1) turning on the first DC voltage converter;

(2) turning off the first DC voltage converter;

(3) turning on the second DC voltage converter; and

(4) turning off the second DC voltage converter; and

repeating steps (1)-(4) to generate the charging current.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising directing the source current to a third DC voltage converter prior to splitting the source current into the first current and the second current.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

bucking a voltage of the source current to a lower voltage in the third DC voltage converter; or

passing the source current through the third voltage converter without significantly altering a voltage thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 comprising:

coupling a second energy storage device to a third port of the ESMS;

providing a supply current to the energy storage device from the second energy storage device and to the first energy storage device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium positioned on an energy storage and management system (ESMS) and having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to:

split a source current flowing from a first electrical source that is connected to a first of a plurality of energy ports into a first current and a second current, wherein the first current flows through a first of a plurality of DC converters and the second current flows through a second of the plurality of DC converters;

interleave operation of the first and second DC converters such that each of the first and second DC converters boosts from a first voltage to a second voltage; and

form a charging current by passing the first current and the second current simultaneously and at the second voltage to a first of one or more energy storage devices that is coupled to a second of the plurality of energy ports.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the charging current is greater than 125 A.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is caused to interleave operation of the first and second DC converters by being programmed to, sequentially in time:

(1) switch on the first DC converter;

(2) switch off the first DC converter;

(3) switch on the second DC converter; and

(4) switch off the second DC converter; and

repeat steps (1) through (4) continuously in order to generate the charging current.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is caused to direct the source current through a third of the plurality of DC converters prior to splitting the source current flowing from the electrical source.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 wherein the computer is caused to operate the third DC converter such that the third DC converter performs one of the following:

buck a voltage of the source current to the first voltage; and

pass the source current to where the current is split into the first current and the second current without significantly altering a voltage thereof.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the computer is caused to provide a supply current to the first energy storage device from a second energy source that is coupled to a second of the plurality of energy ports.