SUPPLYING POWER TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
A power supply system that utilizes a hybrid architecture to enable low cycle-life, high energy density chemistries to be used in rechargeable batteries to extend the range of a traction battery.
1 . A power supply system for an electric vehicle, comprising:
a traction battery configured to be connected to and disconnected from a high-voltage DC bus of the electric vehicle to power the electric vehicle;
a hybrid range extender battery comprising one or more high energy density hybrid modules connected in parallel, with each high energy density hybrid module including a corresponding hybrid module controller (HMC) and a plurality of cells connected in series; and
one or more bi-directional DC-DC converters arranged between the one or more high energy density hybrid modules and the high-voltage DC bus of the electric vehicle;
wherein each of the arranged bi-directional DC-DC converters operatively couples a Direct Current from a corresponding high energy density hybrid module to the traction battery and/or to the powertrain through the high-voltage DC bus of the electric vehicle in order to charge the traction battery and/or power the electric vehicle respectively.
2 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein each high energy density hybrid module of the one or more high energy density hybrid modules is configured with a chemistry that prioritizes high energy density over available cycle life.
3 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the traction battery comprises one or more traction modules controlled by a Battery Management System (BMS).
4 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more traction modules of the traction battery is a plurality of traction modules, and the plurality of traction modules are connected in series.
5 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein each cell of the plurality of cells is configured to be independently measurable by the corresponding HMC.
6 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more high energy density hybrid modules are configured to manage charging and/or discharging through a corresponding bi-directional DC-DC-converter.
7 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding HMC of a high energy density hybrid module is configured to further manage a power generating mode of the power supply system by controlling a rate of charging and discharging of its high energy density hybrid module through sensor information obtained about the independently measurable cells.
8 . The power supply system of claim 1 , further comprising a balancing device for each cell of the high energy density hybrid module and configured to selectively discharge an electric charge stored in the cell.
9 . The power supply system of claim 8 , wherein the balancing device is a bleeder resistor connected in parallel with said each cell.
10 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid range extender battery comprises a plurality of chemistries.
11 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein cells of at least one high energy density hybrid module have a cell energy density of about 1000 Wh/L or more.
12 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the range extender battery has a cycle life of about 200 cycles.
13 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the traction battery is partitioned from the hybrid range extender battery.
14 . The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the traction battery is load-following.
15 . A method of operating a power supply system of an electric vehicle, comprising:
providing a traction battery comprising one or more traction modules configured to power the electric vehicle;
providing a hybrid range extender battery having one or more high energy density hybrid modules connected in parallel, with each high energy density hybrid module having chemistry that prioritizes high energy density over available cycle life and including a corresponding hybrid module controller (HMC) and a plurality of cells connected in series, each cell of the plurality of cells being independently measurable by said corresponding HMC;
operatively coupling a Direct Current from one or more of the high energy density hybrid modules to the high-voltage DC bus to which the traction battery and/or a powertrain of the vehicle are connected in order to charge the traction battery and/or power the electric vehicle respectively by arranging one or more bi-directional DC-DC converters between the one or more high energy density hybrid modules and the high-voltage DC bus of the electric vehicle with each high energy density hybrid module of the one or more high energy density hybrid modules having a corresponding bi-directional DC-DC converter; and
controlling a power generating mode of the power supply system by:
controlling, using the corresponding HMC, a rate of charging and discharging of its corresponding high energy density hybrid module through sensor information obtained about the independently measurable cells.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting a failure of a cell by controlling an input and output current of the high energy density hybrid module using the corresponding bi-directional DC-DC converter and comparing a corresponding measured impedance of the cell to a reference profile.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising altering, responsive to detecting a failure of a cell of the high energy density hybrid module, a rate of discharge of the high energy density hybrid module.
18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising deactivating, responsive to detecting a failure of a cell of the high energy density hybrid module, the high energy density hybrid module.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein in order to balance the needs of power delivery and preservation of charge cycles, an energy management system prioritizes depletion of an energy of the traction battery before extracting energy from the hybrid range extender battery.
20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising transferring power between the traction battery and the hybrid range extender battery.
21 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising, responsive to detecting a failure of the traction battery, designating one or more high energy density hybrid modules as a temporary replacement by connecting said one or more high energy density hybrid modules to the high voltage DC bus.
22 . A method of operating a power supply system of an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising a traction battery configured to power the electric vehicle and a hybrid range extender battery having one or more high energy density hybrid modules, each having chemistry that prioritizes high energy density over available cycle life and including a corresponding hybrid module controller (HMC) and a plurality of cells independently measurable by said corresponding HM, the high energy density hybrid modules being operatively coupled to the high-voltage DC bus to which the traction battery and/or a powertrain of the vehicle are connected in order to charge the traction battery and/or power the electric vehicle respectively, the method comprising:
controlling, using the corresponding HMC, a rate of charging and discharging of each corresponding high energy density hybrid module through sensor information obtained about the independently measurable cells.
23 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to perform a procedure comprising:
operatively coupling a Direct Current from one or more high energy density hybrid modules of a hybrid range extender battery to a high voltage DC bus to which the traction battery and/or a powertrain of the vehicle are connected, in order to charge the traction battery and/or power the electric vehicle respectively through an arrangement of one or more bi-directional DC-DC converters between the one or more high energy density hybrid modules and the high-voltage DC bus of the electric vehicle, with each high energy density hybrid module of the one or more high energy density hybrid modules having a corresponding bi-directional DC-DC converter; and
controlling a power generating mode of the power supply system by:
controlling, using the corresponding HMC, a rate of charging and discharging of its corresponding high energy density hybrid module through sensor information obtained about the independently measurable cells.
24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the procedure further comprises detecting a failure of a cell by controlling an input and output current of the high energy density hybrid module using the corresponding bi-directional DC-DC converter, and comparing a corresponding measured impedance of the cell to a reference profile.
25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the procedure further comprises prioritizing depletion of an energy of the traction battery before extracting energy from the hybrid range extender battery in order to balance the needs of power delivery and preservation of charge cycles.
26 - 67 . (canceled)