Method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle via another plug-in electric vehicle
A system for a vehicle includes a bidirectional power converter, a vehicle controller configured to, in response to a pilot signal indicating a connection to a charging station, cause the converter to initiate power flow from the station to the vehicle, and an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) controller configured to, in response to detecting a connection to another vehicle, generate the pilot signal to cause the converter to generate power to transfer to the another vehicle.
1. A system for a vehicle comprising:
a bidirectional converter; and
a pair of switches configured to,
in a first position, connect a charge port of the vehicle to a first controller of the vehicle that causes the converter to initiate power flow from a charging station to the vehicle in response to a pilot signal from the charging station indicating a connection to the charging station, and
in a second position, connect the charge port to a second controller of the vehicle that generates the pilot signal to cause the converter to transfer power off-board the vehicle in response to a proximity signal indicating a connection off-board the vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional converter includes primary and secondary converters disposed about a corresponding side of a transformer, each of the primary and secondary converters including a plurality of switches.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein causing power flow to the vehicle includes operating the bidirectional converter using phase-shift modulation such that the primary converter switches are leading and the secondary converter switches are lagging, and causing power flow off-board the vehicle includes operating the bidirectional converter such that the secondary converter switches are leading and the primary converter switches are lagging.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot signal is further indicative of power status, available power, or charge state.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pilot signal is a 1-kilohertz square wave signal.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein a duty cycle of the pilot signal is indicative of a maximum amount of current during power flow and transfer.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second controller is further configured to engage a proximity interlock prior to initiating the power flow.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bidirectional converter includes an asymmetrical resonant tank.
9. A method for a vehicle, comprising:
in response to a pilot signal from a charging station indicating a connection to the charging station, arranging a pair of switches in a first position to connect a charge port of the vehicle to a first controller of the vehicle that causes a bidirectional converter to initiate power flow from a charging station to the vehicle; and
in response to a proximity signal indicating a connection off-board the vehicle, arranging the pair of switches in a second position to connect the charge port to a second controller of the vehicle that generates the pilot signal to cause the bidirectional converter to transfer power off-board the vehicle.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pilot signal is further indicative of power status, available power, or charge state.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pilot signal is a 1-kilohertz square wave signal.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a duty cycle of the pilot signal is indicative of a maximum amount of current during power flow and transfer.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein causing the power flow to the vehicle includes operating the bidirectional converter using phase-shift modulation such that primary converter switches are leading and secondary converter switches are lagging, and wherein causing the power flow to off-board the vehicle includes operating the bidirectional converter such that secondary converter switches are leading and primary converter switches are lagging.