Vehicle with AC-to-DC inverter system for vehicle-to-grid power integration

摘要

Vehicles that are capable of connecting to the AC grid are described that comprise a prime mover and at least one motor generator. In one embodiment, a vehicle may be constructed as a plug-in hybrid system and using the powertrain under controller instruction to either place power on an AC power line (to service AC grids) or to draw power from the AC power line to add electrical energy to the batteries on the vehicle. In some aspects, vehicles may test whether the power needed to service the AC power line may be satisfied by the on-vehicle batteries or, if not, whether and how much power to extract from the prime mover. In some aspects, vehicles may have a thermal management system on board to dynamically supply desired heat dissipation for the powertrain, if the powertrain is using the prime mover to supply power to the AC grid.

主权项

1. A vehicle for connecting to an Alternating Current (AC) power line, the vehicle comprising:
a prime mover; a first electric motor-generator, the first electric motor-generator mechanically coupled to the prime mover via a clutch; a second electric motor-generator, the second electric motor mechanically coupled to the first electric motor-generator; a battery, the battery electrically coupled to the first electric motor-generator and the second electric motor-generator, the battery capable of receiving or supplying electrical energy to the first electric motor-generator and the second electric motor-generator; an inverter, the inverter electrically coupled to the first motor-generator, the second motor-generator and the battery, the inverter capable of connecting to the AC power line; and a controller, the controller capable of supplying control signals to the prime mover, the electric motor-generator, and the electric motor such that the controller is capable of dynamically affecting the flow of electrical power to or from the AC power line; wherein the controller further comprises a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage media, the non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when read by the processor, causes the vehicle to perform: receive signals correlating to an electrical load demand on the AC power line; supply electrical power generated from the prime mover to one of the first and the second motor-generators via the inverter to the AC power line when the electrical load demand is not met by the battery; determine optimum efficiency of the prime mover; and dynamically set operating characteristics of the prime mover to substantially operate the prime mover on the Ideal Operating Line (IOL) of the prime mover.