Electric vehicle onboard recharging system

Disclosed is an onboard recharging system that recharges an electric vehicle battery when the vehicle is being driven in full operation or at rest. The recharging system includes a generator configured to be installed in the vehicle, a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the generator, a charging port configured to receive a charge from the generator, and a charge input configured to receive the charge from the charging port and to supply the charge to a battery that powers an engine of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a recharging system, and more particularly, to an onboard recharging system mounted in an electric vehicle and method for recharging a battery that powers an engine of an electric vehicle when the vehicle is in full operating motion or at rest.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, the electric vehicle has increased in popularity, mainly due to the substantial increase in miles traveled on a single charge, as compared to miles per gallon generally achieved on a single tank of gasoline, in the case of gasoline-powered vehicles. This trend is likely to continue, at least in view of recent government mandates on vehicle manufacturers for higher vehicle efficiency.

As an example, the recently-introduced Chevrolet Bolt® EV (hereinafter, Bolt) is an electric vehicle that includes a 960-pound, 60 kilowatt-hour (60 kWh) lithium-ion floor-mounted battery which powers a 200 horsepower (200-hp) electric motor that has been tested as achieving a 75 mile per hour (75-mph) highway range of 190 miles, and estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being capable of achieving a 238 mile range at cruising speed.

Much like the other electric vehicles on the market, the Bolt battery is recharged via an onboard charger that, when connected to a 110 Volt (110V) standard wall outlet (Level 1) or a 220-240 Volt (220-240V) custom home or public charging station (Level 2) supplies a charge to the battery and adds miles of range to the electric vehicle.

However, the conventional charging unit suffers from the inability to recharge the battery while the electric vehicle is in motion, which is an inconvenience to the user of the electric vehicle and has caused a “range anxiety” that has restricted electric vehicle popularity.

In addition, charging stations for electric vehicles are far less prevalent in comparison to gasoline stations for gasoline-powered vehicles, which is a further inconvenience to the electric vehicle user.

Moreover, although electric vehicles are generally more efficient than gasoline powered vehicles, electric vehicles tend to have a substantially lower mileage range between charges, compared to the mileage range between fueling for the typical gasoline powered vehicle, which is another inconvenience to the user of the electric vehicle.

As such, there is a need in the art for an onboard recharging system for an electric vehicle that increases the mileage range and flexibility of the battery recharge.

SUMMARY

The present invention has been made to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below.

Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an onboard recharging system for an electric vehicle, which enables a user to recharge the battery of the electric vehicle while the vehicle is being operated any time or any place.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a recharging system for an electric vehicle, which significantly increases the range that the battery can achieve on a single charge, as compared to the conventional recharging for electric vehicles.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a recharging system for an electric vehicle, which eliminates the need to “plug-in” charge the electric vehicle at a charging station or a 110V or 220V outlet and receive the charge via the power grid.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a recharging system for a vehicle includes a generator configured to be installed in the vehicle, a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the generator, a charging port configured to receive a charge from the generator, and a charge input configured to receive the charge from the charging port and to supply the charge to a battery that powers an engine of the vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of recharging a battery powering an engine in a vehicle includes operating a generator that is installed in the vehicle, receiving a charge from the generator, and supplying the charge to the battery that powers the engine.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a recharging system for a vehicle includes a generator configured to be installed in the vehicle, a fuel tank configured to supply fuel to the generator, and a charge input configured to receive the charge from the generator through a charge cable, and to supply the charge to a battery that powers an engine of the vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of recharging a battery powering an engine in a vehicle includes activating and supplying fuel to a generator that is installed in the vehicle, receiving, at an input, a charge directly from the generator through a charge cable, and supplying, by the input, the charge to the battery that powers the engine, while the vehicle is being operated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific embodiments and should be construed as including all modifications, changes, equivalent devices and methods, and/or alternative embodiments of the present invention. Descriptions of well-known functions and/or configurations will be omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness.

The embodiments are described herein by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged electronic device.

As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that variations such as tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of ordinary skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

The expressions “have,” “may have,” “include,” and “may include” as used herein indicate the presence of corresponding features, such as numerical values, functions, operations, or parts, and do not preclude the presence of additional features. The expressions “A or B,” “at least one of A or/and B,” or “one or more of A or/and B” as used herein include all possible combinations of items enumerated with them. For example, “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” or “at least one of A or B” indicate (1) including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3) including both at least one A and at least one B.

Terms such as “first” and “second” as used herein may modify various elements regardless of an order and/or importance of the corresponding elements, and do not limit the corresponding elements. These terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one element from another element. For example, a first user device and a second user device may indicate different user devices regardless of the order or importance. A first element may be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope the present invention, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

When a first element is “operatively or communicatively coupled with/to” or “connected to” another element, such as a second element, the first element may be directly coupled with/to the second element, and there may be an intervening element, such as a third element, between the first and second elements. To the contrary, when the first element is “directly coupled with/to” or “directly connected to” the second element, there is no intervening third element between the first and second elements.

All of the terms used herein including technical or scientific terms have the same meanings as those generally understood by an ordinary skilled person in the related art unless they are defined otherwise. The terms defined in a generally used dictionary should be interpreted as having the same or similar meanings as the contextual meanings of the relevant technology and should not be interpreted as having ideal or exaggerated meanings unless they are clearly defined herein. According to circumstances, even the terms defined in this disclosure should not be interpreted as excluding the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1illustrates a schematic diagram of the recharging system, according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, the recharging system100includes a generator105and a generator cooling apparatus110adapted for installation in a rear compartment103of the electric vehicle, a generator fuel tank115, a fuel detector120, and a fuel tank solenoid125adapted for installation in a passenger compartment102of the electric vehicle or underneath the vehicle, and a 220V-240V charging box130adapted for installation in the rear bumper area104of the electric vehicle.

The generator105may be a 220V Whisper Inverter Dual Fuel Gasoline or Liquid Propane (LP) generator which meets required safety and noise-sound levels for consumer use, may be any other similar generator on the market and known to those skilled in the art, and may be up to 240V in terms of power. The generator105provides the charge to the electric vehicle through the charging box130, and is connected to a hot air vent135that releases hot air beneath the electric vehicle, a fuel line140that supplies fuel to the generator105from the generator fuel tank115, a remote start/stop switch145that enables the generator105to be remotely activated or deactivated, and a rear exhaust pipe150that exhausts carbon monoxide gases from operation of the generator105to outside of the electric vehicle.

It is generally known that LP supplied in the USA has about 70% lower emissions than gasoline. As the generator105is a dual fuel gasoline or LP generator, however, either propane or gasoline may be used for generator powering purposes.

The generator cooling apparatus110is at least one 110V cooling fan that receives power from the 110V outlet of the generator105, but may be any of cooling apparatuses that are well known to those skilled in the art and that have sufficient structural integrity and cooling speed or capacity for this application. The generator cooling apparatus110is positioned in close proximity to the generator105, such as directly above the generator105as illustrated inFIG. 1, and ensures that the generator105operates at or below recommended temperature and does not overheat. The generator cooling apparatus110also circulates the ambient air in the rear compartment103, for additional cooling purposes.

The generator fuel tank115may be a 25-gallon American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Auto Gas LP tank, but may be another of the well-known types of propane tanks and may vary in capacity. Alternatively, a gasoline tank may be used in place of the propane tank. The fuel line140is the conduit through which the generator fuel tank115supplies fuel to the generator105, and is a hose constructed of rubber or any other suitable material. A 3-inch wide rubber vent hose155also extends between the fuel tank115and the rear bumper area104to vent fumes to the outside and to cover other lines and/or wiring, as will be described below in more detail. The width and material of the vent hose155may vary.

The fuel detector120may be both a carbon monoxide and an LP fuel detector, and is positioned adjacent to the generator fuel tank115for safety purposes, in order to detect any carbon monoxide or fuel leakage emanating from the generator fuel tank115in the passenger compartment102. When a gasoline tank is used in place of the propane tank, the fuel detector may be substituted by a gasoline fuel detector. The fuel detector120may plug into an inverter that plugs into a 12V power outlet that comes standard with the electric vehicle.

The fuel tank solenoid125is electrically connected to the fuel tank115, a 12V on/off switch and a 12V battery160that is installed as standard equipment in the engine compartment101of the electric vehicle. Specifically, the 12V positive and negative wires connect the fuel tank solenoid125to the on/off switch which is connected with an inline 5 ampere (5 A) fuse to the 12V battery160. In this manner, the fuel tank solenoid125enables activation or deactivation of the recharging system100, based on the on or off position of the switch. That is, the fuel tank solenoid125will automatically close when there is no 12V power and will open when the 12V power is provided. A portion of this electrical connection may be manifest by wiring through or adjacent to the vent tube155.

The electric outlet charging box130(hereinafter, charging box) is a 220V box inFIG. 1, but may also be a 240V box when a 240V generator is used. The charging box130is a standard box for connecting electric wires and may provide a 220-240V charge through a 220-240V Level 2 charge cable165A into a charging port170adapted for installation in the engine compartment101. The charging port170sends the charge to the direct charge input175, which is also adapted for installation in the engine compartment101and directs the charge to the electric vehicle engine in order to propel the electric vehicle.

Another 220-240V Level 2 charge cable165B extends directly into the direct charge input175from the generator105. When activated, i.e., when the electric vehicle is in motion and is fully operable, charge cable165B provides a charge to the direct charge input175of the electric vehicle when the recharging system100is operating. In this manner, the direct charge input175may charge the battery powering the electric vehicle while a user is operating the electric vehicle.

That is, similar to an operation in conventional electric vehicle charging, the charge cable165A is plugged into the charging box130of the electric vehicle, and the generator105charges the parked electric vehicle. This is effectively the equivalent of plugging in the electric vehicle cable at a charging station, as the electric vehicle must be stationary in order to receive the charge from the charging station. Otherwise, as in the case of the Bolt, the electric vehicle is designed to remain in “park” if the electric vehicle is turned on, since the charging port is connected via the electric vehicle charging cable. Electric vehicles by other manufacturers have a similar precautionary feature when electrically connected to a charging station.

However, the present invention provides a recharging system100that negates the requirement of a charging station. In addition, a charge cable165B is provided as an alternative to use of the charge cable165A, and is adapted to bypass the charging port170and to plug directly into the charge input175from the generator105, thereby enabling the electric vehicle to be fully drivable while the recharging system100is being operated.

The vent hose155is connected to the fuel tank115on a first end in the passenger compartment102and to a fuel fill line180on a second end, opposite the first end, in the rear bumper area104. The fuel fill line180may be an LP fill line connected to the fill valve185, or may be a gasoline fill line when a gasoline tank is used in place of the propane tank for the fuel tank115. The fill valve185exits out of the rear bumper area104to enable refill of the propane or gasoline into the fuel tank115. This refill may be accomplished at any gasoline filling station when gasoline is selected to fuel the generator105, or at an LP filling station when propane is selected to fuel the generator105. Gasoline and LP filling stations are conveniently available to consumers and are substantially more prevalent than electric vehicle charging stations. Portions of the fuel line140and the fill line180may extend to the fuel tank115via the vent hose155, as previously disclosed.

As an alternative to filling the fuel tank115via the fill line180, the fuel tank115can be removed and replaced in order to provide a full tank of fuel for operating the generator105.

Per ASME standards, an airtight box190is installed over the valves on the fuel tank115, since the fuel tank115is installed in the passenger compartment102, and the vent hose155is secured to the box in an airtight manner and vents any fumes to the outside of the vehicle in the event that there is a fuel leak on the valves. The airtight box190will be described in detail below inFIG. 4.

A heat shield195is installed between the passenger compartment102and rear compartment103, and is a fireproof and soundproof partition with a transparent panel. A Lexan™ polymer partition may serve as the heat shield195inFIG. 1, but the type of partition may vary so long as the partition remains fireproof, soundproof, and transparent. Another heat shield is installed on an airduct and the exhaust system on the generator105.

FIG. 2illustrates a rear view of the recharging system installed in an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the recharging system100is shown from the perspective of the open hatchback of the electric vehicle, which in the present invention may be the aforementioned Bolt. However, the electric vehicle may vary and be supplied by various manufacturers, including hatchbacks, pickup trucks, sedans, and other electric vehicle designs.

The generator105is located inside of the open hatchback205, which comprises the rear compartment103, and is partly covered above by the generator cooling apparatus110. Protective heat shielding210, which may be aluminum but may include other materials, is provided between the generator105and the electric vehicle chassis. Aft of the generator105and generator cooling apparatus110is the heat shield195, as illustrated inFIG. 1.

The vent hose155extends from the fuel tank115alongside the lower right side of the electric vehicle, and down past the generator105to the rear bumper area104, where the vent hose155is open for exhaust purposes, as described in reference toFIG. 1.

FIG. 3illustrates a side view of the generator installed in an electric vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, the left side of the generator105includes a 110V plug-in area305into which the power cord310is plugged on one end. The power cord310is wrapped in at least two layers of protective tubing and is electrically connected on the other end to the charging box130, described in reference toFIG. 1. The plug-in area305is adapted to provide electrical connection to the charge cable165B, also described in reference toFIG. 1.

FIG. 4illustrates the airtight box connected to the vent hose, according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, the airtight box190, made of aluminum or any other material satisfying ASME standards and suitable for this application, is installed adjacent to the valves of the generator fuel tank115. A first connection410is provided on one side of the airtight box190to the valves of the fuel tank115, and a second connection420is provided on the opposing side of the airtight box190to the vent hose155. Between the first connection410and the second connection420is a sensor area430which detects and displays a reading of the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank115.

The vent hose155is connected on the first end to the second connection420in an airtight manner, and is open on the second end to enable any fumes emanating from the fuel tank valves, in the event of a valve leak, to exit beneath the rear bumper area104of the electric vehicle, as previously described.

FIG. 5illustrates the rear axle undercarriage of the electric vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 5, the undercarriage510includes several layers of materials bonded together to form a rupture-proof, fireproof and soundproof flooring to support the components of the recharging system in the rear compartment103.

Specifically, the undercarriage510constitutes a layered platform onto which the generator is mounted, and includes a first layer of sheet metal on the bottom side facing the ground, onto which a first fireproof and soundproof board is bonded, a second layer of sheet metal bonded to the first fireproof and soundproof board, a second layer of fireproof and soundproof board bonded to the second layer of sheet metal, and a third layer of sheet metal bonded to the second layer of fireproof and soundproof board on one side and having a layer of diamond-plated aluminum bonded to the opposite side. As such, the undercarriage510is constituted of at least five layers as described, and is between about 1-1.5 inches in thickness.

The fireproof and soundproof boards constituting the undercarriage510may be any of the well-known types of materials suitable for soundproof and fireproof boarding. In addition, two cross-members610, illustrated inFIG. 6and constructed of steel that is about 5 inches in width, extend over the entirety of the rear compartment103along the bottom side of the undercarriage510, and are fastened to the electric vehicle chassis and the flooring for structural integrity, such as by bolting or another suitable manner. The generator105may be fastened to the flooring by bolting, as well.

The fill line180passes beneath the rear compartment103near a vent600which will be described in reference toFIG. 6, and is a metal ASME-certified fill line that is covered with a rubber encasement of similar material as that of a pool line, for safety purposes.

FIG. 6illustrates the vent located in the undercarriage adjacent to the rear axle of the electric vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 6, the vent600is a round aluminum vent, but may vary in material and shape. The vent600is a custom vent that is connected to duct work from the generator exhaust fan, and exhausts hot air from the generator to the outside.

It is noted that in a separate exhaust system of the generator105, the exhaust pipe150extends from the generator and exhausts carbon monoxide beneath the rear bumper area104, in a manner similar to traditional gasoline vehicles.

The fuel line140extends past the vent600on the left side by a distance of at least several inches, so as not to interfere with the venting process, and similarly, the fuel line180is separated from the vent600by a sizeable distance.

FIG. 7illustrates a dashboard and infotainment panel of the electric vehicle to which the present invention is applied.

Referring toFIG. 7, the dashboard and infotainment panel700includes a dashboard710which displays vehicle information, such as vehicle speed, in the conventional manner and electric vehicle information, particularly described inFIG. 8, and an infotainment system720which displays information related to the status of the electric vehicle, particularly described inFIG. 9, among a wealth of additional information.

In the present invention, the dashboard and infotainment panel700enables the user to visualize the efficiency and charge gains that the recharging system100may achieve over the electric vehicle recharging in the conventional art.

FIG. 8illustrates the dashboard710of the dashboard and infotainment panel700to which the present invention is applied.

InFIG. 8, the dashboard710may display conventionally-displayed driver information including driver restraint status, and vehicle information including vehicle speed, gear selection, and maintenance status.

In addition, the dashboard710may display information that is displayed, in more detail, on the infotainment system720, such as audio, navigation, and electric vehicle charge status information.

FIG. 9illustrates the infotainment system720of the dashboard and infotainment panel700to which the present invention is applied.

InFIG. 9, the infotainment system720may display information related to controls that can be handled via touch, voice, steering-wheel-mounted controls, buttons, and a volume knob, and in relation to the present invention, may display an energy detail panel, such as in a pie chart. The infotainment system720depicts the amount of battery energy deployed for driving, climate control, and battery conditioning and energy usage since the last full charge.

In addition, the infotainment system720may display a menu that gives charging options, provides battery-charge status, and offers the driver a variety of energy settings. For example, when the Bolt is switched off, a pop-up message identifies how many miles have been driven since the last full charge, the amount of energy used, and a prediction of how many miles of range remain.

In a prototype of the recharging system100according to the present invention, installed in a Bolt with the propane fuel option, the infotainment system720displayed a distance traveled of 888 miles from four onboard generator charges achieved by one-and-a-half tanks of propane fuel and utilizing the charging cord165A. As previously noted, the Bolt is estimated to achieve a distance traveled of 238 miles on one charge at the charging station. The recharging system100of the present invention has achieved over three times the distance traveled between refilling of the generator fuel tank115. Thus, the recharging system100substantially increases the mileage range and flexibility of the battery recharge of the electric vehicle.

In another embodiment, the recharging system of the present invention can be used to charge 110V or 220V-240V consumer products, such as power tools, when not being used to charge the battery of the electric vehicle, or as an emergency power source during power grid outages.

Embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the specification and the drawings are only particular examples disclosed in order to easily describe the technical matters of the present invention and assist with comprehension of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein, the scope of the embodiments of the present invention should be construed to include all modifications or modified forms drawn based on the technical aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

While the present invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention, which is defined, not by the detailed description and embodiments, but by the appended claims and their equivalents.