Abstract:
A method is disclosed that defines a protocol for distributing power to high voltage components when two conditions exist: they being when the vehicle is being propelled or operated and when the power requested of the power supply is less than what the power supply can provide. The method determines which high voltage components can receive reduced or intermittent voltage and still allow the vehicle to operate in a proper manner. Calibrations of the usage and energy loss are based on parameters that dictate how important it is that a particular high voltage component receives as much of its requested power as possible. The critical function components will be weighted differently than those less critical components.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to allocating high voltage energy and, more particularly, to a system and method that allocates high voltage energy while a vehicle is in motion. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As vehicles transition from platforms that incorporate internal combustion engines to other sources, traditional protocols as to how a vehicle is to operate begin to fail to appreciate all the varying issues that now are a part of the likely scenarios when operating the vehicle. One such example includes the operation of a vehicle that is powered by a source other than an internal combustion engine where the energy stored or being created does not exceed the amount of energy requested by the operator of the vehicle. In the instances when energy is being requested to power high voltage components such as the power train, the battery thermal condition system, the steering assembly, the cabin conditioning assembly or the braking assembly, simply shedding those loads from the source circuit is not acceptable as it may lead to customer dissatisfaction during the operation of the vehicle or while it is moving. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for calibrating the amount of power distributed to a vehicle having high voltage components. The method includes the step of calculating a power needed to operate the high voltage components. An amount of power available to operate the high voltage components is then measured. A determination is made as to whether the amount of power available is less than the power needed. A parameter for each of the high voltage components is then identified. Calibration of a dynamic distribution of power occurs and is based on the parameter when the amount of the power available is less than the amount of the power needed. The distribution of power maintains an optimal operation of the high voltage components in a manner that optimizes operation of the vehicle. A recalibration of the dynamic distribution of power occurs as the parameter for each of the high voltage components changes during the operation of the vehicle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is block diagram of an exemplary power system for operating a vehicle other than an internal combustion engine vehicle; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a schematic drawing of the vehicle energy allocation manager and how it communicates with components related to temperature; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing of the vehicle energy allocation manager communicating with the power train; 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for allocating energy in a high voltage system shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a logic chart illustrating the architecture of the vehicle energy allocation manager; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a graph representing a calculation of power loss by a high voltage component employing the inventive method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0011]    The method described below maybe used with any vehicle having a power train other than a tradition internal combustion engine. With such non-traditional power train platforms, high voltage systems are used to supply energy in sufficient amounts to power a vehicle and the loads it carries for a period of time. The systems may use fuel cells, batteries or even an internal combustion engine generator, but they all require high voltage power trains to operate. In addition, high voltage components are used to facilitate the operation of the vehicle, especially in the propulsion of the vehicle. For purposes of this discussion, high voltage is considered anything greater than 60 volts. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this definition of high voltage will always include electrical systems having a voltage sufficient to be the source of power for the power train of the vehicle. 
         [0012]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an exemplary electrical circuit  10  for a vehicle that includes an electrically driven power train  12 . “Electrically driven power train” broadly includes any type of power train that uses a high voltage source to create the power to drive the vehicle. Some examples that include these types of power trains include, but are not limited to, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), which include both and internal combustion engine and an electric motor in the vehicle power train, as well as battery electric vehicles (BEVs), which solely rely upon an electric motor for vehicle propulsion. Another example of such a power train includes a power train that receives energy from an onboard hydrogen plant that converts hydrogen into energy. Although the following description will only describe use of the inventive method with a BEV, it should be appreciated that the method can be used with any other type of electrically driven power train in that the following example is used for purposes of clarity and simplification. 
         [0013]    According to this particular embodiment, the electrical circuit  10  includes a high voltage connection  14  and a low voltage/communication bus  16 . The circuit, bus or other suitable high voltage connection  14  may be used to provide electrical power to the various high voltage components, discussed in greater detail subsequently, while the low voltage/communication bus  16  may be used to exchange information, data, and messages or otherwise communicate between the various systems and components. All of the components shown in  FIG. 1  may be fixedly mounted and located on the vehicle (not shown). 
         [0014]    The electrical circuit  10  includes a high voltage battery unit  18  that provides the vehicle with electrical power and, depending on the particular embodiment, may be the primary electrical power source for the vehicle or may be used in conjunction with another power source for power supplementation purposes, to cite two examples. Many different battery types and arrangements may be used, including the exemplary one schematically shown here which includes a battery pack  20 , one or more battery sensors  22 , and a control unit  24 . The battery pack  20  may include a collection of identical or individual battery cells connected in series, parallel, or a combination of both in order to deliver a desired voltage, amperage, capacity, power density, and/or other performance characteristics. Generally, it is desirable to provide high power and energy densities, which has led to the development and use of many types of batteries including chemical, non-chemical and others. Some examples of suitable battery types include all types of lithium-ion (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium nickel manganese cobalt, lithium iron sulfide, lithium polymer, etc.), lead-acid, advanced lead-acid, nickel metal hydride (NiMH), nickel cadmium (NiCd), zinc bromide, sodium nickel chloride (NaNiCl), zinc air, vanadium redox, and others. The battery pack  20  may provide approximately 60-600V, depending on its particular design and application. For example, a heavy truck using a two-mode hybrid system may require a high voltage battery pack capable of providing about 350V, whereas a lighter vehicle may only need about 200V. The battery pack  20  should be designed to withstand repeated charge and discharge cycles and to receive electrical energy from an external power source (not shown, but understood to be used at least in part for charging). Skilled artisans will appreciate that the system and method described herein are not limited to any one particular type of battery or battery arrangement, as a number of different battery types could be employed. 
         [0015]    The battery sensors  22  may include any combination of hardware and/or software components capable of monitoring battery conditions such as battery temperature, battery voltage, battery current, battery state of charge (SOC), battery state of health (SOH), etc. These sensors may be integrated within high voltage battery unit  18  (e.g., an intelligent or smart battery), they may be external sensors located outside of the battery unit  18 , or they may be provided according to some other known arrangement. The battery temperature sensors may monitor and determine the battery temperature on a cell-by-cell basis, as an average or collective temperature of a block of cells or a region of the battery unit, as the average or collective temperature of the entire battery unit, or according to some other temperature determining method known in the art. Measuring battery temperature on an individual cell basis may be beneficial if, for example, the middle cells exhibit different temperatures than the edge or boundary cells of battery pack  20 . The same principal of determining battery temperature on a cell-by-cell, collective or other basis also applies to battery voltage, battery current, battery SOC, battery SOH, etc. Output from battery sensors  22  may be provided to control unit  24 , a battery charging control module (not shown), or some other appropriate device. 
         [0016]    The control unit  24  may include any variety of electronic processing devices, memory devices, input/output (I/O) devices, and other known components, and may perform various control and/or communication related functions. For example, the control unit  24  could receive sensor signals from the various battery sensors  22 , package the sensor signals into an appropriate sensor message, and send the sensor message to the battery charging control module over the low voltage/communication bus  16 . It is possible for control unit  24  to gather battery sensor readings and store them in local memory so that a comprehensive sensor message can be provided at a later time, or the sensor readings can be forwarded as soon as they arrive at control unit  24 , to cite a few possibilities. Instead of sending the battery sensor readings to a battery charger control module for subsequent processing, it is possible for control unit  24  to process or analyze the sensor readings itself. In another capacity, control unit  24  can store pertinent battery characteristics and background information pertaining to the battery&#39;s cell chemistry, cell capacity, upper and lower battery voltage limits, battery current limits, battery temperature limits, temperature profiles, battery impedance, number or history of charge/discharge events, etc. 
         [0017]    A battery thermal system  26  is thermally coupled to the high voltage battery unit  18  so that it can manage, control or otherwise manipulate aspects of the environment that can affect the performance of the high voltage battery unit  18 . For example, the battery thermal system  26  may include a cooling and/or heating device  28  that can lower or raise the temperature of high voltage battery unit  18 . Skilled artisans will appreciate that the charging and discharging performance, the life span, as well as other characteristics of the battery pack  20  may be influenced by temperature. When starting a vehicle in an extremely cold environment, for example, the battery thermal system  26  can use a heating device to warm up the battery pack  20  to a temperature that is better suited for charging, discharging, etc. Conversely, the battery thermal system  26  may include a cooling device, like a compressor, to reduce the temperature of battery pack  20  during charging, discharging, etc. so that it is maintained at a lower and more desirable temperature. According to an exemplary embodiment, the battery thermal system  26  includes one or more heating/cooling devices  28 , sensors  30 , and a control unit  32 . Some examples of a suitable heating/cooling device  28  include: compressors, fans, water jackets, air passages, heat sinks, thermoelectric coolers (e.g., Peltier devices), internal resistive heating, condensers, or some combination thereof. The heating/cooling device  28  may include passive devices (e.g., devices that rely on the non-heated and non-cooled ambient environment to manipulate temperature), active devices (e.g., devices that actively add or remove heat from the system to manipulate temperature), or both. The sensors  30  and the control unit  32  that are included within battery thermal system  26  may be similar to those included within the high voltage battery unit  18 ; thus, the previous description of those components applies here as well. It is also possible for battery thermal system  26  to rely on the sensor readings and other information from the sensors  22  of the high voltage battery unit  18 , in which case the sensors  30  in the battery thermal system  26  may be omitted. 
         [0018]    It therefore does not matter whether the cooling and/or heating devices are specifically bundled within the high voltage battery unit  18  or the battery thermal system  26 ; they will henceforth be treated as if they are a part of battery thermal system  26 , whether or not they physically reside there. According to the exemplary embodiment shown here, the battery thermal system  26  is connected to high voltage circuit  14  so that it can receive high voltage electrical power from the high voltage battery unit  18 , and is connected to a low voltage/communication bus  16  so that it can send messages and exchange information with other devices in the system. Other connections and arrangements are possible. 
         [0019]    A cabin thermal system  34  is thermally coupled with the cabin or interior of the vehicle so that it can manage, control or otherwise manipulate aspects of the environment within that space. For instance, the cabin thermal system  34  may include the vehicle&#39;s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which manipulates the environmental conditions within the vehicle cabin, including but not limited to thermal conditions and air filtration. In an exemplary embodiment, the cabin thermal system  34  includes one or more heating/cooling devices  36 , sensors  38 , and a control unit  40 . The heating/cooling devices  36  include any device or component that is capable of influencing or affecting the environment within the vehicle cabin. This may include, for example, heaters, air conditioning compressors, seat heaters, steering wheel heaters, fans, etc. The sensors  38  and the control unit  40  that are included within cabin thermal system  34  may be similar to those included within the high voltage battery unit  18 ; thus, the previous description of those components applies here as well. According to this particular embodiment, the cabin thermal system  34  is connected to high voltage circuit  14  so that it can receive high voltage electrical power from the high voltage battery unit  18 , and is connected to low voltage/communication bus  16  so that it can send messages and exchange information with other devices in the system. Other connections and arrangements are possible, as this is only one potential. 
         [0020]    Another high voltage component, the power train  12 , is also connected to both the high voltage connection  14  and the low voltage/communication bus  16 . The power train  12  includes a control unit  48  that allows the power train  12  to receive high voltage energy and uses electric motors  42  to transform the high voltage energy into a motive force that propels the vehicle. The power train  12  is operatively connected to wheels that will rotate in one direction or another to propel the vehicle forward or backward. The power train  12  includes a cooling unit  44  and sensors  46 . These subcomponents are similar to those discussed above and will operate in a fashion similar thereto in order to control the power train  12  and to allow it to operate in an optimal fashion. 
         [0021]    Two other high voltage components that are also connected to the high voltage connection  14  and the low voltage/communication bus  16  are a braking assembly  50  and a power steering assembly  52 . These two high voltage components or systems  50 ,  52  act as they do traditionally in many cases, but they may also create drains on the high voltage battery unit  18  because they need energy to operate. In the case when the host vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, the braking assembly  50  actually returns energy to electrical circuit  10  by transforming the energy absorbed when slowing down the vehicle into high voltage electricity that can be directed back into the high voltage connection  14 , thus regenerating energy to be used by other high voltage components or loads. Alternatively, the regenerated energy can be used to recharge the high voltage battery unit  18 . The braking assembly  50  includes a control unit  54  that operates the braking assembly  50  and determines when to regenerate high voltage energy back into the high voltage connection  14 . Sensors  56  assist in the control of the braking assembly  50  and an electrical device  58  is used to slow the vehicle down and create the energy, in such assemblies that provide the opportunity to harness the energy used to slow the vehicle down. 
         [0022]    Returning attention to the power steering assembly  52 , an electronic processing device  60  controls the transformation of the high voltage energy received from the high voltage connection  14  into a form of energy necessary to assist the driver in turning the steering wheel (not shown). A control unit  62  controls the receipt of high voltage energy from the high voltage connection  14  and provides outputs regarding consumption of energy. In several instances, the power steering assembly  52  would include a pneumatic drive; however, many power steering assemblies  52  are electric/electronic in nature. And similar to the braking assembly  50 , an electric power steering assembly  52  would be advantageous in that it would only draw current when the steering wheel is being turned (pneumatic systems are required to be on constantly). 
         [0023]    While there are several other components that are connected to the high voltage connection  14 , the last to be illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and hence to be discussed herein, is the vehicle energy allocation manager (VEAM)  64 . The VEAM  64  receives inputs from the control units  48 ,  32 ,  40 ,  54 ,  62  and determines the allocation of energy to each of the systems associated with each of the control units  48 ,  32 ,  40 ,  54 ,  62 . A more complete discussion of the allocation process is set forth below. 
         [0024]    More to the point, the VEAM  64  is an interface between the high voltage battery unit  18  and all of the high voltage components  12 ,  26 ,  34 ,  50 ,  52 . The VEAM  64  receives information regarding the condition of the high voltage battery unit  18 , as well as information regarding the needs of the high voltage components  12 ,  26 ,  34 ,  50 ,  52  through each of the control units  48 ,  32 ,  40 ,  54 ,  52 , respectively. The VEAM  64  will then use a calculation to determine which of the high voltage components  12 ,  26 ,  34 ,  50 ,  52  are to receive what portion of the power available from the high voltage battery unit  18  and when. The VEAM  64  ensures the optimal performance of the vehicle, its high voltage battery unit  18  and the high voltage components  12 ,  26 ,  34 ,  50 ,  52  when the capacity of the high voltage battery unit  18  cannot meet the needs placed thereupon in real time. 
         [0025]    To better describe the VEAM  64 , reference is made to  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  5 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 2 , the VEAM  64  is shown controlling the power limits of three different thermal devices. The VEAM  64  provides a comfort power upper limit through connection  66  to an electronic climate control system  68 . The electronic climate control system  68  provides a power command through line  70  to a coolant heater control module  72  used to control the climate in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. A climate control power request is provided through line  74 , which is shown to be a dashed line in  FIG. 2  to represent the fact that the VEAM  64  can ignore a power request such as this if the VEAM  64  determines that there is not enough power for all components. 
         [0026]    Compressor power limits are sent from the VEAM  64  to an electronic thermal control  76  and an energy storage system thermal subsystem  78  through a line  80 . The electronic thermal control  76  also receives climate control target temperatures through line  81 , dashed to represent these targets can be ignored if necessary. The electronic thermal control  76  sends an RPM command to an accessory air conditioning compressor module  82 . The electronic thermal control  76  also sends compressor power requested, energy storage system compressor power proportion, and compressor electrical power consumed information back to the VEAM  64  through line  84  providing the interface for the VEAM  64  to control the power consumed by the compressor during power limited events. Note that in this case, one compressor is used for both cabin conditioning and battery thermal conditioning. It should be noted, however, that the VEAM  64  also has the ability to control compressor power usage for two separate compressors designed to control cabin conditioning and ESS thermal conditioning separately. 
         [0027]    The VEAM  64  receives an energy storage system power request and an energy storage system power used signal from the energy storage system  78  through a line  86 . The VEAM  64  provides a power limit to the energy storage system thermal subsystem  78  through a line  88 . With this limit, the energy storage system thermal subsystem technical specification  78  provides an energy storage system heater  90  a power command through a line  92 . This provides the interface that allows the VEAM  64  to control the power consumed by the battery heater  90  during power limited events. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the VEAM  64  and the power train  12  provide information therebetween. The VEAM  64  sends to the power train  12  the high voltage power required, the load power requested and the instantaneous total power used by all high voltage loads regulated by the VEAM  64 , excluding the power train system  12  through a line  94 . The upper and lower thermal power limits determined by the power train  12  are sent to the VEAM  64  providing the interface to determine the power available to the high voltage loads regulated by the VEAM  64 . The amount of thermal power required provides the interface that allows the VEAM  64  to force the power train system  12  to consume less high voltage power thus reducing power available for the propulsion system during power limited conditions and increasing the amount of power available to meet the power needs of other high voltage subsystems controlled by the VEAM  64 . This interface provides the VEAM  64  with the control necessary to modulate the high voltage energy available to the vehicle while inhibiting the poor performance of any one given subsystem controlled by the VEAM  64  during power limited events. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the inventive method is generally indicated at  100 . The method  100  begins at  102 . Because this method  100  is used when the vehicle is being moved, the first decision is to determine whether the vehicle is being operated at  104 . If not, the method  100  loops back at  106  and waits for the vehicle to be operated. Once in operation, the method  100  calculates the energy need by the high voltage components of the vehicle at  108 . Then, a determination is made at  110  as to the energy that is available to operate the vehicle. 
         [0030]    From here, the method  100  calculates whether the overall energy needed is greater than that which is available at  112 . If the overall energy needed is not greater than what is available, all of the energy is provided at  114  and the method  100  terminates at  116 . 
         [0031]    When it is determined that all of the energy available is not enough, the method  100  is used to resolve the issue of how the energy is distributed in a manner that will not disrupt operation the high voltage components or systems  12 ,  26 ,  34 ,  50 ,  52  or leave its occupants in a poorly functioning vehicle. The method  100  identifies each high voltage component or system that is requesting energy at  118 . A parameter or multiple parameters for each high voltage component or system is/are identified at  120 . A parameter is something specific to the high voltage component that may affect its ability to operate when operating at or near that parameter. For example, to maximize the discharge of the energy storage system or high voltage battery unit  18 , it may be determined that the temperature is the parameter to be measured. If the temperature is below an ideal value, then it might be determined that the energy storage system heater  90  should be turned on for at least a portion of the time that the vehicle is operating. The further away the temperature of the energy storage system is from its ideal temperature, the more energy is supplied to the energy storage system heater  90  to allow the energy storage system  18  to reach its ideal temperature. 
         [0032]    Once the parameters are identified, a value is measured for each of the parameters at  122 . These parameters are used in algorithms that determine the power required for the high voltage device to ensure proper subsystem functionality and performance. Calculating energy loss is a specific type of method used to determine required power and is calibrated for some high voltage components or systems at  124 . The energy is then distributed to the various high voltage components (and sometimes a subset thereof) based on the calibrations and dynamic parameters at  126 . Once the proper distribution of available high voltage energy is complete, the method terminates at  116 . 
         [0033]    Turning attention to  FIG. 6 , a graphic example of the calculation of energy loss is shown in terms of power. In this example, the battery thermal system  26  is requesting an amount of power  150 . A step  152  in the line  150  represents a dynamic real time request for more power. Due to the conditions of the vehicle and the amount of power available to all systems, a power limit  154  is imposed on the battery thermal system  26 . The power used by battery thermal system  26  is represented by line  156 . The power used  156  by the battery thermal system  26  approximates the power limit  154  (although ramp up and ramp down times may vary due to external conditions) when the power limit  154  drops below the power request  150 . The floor of the power level acceptable to battery thermal system  26  is the minimum power loss required  158 . If the minimum power loss  158  steps up, so does the power used  156 . As may be appreciated, the total energy loss of the battery thermal system  26  is the integral of the area between the power requested  150  and the power used  156  over time. 
         [0034]    The method  100  contemplates the changing of the calibration as the parameter changes. If the temperature should fall, the parameter used to determine how much high voltage energy should be sent to the high voltage component is changed to account for this new situation. The table below illustrates the amount of energy that a specific device loses before shifting to a specific “required power.” 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Energy Loss 
               
               
                   
                 Parameter 
                 Value 
                 Threshold 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 1 (high) 
                 −40 
                 0 
                   
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 2 
                 −20 
                 .5 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 3 
                 −10 
                 1 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 4 
                 0 
                 2 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 5 
                 5 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 6 
                 10 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 7 
                 20 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 8 
                 25 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 9 
                 40 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                 ESS Cell Temp Index 10 (low) 
                 50 
                 30 
                 kWh 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0035]    In the above calibration table, the energy loss threshold represents the how much loss a particular high voltage component can tolerate given the value of the parameter. Therefore, in the case when the parameter is temperature and the value of the temperature is −40, the power loss threshold is 0 because the high voltage component cannot tolerate any loss of energy and requires to be on as long as it takes to heat the particular cell. As the temperature increases, the high voltage component can tolerate a loss of power because it can handle the breaks in power distribution thereto because the condition (parameter) is not as extreme. As such, the VEAM  64  recalibrates the needs of all of the high voltage components based on the new parameter measurement. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the energy loss threshold could be replaced with a time variable in which a high voltage component could be turned off without adding an inventive concept to the invention. 
         [0036]    Below is a second calibration table. This table represents the amount of power needed by a particular high voltage component at various temperatures. This calibration provides a second limit that prevents calibration from limiting power too much to any one high voltage component. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Parameter 
                 Value 
                 Power Required 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 1 (high) 
                 −40 
                 3 
                 kW 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 2 
                 −20 
                 2 
                 kW 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 3 
                 −10 
                 1 
                 kW 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 4 
                 0 
                 .5 
                 kW 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 5 
                 5 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 6 
                 10 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 7 
                 20 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 8 
                 25 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 9 
                 40 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 RESS Cell Temp Index 10 (low) 
                 50 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0037]    The RESS represents a rechargeable energy storage system which is similar to the energy storage system shown above. The only difference is between these two system is that one is rechargeable and the other is refillable. 
         [0038]    Continuing with this example,  FIG. 5  represents the controls architecture of the VEAM  64  when the various systems of the vehicle, namely the cabin heater  34 , the energy storage heater  18 , and the compressor request power in order to thermally condition the battery or the cabin. The VEAM  64  takes the inputs from each system requesting power, analyzes the parameters relative to each system with the system calibrations and determines the required power for each high voltage device requesting power. The power limits are then calculated and power is distributed among the various high voltage components. 
         [0039]    It is to be understood that the foregoing description is not a definition of the invention, but is a description of one or more preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to particular embodiments and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art. All such other embodiments, changes, and modifications are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0040]    As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.