(19)
(11)EP 2 378 622 A3

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)Date of publication A3:
10.12.2014 Bulletin 2014/50

(43)Date of publication A2:
19.10.2011 Bulletin 2011/42

(21)Application number: 11003292.7

(22)Date of filing:  19.04.2011
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
H02M 1/42(2007.01)
H02J 7/02(2006.01)
(84)Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME

(30)Priority: 19.04.2010 US 763029

(71)Applicant: Tesla Motors, Inc.
San Carlos, CA 94070 (US)

(72)Inventor:
  • Troy, A. Nergaard
    San Francisco, CA 94133 (US)

(74)Representative: Eisenführ Speiser 
Patentanwälte Rechtsanwälte PartGmbB Postfach 31 02 60
80102 München
80102 München (DE)

  


(54)Trickle charger for high-energy storage systems


(57) A voltage converter for charging an energy storage module from an alternating current line voltage (AC), includes a first charging stage, coupled to the energy storage module (105), converting the line voltage to a first rectified direct current module charging voltage communicated to the energy storage module, the first rectified direct current module charging voltage greater than the line voltage, the first charging stage including an inductance for communicating a first charging current to the energy storage module; a second charging stage, switchably coupled serially with the first charging stage, down-converting the alternating current line voltage to a second rectified direct current module voltage, the second rectified direct current module voltage less than the first rectified direct current module charging voltage, wherein the second charging stage produces a second charging current not greater than the first charging current; and a controller for selectably switching the second charging stage serially with the first charging stage when the line voltage has a peak value greater than a predefined relationship to a voltage of the energy storage module wherein the second charging stage communicates the second charging current to the energy storage module through the inductance.







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