Search

EP-3947014-B1 - BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

EP3947014B1EP 3947014 B1EP3947014 B1EP 3947014B1EP-3947014-B1

Inventors

  • LOMBARDO, DAVID

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20200306

Claims (10)

  1. A fully-electric lift device (10;310) comprising: a base (12) having a plurality of wheels (14A,14B); an electric drive motor (50) configured to rotate at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels (14A,14B) to propel the lift device (10;310); an electric steering system (56) operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of wheels (14A,14B) to steer the lift device (10;310); an electric linear actuator (26;326) configured to selectively move a work platform (22) configured to support a load between a raised position and a lowered position, the electric linear actuator (26;326) having an electric motor (34); a battery (16) configured to supply electrical power to various operating systems present on the lift device (10;310) and selectively apply power to the electric linear actuator (26;326) and the electric drive motor (50); and a control system (70) configured to manage a battery usage of the battery (16) during operation, the control system (70) comprising: a vehicle controller (27) in communication with the electric drive motor (50), the electric steering system (56), and the battery (16); and a lift controller (28) in communication with the vehicle controller (27) and the electric linear actuator (26;326); wherein at least one of the vehicle controller (27) and the lift controller (28) is configured to receive current delivery limits and regeneration limits of the battery (16) and to limit operational speeds of the electric steering system (56) based on the current delivery limits and the regeneration limits.
  2. The lift device (10;310) of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the vehicle controller (27) and the lift controller (28) is configured to receive the current delivery limits and the regeneration limits of the battery (16) from at least one of the electric drive motor (50), the electric steering system (56), and the battery (16).
  3. The lift device (10;310) of claim 2, wherein the operational speeds of the lift device (10;310) are limited by the at least one of the vehicle controller (27) and the lift controller (28) by limiting a drive speed of the electric drive motor (50) and a lift speed of the electric linear actuator (26;326) to stay within the current delivery limits.
  4. The lift device (10;310) of claim 3, wherein the control system (70) is configured to allow the lift device (10;310) to operate in a limited or scaled capacity when normal operational speeds would cause an over-current shutdown fault within the battery (16).
  5. The lift device (10;310) of claim 4, further comprising: a retractable lift mechanism having a first end (23) coupled to the base (12) and being moveable between an extended position and a retracted position.
  6. The lift device (10;310) of claim 5, wherein the work platform (22) is coupled to and supported by a second end (24) of the retractable lift mechanism and the electric linear actuator (26;326) is configured to move the work platform (22) between the raised position and the lowered position by moving the retractable lift mechanism between the extended position and the retracted position.
  7. The lift device (10;310) of claim 1, further comprising a rechargeable battery system (58) including the battery (16), a heating system, and a battery charger (62), the heating system configured to selectively provide heat to the battery (16), the battery charger (62) configured to selectively charge the battery (16) and to selectively charge the heating system.
  8. The lift device (10;310) of claim 7, wherein the battery charger (62) is configured to selectively charge the battery (16) and the heating system simultaneously, such that the battery (16) and the heating system are charged simultaneously using only a single power source providing power to the battery charger (62).
  9. The lift device (10;310) of claim 8, wherein the heating system is a blanket heater (60).
  10. The lift device (10;310) of claim 9, wherein the heating system is configured to provide the heat to the battery (16) when an ambient temperature is below zero degrees Celsius.

Description

BACKGROUND Lift devices commonly include a vertically movable platform that is supported by a folding series of linked supports. The linked supports are arranged in an "X" pattern, crisscrossing with one another. A hydraulic cylinder generally controls vertical movement of the platform by engaging and rotating (i.e., unfolding) the lowermost set of linked supports, which in turn unfolds the remainder of the series of linked supports within the system. The platform raises and lowers based upon the degree of actuation by the hydraulic cylinder. A hydraulic cylinder may also control various other vehicle actions, such as, for example, steering or platform tilt functions. Lift devices using one or more hydraulic cylinders require an on-board reservoir tank to store hydraulic fluid for the lifting process. GB 2 502 060 A discloses a drive system for a mobile work platform that includes a variable displacement drive pump coupled to an electric motor, where the pump is in a closed hydraulic loop with at least one drive motor driving a wheel of the machine. Energy can be recovered from braking, deceleration and downhill locomotion to charge battery via motor and pump. The drive system preferably also includes a combined steer/charge pump and an auxiliary pump. Preferably the pumps are coupled to a common drive shaft driven by motor. The drive system is particularly suitable for use with smaller battery-powered mobile work platforms with working heights less than 15 metres. US 2011/198141 A1 discloses a vehicle with an engine connected to a hydraulic pump in fluid communication with a hydrostatic drive system and at least one of a plurality of traction devices connected to a hydrostatic drive motor. The vehicle also has a battery coupled to an electric machine coupled to at least one of the remaining plurality of traction devices. The electric machine acts as a motor to propel the vehicle or a generator to charge the battery. A vehicle is provided with a hydraulic drive system and an electric drive system each operably connected to a fraction device. Power may be transferable from the first drive system to the second drive system by way of ground coupling between the traction devices. EP 2 672 023 A1 discloses a slewing-type working machine capable of preventing a electric storage device from being overcharged while obtaining an appropriate slewing braking force by efficiently regenerating slewing energy during slewing braking. The slewing-type working machine includes: a electric storage device capable of being charged with regenerative electric power for regenerating slewing energy of a upper slewing body while functioning as an electric power source for an electric slewing motor; a electric storage device and electric storage device controller detecting whether the electric storage device is under a normal condition with sufficient capacity to regenerate the slewing energy or under an abnormal condition without sufficient capacity; and control means controlling a velocity of the electric slewing motor based on a result of detection by the electric storage device and electric storage device controller, wherein the control means performs a velocity limiting control for limiting a maximum velocity of the electric slewing motor when the electric storage device is under the abnormal condition. JP 2010 041828 A discloses a battery charging/discharging control method capable of suppressing a battery from being deteriorated due to overcharging/overdischarging of the battery. In view of a target charging rate decided to maintain the charging rate of the battery within a prescribed range, the upper output limit value and the lower output limit value of the battery are decided. The power requested by an electric load and the power generated with a generator are limited by the upper output limit value and the lower output limit value to decide the actual discharging amount and the actual charging amount of the battery. JP 2014-094802 A discloses a boom lift that is enabled to prevent deterioration of a battery by reducing regeneration power. When an operation to lower a lift mast is performed by a lift operation lever in the state of a battery voltage detector detecting that a battery 14 is charged to less than full charge, a vehicle controller 12 and a lift inverter 13a control regeneration of a lift motor 16 so as to lower the lift mast at a speed corresponding to the operation and store the power obtained by the regeneration in the battery 14, whereas when an operation to lower a lift mast is performed by the lift operation lever in the state of a battery voltage detector detecting that a battery 14 is charged to substantially full charge, the vehicle controller and the lift inverter control driving of the lift motor 16 so as to suppress a regeneration amount of the lift motor 16, or to cause consumption of power. SUMMARY The present invention provides a fully-electric lift device according to Claim 1. The fully-electric