A connected approach to AUXILIARY BATTERY CONTROL

An ‘intelligent’ systems strategy ensures that an electrified vehicle's auxiliary battery has enough energy to meet basic loads, whether the vehicle is running or in park.

As vehicles become electrified and more “intelligent,” the energy consumption of the auxiliary system increases rapidly. The auxiliary battery, typically a 12V unit, acts as the backbone of the system to support the proper operation of the vehicle. It is important to ensure the auxiliary battery has enough energy to meet the basic loads, regardless of the vehicle being in park or running. However, existing methods only focus on auxiliary energy management when the vehicle is in a dynamic event.

To fill the gap, an intelligent strategy is proposed that detects a low state of charge (SoC) condition. The strategy would temporarily turn down the auxiliary loads based on their priorities and charge the auxiliary battery at the maximum efficiency. This proposed strategy would allow the vehicle to make intelligent decisions on charging the auxiliary battery.