Electric battery rapid recharging system including a mobile charging station having a coolant supply line and an electrical supply line

• US 10,340,709 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Original Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Inventors: Dyer, Christopher K., Epstein, Michael L., Culver, Duncan
• Primary Examiner(s): Isla, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Manuel
• Application Number:
  US14/235,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,562 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/46 Heat pumps, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 : in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6561 : Gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6567 : Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 : characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 : The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 : The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 : Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 : with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 : with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A method for rapidly recharging a military or a non-military device having an electric battery is provided. The method includes recharging the military or non-military device and the recharging includes delivering coolant to the military or non-military device to cool the electric battery. A military device, a non-military non-vehicular device, a mobile charging station and a stationary charging station are also provided.

Claims

1. A mobile charging station comprising:

a base portion comprising;

a charging source providing an electrical charge;

a coolant source providing coolant;

a supply line connected to the charging source and the coolant source and extendible outside of the base portion; and

a connector fixed to an end of the supply line, the connector being configured for insertion into a receptacle of a military device, the supply line including a coolant supply line configured for delivering coolant from the coolant source to the connector, the supply line including an electrical supply line configured for delivering electrical charge from the charging source to the connector, the connector having both an electrical supply section connected to the electrical supply line for delivering the electrical charge and a coolant supply section connected to the coolant supply line for delivering the coolant, and the connector being configured for connecting to the military device, the mobile charging station being or included on or in a ground vehicle, an aircraft or a marine vehicle.

2. The mobile charging station as recited in claim 1 further comprising a controller configured for regulating the supply of charge from the charging source high power charging source and the supply of coolant from the coolant source according to a present state of a battery of the military device during charging.

3. The mobile charging station as recited in claim 1 wherein charging source is configured for delivering up to 300 kW per electric battery.

4. The mobile charging station as recited in claim 1 wherein charging source is at least one battery or a super capacitor.

5. The mobile charging station as recited in claim 1 wherein coolant source includes an electrically insulating oil.

6. A method for recharging military devices each having an electric battery, the method comprising:

moving the mobile charging station, via a ground vehicle, an aircraft or a marine vehicle, to a location of a first military device, the mobile charging station including a coolant source, a charging source, a supply line connected to the charging source and the coolant source, and a connector connected to an end of the supply line;

connecting the connector to a receptacle of the first military device, the first military device being one of a land combat or transportation vehicle, a stationary artillery device, a device carried by military personnel or a component of a command station;

recharging an electric battery of the first military device via the mobile charging station by supplying electricity from the charging source, the electric battery of the first military device including a plurality of cells stacked inside of an enclosure, the recharging including delivering coolant from the coolant source through the connector to the first military device to cool the electric battery so that coolant flows through the enclosure; and

moving the mobile charging station, via the ground vehicle, the aircraft or the marine vehicle, to a location of a second military device for recharging an electric battery of the second military device.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the battery includes interconnectors spacing the cells apart, the delivering coolant to the military device to cool the electric battery including delivering coolant through the interconnectors.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the first military device is a land combat or transportation vehicle.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the first military device is a stationary artillery device.

10. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the first military device is a device carried by military personnel.

11. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the first military device is a component of a command station.

12. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the recharging uses an electrical power that is more than 100 Watts.

13. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the recharging takes less than an hour.

14. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the electric battery of the first military device and the electric battery of the second military device are each recharged to at least 50% capacity.

15. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the coolant is gas supplied at 0.1 cubic ft/min or greater.

16. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the coolant is liquid supplied at 0.01 liters/min or greater.

17. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the cells are spaced apart from each other by channels, the recharging including delivering coolant to the military device to cool the electric battery so that coolant flows through the channels and cools the cells.