Charging device

• US 10,377,248 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Adlhoch, Manfred, Festl, Florian, Fuchs, Thomas, Mundry, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam D
• Application Number:
  US15/624,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20170368951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention relates to a charging device for charging an at least partially electrically operated vehicle. The charging device is formed with at least one electrical component and a switching device. The at least one electrical component and the switching device are arranged in the charging device in such a way that when the charging device is connected to a vehicle a circuit is produced for assisting the discharging of at least one capacitor provided on the vehicle side, the capacitor being openable or closable via the switching device.

Claims

1. A charging device for charging an at least partially electrically operated vehicle, the charging device comprising:

at least one electrical component;

a switching device, the at least one electrical component and the switching device being arranged in the charging device such that upon the charging device being connected to a vehicle, a circuit is produced for assisting discharging of at least one capacitor provided on a side of the at least partially electrically operated vehicle, the at least one capacitor being openable or closable via the switching device; and

a measuring circuit to detect a defect of at least one switch, arranged in the charging device and usable to switch a charging process, wherein the at least one electrical component is part of the measuring circuit.

2. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical component is an ohmic resistor.

3. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the defect resides in the at least one switch being no longer openable after conclusion of the charging process.

4. The charging device of claim 1, wherein

the charging device for the charging process includes

an outer conductor;

a neutral conductor; and

a protective conductor, and

wherein to produce the measuring circuit

the outer conductor and the neutral conductor are connected to one another via two sequential resistors, and

the protective conductor is connected to a section between the two sequential resistors.

5. The charging device of claim 4, wherein

a monitoring device to monitor current is provided in a region of connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors.

6. The charging device of claim 5, wherein the monitoring device is formed with an optocoupler.

7. The charging device of claim 5, wherein

the monitoring device is configured to monitor a change in the current, and

an analysis device is provided, to evaluate change in behavior of the current, to assess whether the current is based on a switch defect.

8. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the measuring circuit includes at least one capacitor.

9. The charging device of claim 4, wherein

the measuring circuit includes at least one capacitor, and

the at least one capacitor is looped into the connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors.

10. The charging device of claim 9, wherein

the at least one capacitor is arranged serially between two ohmic resistors, and

components of the measuring circuit are dimensioned such that, by measuring a voltage drop at at least one of the at least one capacitor and the ohmic resistor arranged on a protective conductor side, inference, as to whether the at least one switch can no longer be opened after conclusion of the charging process, is possible.

11. The charging device of claim 9, wherein

an ohmic resistor is connected in series with the at least one capacitor on a protective conductor side, and

the components of the measuring circuit are dimensioned such that, by measuring current at the ohmic resistor, inference, as to whether the at least one switch can no longer be opened after conclusion of the charging process, is possible.

12. The charging device of claim 1, wherein

the charging device for the charging process includes

an outer conductor,

a neutral conductor, and

a protective conductor, and

the at least one electrical component and the switching device being arranged in series

a) either between the outer conductor and the neutral conductor,

b) or between the neutral conductor and the protective conductor,

c) or between the outer conductor and the protective conductor.

13. The charging device of claim 12, comprising

a multiplicity of series arrangements, each formed with at least one electrical component and a switching device, wherein the multiplicity of series arrangements each include one of arrangement options a), b) and c).

14. The charging device of claim 1, wherein the charging device is a charging cable, a charging pillar or a wallbox.

18. The charging device of claim 6, wherein

the monitoring device is configured to monitor a change in the current, and

an analysis device is provided, to evaluate change in behavior of the current, to assess whether the current is based on a switch defect.

19. The charging device of claim 3, wherein

the charging device for the charging process includes

an outer conductor;

a neutral conductor; and

a protective conductor, and

wherein to produce the measuring circuit

the outer conductor and the neutral conductor are connected to one another via two sequential resistors, and

the protective conductor is connected to a section between the two sequential resistors.

20. The charging device of claim 19, wherein

a monitoring device to monitor current is provided in a region of the connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors.

21. The charging device of claim 20, wherein the monitoring device is formed with an optocoupler.

22. The charging device of claim 20, wherein

the monitoring device is configured to monitor a change in the current, and

an analysis device is provided, to evaluate change in behavior of the current, to assess whether the current is based on a switch defect.

15. A method for assisting discharging of at least one capacitor provided in an electrically operated vehicle connected to a charging device, the charging device including at least one electrical component and a switching device, the at least one electrical component and the switching device being arranged in the charging device such that upon the charging device being connected to a vehicle, a circuit is produced for assisting discharging of at least one capacitor provided on a side of the vehicle, the at least one capacitor being openable or closable via the switching device;

a measuring circuit to detect a defect of at least one switch, arranged in the charging device and usable to switch a charging process, wherein the at least one electrical component is part of the measuring circuit;

a monitoring device is provided in a region of connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors;

an outer conductor;

a neutral conductor; and

a protective conductor, wherein to produce the measuring circuit the outer conductor and the neutral conductor are connected to one another via two sequential resistors, and the protective conductor is connected to a section between the two sequential resistor, the method comprising;

monitoring current in the region of the connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors;

detecting a defect of at least one switch, arranged in the charging device and usable to switch a charging process; and

concluding the detection with a result of freedom from defects upon the current no longer flowing or upon the current being below a threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring the current in the region of the connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors;

detecting a defect of at least one switch, arranged in the charging device and usable to switch a charging process; and

concluding the detection with a result of a presence of a defect upon current still flowing or upon the current being above a threshold value after expiration of a maximum duration.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring of the current or of a voltage in the region of the connection of the protective conductor to the section between the two sequential resistors;

detecting a defect of at least one switch, arranged in the charging device and used for switching a charging process, wherein, within a scope of the detection, information about a change in the current or the voltage over time is detected; and

concluding the detection with a result of a presence of a defect upon at least one of a time profile of the current being in a sinusoidal shape and a voltage being inferred from the information detected about a change in at least one of the current and the voltage over time.