METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CHARGING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20120229082A1
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Vukojevic, Aleksandar, Boot, John Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,680,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00034 the elements or equipment being or involving an electric power substation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 20/221 : General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging system is described. The electric vehicle charging system includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus coupled to, and configured to receive electric power from, a distribution transformer. The electric vehicle charging system also includes a central processing device configured to control operation of the plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging system comprising:

a plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus coupled to, and configured to receive electric power from, a distribution transformer; and

a central processing device configured to control operation of said plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus comprises a communications device configured to transmit a unique identification signal to said central processing device.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said identification signal uniquely identifies each of said plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus, said central processing device configured to determine a number of electric vehicle charging apparatus coupled to the distribution transformer based on received identification signals.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to said central processing device and configured to provide said central processing device with data, said central processing device configured to determine a present electrical load on the distribution transformer based on the data.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said central processing device is configured to:

receive a charging request from a first electric vehicle charging apparatus of said plurality of electric vehicle charging apparatus;

determine if providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the present electrical load on the distribution transformer to exceed a predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer; and

provide said first electric vehicle charging apparatus with an electric power charging signal if providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will not cause the present electrical load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said central processing device is further configured to compare the present electrical load to a power available under the predefined nominal load rating for the distribution transformer to determine if providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the present electrical load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

7. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said central processing device is further configured to compare the present electrical load to a predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating if it is determined that providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the present electrical load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said central processing device is further configured to:

deny service to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus if it is determined that providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the present load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating; and

place the first electric vehicle charging apparatus in a queue.

9. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said first electric vehicle charging apparatus comprises an input/output device configured to display at least one charging option to a consumer and to receive at least one charging selection from the consumer.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said central processing device is further configured to:

transmit a charging option signal to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus if it is determined that providing power to said first electric vehicle charging apparatus will not cause the present load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating, wherein upon receipt of the charging option signal, said input/output device displays the at least one charging option to the consumer; and

receive, from said input/output device, at least one of a charge-delay signal corresponding to a charge-delay selection and a charge-now signal corresponding to a charge-now selection.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein said central processing device is further configured to determine an energy rate associated with the charge-now selection and to include the energy rate within the charging option signal provided to said input/output device.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the energy rate associated with the charge-now selection is greater than an energy rate associated with the charge-delay selection, wherein the energy rate associated with the charge-now selection is calculated to offset a loss in the value of the distribution transformer caused by the present load on the distribution transformer exceeding the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

13. A method for controlling charging of an electric vehicle using an electric vehicle charging apparatus coupled to a distribution transformer, said method comprising:

determining an electrical load on the distribution transformer; and

providing the electric vehicle charging apparatus with an electric power charging signal if providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will not cause the electrical load on the distribution transformer to exceed a predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising collecting input data and registering each electric vehicle charging apparatus coupled to the distribution transformer.

15. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising determining if providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein determining if providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating comprises comparing the electrical load on the distribution transformer to a power available under the predefined nominal power rating for the distribution transformer.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising comparing the electrical load on the distribution transformer to a predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating if it is determined that providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined nominal load rating of the distribution transformer.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising denying service to the electric vehicle charging apparatus if it is determined that providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating and placing the electric vehicle charging apparatus in a queue.

19. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising at least one of:

delaying service to the electric vehicle charging apparatus if it is determined that providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will not cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating and a charge-delay signal is received from the electric vehicle charging apparatus; and

providing the electric power charging signal if it is determined that providing power to the electric vehicle charging apparatus will not cause the load on the distribution transformer to exceed the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating and a charge-now signal is received from the electric vehicle charging apparatus.

20. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising determining a charging order for the plurality of electric vehicles based at least partially on a comparison of the electrical load on the distribution transformer to at least one of the power available under the predefined nominal power rating for the distribution transformer and the predefined maximum distribution transformer load rating.