Multiport Vehicle DC Charging System with Variable Power Distribution

• US 20130057209A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Nergaard, Troy Adam, Sukup, Martin, Donhowe, Kristoffer John, Van Dyke, Christopher Hugo, Wong, Warwick Ka Kui
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• 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 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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: 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A battery charging station is provided that includes a plurality of charge ports, a plurality of power stages where each power stage includes an AC to DC converter and where each power stage provides a portion of the charging station'"'"'s maximum available charging power, a switching system that is used to couple the output of the power stages to the charging ports, a system monitor that determines current charging station and vehicle conditions, and a controller that controls operation of the switching system in accordance with a predefined set of power distribution rules and on the basis of the current charging station and vehicle conditions. Current charging station and vehicle conditions may include vehicle arrival time, usage fees, vehicle and/or customer priority information, battery pack SOC, and/or intended departure time.

Claims

1. A battery charging station, comprising:

at least two charging ports, wherein a first port of said at least two charging ports is coupleable to a first vehicle and a second port of said at least two charging ports is coupleable to a second vehicle;

a plurality of power stages, wherein each power stage of said plurality of power stages is comprised of an AC to DC converter, and wherein each power stage of said plurality of power stages provides a portion of a maximum available charging power of said battery charging station;

a switching system, wherein said switching system may couple between zero power and said maximum available charging power to any port of said at least two charging ports by coupling between zero power stages and all of said plurality of power stages to any port of said at least two charging ports;

a system monitor, wherein said system monitor determines current charging station and vehicle conditions, wherein said charging station and vehicle conditions vary over time; and

a controller coupled to said switching system and to said system monitor, wherein said controller controls operation of said switching system in accordance with a predefined set of power distribution rules and in response to current charging station and vehicle conditions.

2. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said controller selects a first portion of said plurality of power stages to be coupled to said first port and a second portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said second port in accordance with said predefined set of power distribution rules and in response to said current charging station and vehicle conditions, wherein said first portion and said second portion represent different portions of said plurality of power stages.

3. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said at least two charging ports further comprises a third port coupleable to a third vehicle, wherein said controller selects a first portion of said plurality of power stages to be coupled to said first port, a second portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said second port, and a third portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said third port in accordance with said predefined set of power distribution rules and in response to said current charging station and vehicle conditions, wherein said first portion, said second portion, and said third portion represent different portions of said plurality of power stages.

4. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said at least two charging ports further comprises a third port coupleable to a third vehicle and a fourth port coupleable to a fourth vehicle, wherein said controller selects a first portion of said plurality of power stages to be coupled to said first port, a second portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said second port, a third portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said third port, and a fourth portion of said plurality of power stages to be simultaneously coupled to said fourth port in accordance with said predefined set of power distribution rules and in response to said current charging station and vehicle conditions, wherein said first portion, said second portion, said third portion, and said fourth portion represent different portions of said plurality of power stages.

5. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said plurality of power stages are grouped together to form a plurality of power blocks, wherein each power block is comprised of three power stages of said plurality of power stages, and wherein said switching system may couple between zero power blocks and all of said plurality of power blocks to any port of said at least two charging ports.

6. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said switching system prevents a first charging port of said at least two charging ports from being directly coupled to a second charging port of said at least two charging ports.

7. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said controller prevents a first charging port of said at least two charging ports from being directly coupled to a second charging port of said at least two charging ports.

8. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said switching system is comprised of a plurality of contactors.

9. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said switching system is comprised of a plurality of semiconductor switches.

10. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said system monitor monitors vehicle arrival time for each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of the monitored arrival time.

11. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said system monitor monitors charger usage fees paid for coupling to each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of said charger usage fees.

12. The battery charging station of claim 11, wherein said system monitor monitors vehicle arrival time for each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of the monitored arrival time if said charger usage fees are equivalent.

13. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said system monitor monitors for vehicle or customer priority information, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of said vehicle or customer priority information.

14. The battery charging station of claim 13, further comprising a keypad mounted to said battery charging station, wherein said vehicle or customer priority information may be entered via said keypad.

15. The battery charging station of claim 13, wherein said system monitor monitors a wireless identification system for said vehicle or customer priority information.

16. The battery charging station of claim 13, wherein said system monitor monitors vehicle arrival time for each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of the monitored arrival time if no vehicle or customer priority information is detected.

17. The battery charging station of claim 13, wherein said system monitor monitors vehicle arrival time for each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules awards power distribution priority on the basis of the monitored arrival time if a charging priority is not determined on the basis of vehicle or customer priority information.

18. The battery charging stations of claim 1, wherein said system monitor monitors battery pack state-of-charge (SOC) for each vehicle coupled to each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules distributes power on the basis of said battery pack SOC.

19. The battery charging stations of claim 1, wherein said system monitor monitors intended departure time for each vehicle coupled to each port of said at least two charging ports, and wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules optimizes power distribution on the basis of said intended departure time.

20. The battery charging station of claim 19, further comprising a keypad mounted to said battery charging station, wherein said intended departure time may be entered via said keypad.

21. The battery charging station of claim 1, said battery charging stations further comprising a display mounted to said battery charging station, wherein said system monitor monitors for charging port reservations, and wherein said controller displays information corresponding to said charging port reservations on said display.

22. The battery charging station of claim 1, wherein said predefined set of power distribution rules maximizes an output power of said battery charging station.