CONVERTER FOR A BATTERY CHARGING STATION

• US 20140340041A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB BV (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Canales, Francisco, Apeldoorn, Oscar, AGGELER, Daniel, Papafotiou, Georgios, LI, RiverTinHo
• Granted Patent: US 9,450,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/00 Converter types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/102 being switching converters H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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: 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]

Abstract

A modular converter is disclosed for a battery charging station, having at least two charging modules connected in parallel. Each of the charging modules can be configured for generating an output current I₁, I₂, I₃ for charging a battery. Each charging module can have a local controller for controlling the charging module. Each local controller of a charging module can be configured for determining a global charging current I and for determining the output current I₁, I₂, I₃ of the charging module.

Claims

1. A modular converter for a battery charging station, wherein the modular converter comprises:

at least two charging modules connected in parallel, each of the charging modules being configured for generating an output current (I₁, I₂) for charging a battery; and

each charging module containing a local controller for controlling the charging module,

wherein each local controller of a charging module is configured for determining a global charging current (I) and for determining the output current (I₁, I₂,) of the charging module from the global charging current (1).

2. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein each local controller is configured for receiving a charging voltage value measured in an output line of the modular converter;

and

wherein each local controller is configured for determining the global charging current (I) from the charging voltage value.

3. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein each local controller is configured for receiving a voltage and/or current information from the battery;

and

wherein each local controller is configured for determining the output current (I₁, I₂) from the voltage and/or current information from the battery.

4. The modular converter claim 1,

wherein the local controllers are equally designed.

5. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein the charging modules are equally designed.

6. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein a local controller of a charging module is mechanically attached to the charging module.

7. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein the local controllers are communicatively interconnected with each other.

8. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein the local controllers are configured to exchange output current values with each other.

9. A battery charging station, comprising:

a connection to a power grid;

at least one connection for interconnecting a battery; and

a modular converter according to claim 1 for converting a current from the power grid into a charging current (I) for charging the battery.

10. The battery charging station of claim 8,

wherein the battery charging station is a vehicle charging station.

16. The modular converter of claim 1,

wherein the local controllers of the modular converter are configured with software stored in a non-transitory state for performing a method which comprises:

determining a global current (I) for charging the battery by a first local controller and a second local controller;

calculating a first output current (I₁) for a first charging module by the first local controller based on the global current (I);

controlling the first charging module by the first local controller, such that the first charging module generates the first output current (I₁);

calculating a second output current (I₂) for a second charging module by the second local controller based on the global current (I); and

controlling the second charging module by the second local controller, such that the second charging module generates the second output current (I₂).

11. A method of charging a battery with a modular converter, the method comprising:

determining a global current (I) for charging the battery by a first local controller and a second local controller;

calculating a first output current (I₁) for a first charging module by the first local controller based on the global current (I);

controlling the first charging module by the first local controller, such that the first charging module generates the first output current (I₁);

calculating a second output current (I₂) for a second charging module by the second local controller based on the global current (I); and

controlling the second charging module by the second local controller, such that the second charging module generates the second output current (I₂).

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

sending the first output current (I₁) from the first local controller to the second local controller; and

calculating the second output current (I₂) based on the first output current (I₁).

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein an output current is calculated by dividing the global current (I) by a number of charging modules of the modular converter.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein output currents are optimized, such that losses of charging modules are minimized, an operation point of the modular converter is enhanced and/or current ripples in the output currents are reduced.

15. The method of claim 11,

wherein the global current (I) is determined to be negative, such that the battery is discharging, and the battery is used as energy storage.