METHOD FOR OPERATING A CHARGING CONNECTION DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• US 20150054462A1
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KEBA Energy Automation GmbH
• Original Assignee: KEBA AG (KLH Beteiligungs GmbH)
• Inventors: Weidinger, Gerhard
• Granted Patent: US 10,131,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/047 using a temperature responsive switch
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

Abstract

A method operates a charging connection device for electric vehicles, the charging connection device including a housing inside which at least one temperature sensor constantly senses at least one temperature value. As an essential feature, the maximum permissible charging current is reduced to a specific value greater than zero if a first threshold temperature of a first temperature value is exceeded and the charging process is interrupted if the first threshold temperature has been continuously exceeded by the end of a first interval or when the at least one temperature value exceeds a second threshold temperature of the at least one temperature value. The proposed method of operating a charging connection device for electric vehicles provides for greater availability, better fault tolerance of the charging connection device while ensuring lower production costs.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method of operating a charging connection device (1) for electric vehicles, the charging connection device (1) comprising at least a first interface (6) for drawing electrical energy from a stationary power supply network, at least a second interface (7, 9) for discharging electrical energy to an electric vehicle in a controlled manner and a housing (2), which housing (2) encloses a plurality of electrical and electronic components (11) and by means of which electrical and electronic components (11) a charging operation of the electric vehicle is controlled and monitored, and at least one temperature value in the interior of the housing (2) is continuously detected by means of at least one temperature sensor (20), and when a first threshold temperature (21) of the at least one temperature value is exceeded, the maximum permissible charging current is re-set from a previously existing initial value to a specific value that is greater than zero but lower than the initial value, wherein the charging operation is interrupted when a fixed first interval (22) during which the first threshold temperature (21) has been continuously exceeded has elapsed, and with every reduction of the maximum permissible charging current the start of a second interval (24) is respectively set and when the second interval (24) has elapsed, it is ascertained whether the first threshold temperature (21) has been exceeded and if it has been exceeded, the maximum permissible charging current is further reduced.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the charging operation is interrupted if a second threshold temperature (23) of the at least one temperature value higher than the first threshold temperature (21) has been exceeded.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a reduction of the maximum permissible charging current or an interruption of the charging operation is reversed again as soon as there is a drop below the respective threshold temperature (21, 23) which, having been exceeded triggered this reduction or this interruption, by a specific tolerance value (25) or for a fixed third interval (26).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein when a third threshold temperature (27) of the at least one temperature value is exceeded, which third threshold temperature (27) lies significantly above the first threshold temperature (21), in particular by at least 20°

C., and optionally above the second threshold temperature (23), a conscious control action, in particular an error acknowledgement, has to be undertaken by an operator of the charging connection device (1) first of all before the interruption of the charging operation is reversed again.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the respective new, maximum permissible charging current is communicated to a charging device of the electric vehicle and the charging device controls or limits the charging operation on the basis of this new, maximum permissible charging current.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one temperature sensor (20) continuously detects the at least one temperature value in the interior of the housing (2) in the region of a circuit board (12), which circuit board (12) supports at least a majority of the electrical and electronic components (11) of the charging connection device (1), and the at least one temperature sensor (20) is preferably positioned adjacent to a central control unit (19) of the charging connection device (1), which central control unit (19) controls the other electrical and electronic components (11) and communicates with them.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein a reduction of the maximum permissible charging current or an interruption of the charging operation is signaled to an operator of the charging connection device (1) by acoustic, visual and/or computer means.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the respective threshold temperature (21, 23, 27) of the at least one temperature value is determined by means of one or more reference measurements so that below the respective threshold temperature (21, 23, 27), the permissible maximum operating temperatures of selected electrical and electronic components (11) of the charging connection device (1) are not exceeded.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one temperature value continuously detected by the at least one temperature sensor (20) is subjected to a trend analysis so that the maximum permissible charging current can be reduced at an early stage or the charging operation can be interrupted at an early stage in the event of a critical result of the trend analysis and so that a reduction of the maximum permissible charging current or an interruption of the charging operation can be prevented or reversed at an early stage in the event of a non-critical result of the trend analysis.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the amount by which the maximum permissible charging current is decreased or optionally increased is determined and fixed on the basis of the current or optionally predicted degree of the rate of change, i.e. the speed of the temperature increase or temperature decrease, of the at least one temperature value in the vicinity of the first threshold temperature (21).

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein a venting unit (32) of the charging connection device (1) is activated in the event of a reduction of the maximum permissible charging current, in the event of an interruption of the charging operation and/or optionally in the event of a critical result of the trend analysis of the at least one temperature value.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least one other temperature value is continuously detected at or in the at least one second interface (7) of the charging connection device (1) by at least one other temperature sensor (34) and this at least one other temperature value is monitored to detect if at least one other threshold temperature has been exceeded.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein several temperature values are continuously detected by several temperature sensors (20, 35, 36) in the interior of the housing (2), preferably at different measuring positions.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein another temperature value is continuously detected by another temperature sensor (36) on or in a power supply (37), which power supply (37) supplies at least the majority of the electrical and electronic components (11) of the charging connection device (1) with electrical energy, and if another threshold temperature of this other temperature value has been exceeded, the charging operation is terminated and the charging connection device (1) is deactivated by switching off the power supply (37).

30. The method according to claim 16, wherein a log is kept of every time a threshold temperature (21, 23, 27) has been exceeded and/or every time there has subsequently been a drop below it, preferably in conjunction with other operating events and in particular with an absolute or relative time stamp.