CHARGING APPARATUS WITH DYNAMICAL CHARGING POWER AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20150202973A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: CHANG, Yu-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 9,457,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A charging apparatus with dynamical charging power is configured to charge an electric vehicle. The charging apparatus includes a main power conversion unit, an auxiliary power conversion unit, and a control unit. The main power conversion unit receives an AC power and converts the AC power into a main output power. The auxiliary power conversion unit receives an auxiliary DC power and converts the auxiliary DC power into an auxiliary output power. The control unit controls maximum output power of the main output power to be an upper-limit output power value. When a charging power value of charging the electric vehicle is greater than the upper-limit output power value, the control unit dynamically controls the auxiliary output power according to a power difference value between the charging power value and the upper-limit output power value.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus with dynamical charging power configured to charge an electric vehicle, the charging apparatus comprising:

a main power conversion unit configured to receive an AC power and convert the AC power into a main output power;

an auxiliary power conversion unit configured to receive an auxiliary DC power and convert the auxiliary DC power into an auxiliary output power; and

a control unit configured to control maximum output power of the main output power to be an upper-limit output power value;

wherein the control unit is configured to dynamically control the auxiliary output power according to a power difference value between a charging power value and the upper-limit output power value when the charging power value of charging the electric vehicle is greater than the upper-limit output power value.

2. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 1, further comprising:

a main switch unit connected to an output side of the main power conversion unit; and

an auxiliary switch unit connected between an input side of the auxiliary power conversion unit and the output side of the main power conversion unit.

3. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 2, wherein the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is combined with the auxiliary output power outputted from the auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the electric vehicle when the control unit is configured to turn on the main switch unit and turn off the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by an AC electric grid and the auxiliary DC power is generated by a secondary battery.

4. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 3, further comprising:

a second auxiliary power conversion unit configured to receive a renewable DC power outputted from a renewable energy generation apparatus, and convert the renewable DC power into a renewable output power.

5. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 4, wherein the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is combined with the renewable output power outputted from the second auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the secondary battery when the control unit is configured to turn off the main switch unit and turn on the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by the AC electric grid and the renewable output power is generated by the renewable energy generation apparatus.

6. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 4, wherein one part of the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is configured to charge the electric vehicle, and the other part of the main output power is combined with the renewable output power outputted from the second auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the secondary battery when the control unit is configured to turn on the main switch unit and turn on the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by the AC electric grid and the renewable output power is generated by the renewable energy generation apparatus.

7. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 1, wherein the main power conversion unit has a first main power conversion unit and a second main power conversion unit;

the first main power conversion unit is configured to receive the AC power and convert the AC power into a first DC power;

the second main power conversion unit is configured to receive the first DC power and convert the first DC power into the main output power.

8. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 7, wherein the first main power conversion unit is an AC-to-DC converter;

the second main power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter;

the auxiliary power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter;

the second auxiliary power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter.

9. The charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 4, wherein the renewable energy generation apparatus is a solar energy generation apparatus or a wind energy generation apparatus.

10. A method of operating a charging apparatus with dynamical charging power configured to charge an electric vehicle, the method comprising following steps:

(a) providing a main power conversion unit configured to receive an AC power and convert the AC power into a main output power;

(b) providing an auxiliary power conversion unit configured to receive an auxiliary DC power and convert the auxiliary DC power into an auxiliary output power;

(c) providing a control unit configured to control maximum output power of the main output power to be an upper-limit output power value; and

(d) dynamically controlling the auxiliary output power according to a power difference value between a charging power value and the upper-limit output power value when the charging power value of charging the electric vehicle is greater than the upper-limit output power value.

11. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 10, wherein the charging apparatus further comprises:

a main switch unit is connected to an output side of the main power conversion unit; and

an auxiliary switch unit is connected between an input side of the auxiliary power conversion unit and the output side of the main power conversion unit.

12. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 11, wherein the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is combined with the auxiliary output power outputted from the auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the electric vehicle when the control unit is configured to turn on the main switch unit and turn off the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by an AC electric grid and the auxiliary DC power is generated by a secondary battery.

13. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 12, wherein the charging apparatus further comprises:

a second auxiliary power conversion unit is configured to receive a renewable DC power outputted from a renewable energy generation apparatus, and convert the renewable DC power into a renewable output power.

14. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 13, wherein the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is combined with the renewable output power outputted from the second auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the secondary battery when the control unit is configured to turn off the main switch unit and turn on the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by the AC electric grid and the renewable output power is generated by the renewable energy generation apparatus.

15. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 13, wherein one part of the main output power outputted from the main power conversion unit is configured to charge the electric vehicle, and the other part of the main output power is combined with the renewable output power outputted from the second auxiliary power conversion unit to charge the secondary battery when the control unit is configured to turn on the main switch unit and turn on the auxiliary switch unit;

wherein the main output power is generated by the AC electric grid and the renewable output power is generated by the renewable energy generation apparatus.

16. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 10, wherein the main power conversion unit has a first main power conversion unit and a second main power conversion unit;

the first main power conversion unit is configured to receive the AC power and convert the AC power into a first DC power;

the second main power conversion unit is configured to receive the first DC power and convert the first DC power into the main output power.

17. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 16, wherein the first main power conversion unit is an AC-to-DC converter;

the second main power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter;

the auxiliary power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter;

the second auxiliary power conversion unit is a DC-to-DC converter.

18. The method of operating the charging apparatus with dynamical charging power in claim 13, wherein the renewable energy generation apparatus is a solar energy generation apparatus or a wind energy generation apparatus.