DEVICES AND METHODS FOR TESTING THE ENERGY MEASUREMENT ACCURACY, BILLING ACCURACY, FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS
First Claim
1. A programmable load controller for providing a variable effective load to an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) using one or more fixed loads connectable thereto, the programmable load controller comprising a chopper circuit including a full wave bridge and a power switching transistor with pulse width modulated control, wherein the chopper circuit allows the variable effective load as seen by the EVCS to be any of a plurality of different fractions of a maximum load provided by the one or more fixed loads, wherein the programmable load controller presents a substantially unity power factor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Testing of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) is performed. In an active mode, the device provides or is connected with a programmable load capable of emulating the load of an electrical vehicle (EV). In passive mode, the load is an EV with the device being arranged in series between the EVCS and EV. In either case, energy delivery from the EVCS to the load is monitored by the device to determine energy measurement and billing accuracy of the EVCS. This enables a comparison to be made between a measured value of energy delivered and a metered value of energy delivered as given by the EVCS. Other measurements and safety tests may also be performed by the device. A programmable load controller is also provided for providing a variable effective load as seen by the EVCS based on one or more fixed loads.
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Citations
56 Claims
- 1. A programmable load controller for providing a variable effective load to an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) using one or more fixed loads connectable thereto, the programmable load controller comprising a chopper circuit including a full wave bridge and a power switching transistor with pulse width modulated control, wherein the chopper circuit allows the variable effective load as seen by the EVCS to be any of a plurality of different fractions of a maximum load provided by the one or more fixed loads, wherein the programmable load controller presents a substantially unity power factor.
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8. An instrument for accurately verifying the active energy delivered by an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), comprising:
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a primary port for receiving a charging cable normally connecting the EVCS to an electric vehicle; one or more measuring devices which simultaneously make sampling measurements of voltage and current from one or more supply lines delivering power from the EVCS to one or more fixed loads via a programmable load controller after the charging cable has been received at the primary port; digital processing means configured to calculate a first value of active energy delivered by the EVCS to the one or more fixed loads from the sampling measurements obtained from the one or more measuring devices; and at least one output device for displaying or transmitting the first value of active energy delivered or one or more values determined from the first value of active energy delivered for comparison with a metered value of active energy delivered as given by the EVCS. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) test system for accurately verifying the active energy delivered by an EVCS, comprising:
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a programmable load controller for providing a variable effective load to the electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) using one or more fixed loads connectable thereto; and a measuring instrument, comprising a primary port for receiving a charging cable normally connecting the EVCS to an electric vehicle; one or more measuring devices which simultaneously make sampling measurements of voltage and current from one or more supply lines delivering power from the EVCS to the one or more fixed loads via the programmable load controller after the charging cable has been received at the primary port; digital processing means configured to calculate a first value of active energy delivered by the EVCS to the one or more fixed loads from the sampling measurements obtained from the one or more measuring devices; and at least one output device for displaying or transmitting the first value of active energy delivered or one or more values determined from the first value of active energy delivered for comparison with a metered value of active energy delivered as given by the EVCS. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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- 35. A method of providing a variable effective load to an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) using one or more fixed loads connectable thereto, comprising pulse width modulating an input to a power switching transistor of a chopper circuit to vary the variable effective load seen by the EVCS to any of a plurality of different fractions of a maximum load provided by the one or more fixed loads.
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42. A method for accurately verifying the active energy delivered by an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), comprising steps of:
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receiving at a primary port a charging cable normally connecting the EVCS to an electric vehicle; making sampling measurements of voltage and current simultaneously from one or more supply lines delivering power from the EVCS to one or more fixed loads via a programmable load controller after the charging cable has been received at the primary port; calculating a first value of active energy delivered by the EVCS to the one or more fixed loads from the sampling measurements with a digital processing means; and displaying or transmitting the first value of active energy delivered or one or more values determined from the first value of active energy delivered with at least one output device for comparison with a metered value of active energy delivered as given by the EVCS. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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45. The method of claim 45, wherein said step of displaying or transmitting includes displaying or transmitting a result of the comparison as one of the one or more values determined from the first value of active energy delivered.
Specification