SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING FAST CHARGING OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AT A CHARGING STATION

• US 20160272074A1
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proterra Operating Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proterra AG
• Inventors: McGRATH, Seamus, SARKAR, Reuben, SHAH, Keyur
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,887 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/24 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/32 Driving direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• 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 5/42 for collecting current from individual contact pieces connected to the power supply line
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 : using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 : in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• 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 53/16 : Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 : Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 : Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 : by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 : by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 : Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 : Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 : Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 : Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/56 : Mechanical storage means, e.g. fly wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 : involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 : for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 : for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 : Controlling the braking effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 : Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 1/36 : Single contact pieces along the line for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/003 : for vehicles using stored power (e.g. charging stations)
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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
• 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: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for enabling fast charging of an electric vehicle at a charging station. In one embodiment, an electric vehicle in positioned in a given location for charging and/or discharging. A charging arm comprising a plurality of charging brushes is then positioned relative to the position of the electric vehicle. The plurality of charging brushes on the charging arm is positioned to contact a charging interface of the electric vehicle. The charging brushes are moved relative to the charging interface such that a portion of the charging brushes is removed as a result of the movement.

Claims

1. A charging interface for an electric vehicle, comprising:

an interface body; and

an electrode coupled to the interface body, wherein the electrode includes a contact surface adapted to engage with charging brushes of a charging station to charge the electric vehicle, and wherein the contact surface includes a patterned texture.

2. The charging interface of claim 1, wherein the electrode includes copper and the patterned texture of the contact surface includes a plurality of grooves.

3. The charging interface of claim 2, wherein the copper is chrome-plated.

4. The charging interface of claim 1, wherein the charging brushes are configured to slide on the contact surface during engagement, and wherein the patterned texture of the contact surface comprises a plurality of grooves configured to remove the portion of the charging brushes when the contact brushes slide on the contact surface.

5. The charging interface of claim 4, wherein the plurality of grooves are parallel to each other.

6. The charging interface of claim 5, wherein the plurality of grooves are aligned at an angle between 20 and 60 degrees with respect to a direction of sliding of the charging brushes.

7. The charging interface of claim 4, wherein the charging brushes comprise copper impregnated carbon brushes.

8. The charging interface of claim 4, wherein the electrode is a first electrode, the contact surface is a first contact surface, and the charging brushes configured to engage with the first contact surface are first charging brushes,

the charging interface further comprising:

a second electrode having a second contact surface coupled to the interface body, the second contact surface being adapted to engage with second charging brushes of the charging station, and having a patterned texture that is configured to remove a portion of the second charging brushes from the charging station as the second charging brushes engage with the second contact surface, wherein during a charging process, the first contact surface is used as a positive electrical connection and the second contact surface is used as a negative electrical connection.

9. The charging interface of claim 8, further comprising a pilot electrode coupled to the interface body, wherein the pilot electrode includes a pilot contact surface that is adapted to engage with third charging brushes of the charging station, wherein the charging process is configured to be begin only after receipt of a signal indicative of the engagement between the pilot contact surface and the third charging brushes.

10. The charging interface of claim 9, wherein the contacts pilot contact surface includes a patterned texture that is adapted to remove a portion of the third charging brushes as the third charging brushes engages with the pilot contact surface.

11. The charging interface of claim 10, wherein the patterned texture of the pilot contact surface includes crosshatched grooves.

12. A method for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:

positioning an electric vehicle for charging;

orienting a charging arm of a charging station relative to the position of the electric vehicle, the charging arm being coupled to a plurality of charging brushes configured to direct electric current therethrough;

making electrical contact between the plurality of charging brushes a and an electrical contact surface of a charging interface positioned on the electric vehicle; and

moving the electric vehicle relative to the charging brushes after making electrical contact such that a portion of the plurality of charging brushes is removed from the charging arm during the moving.

13. The method of claim 12, further including charging the electric vehicle after the moving.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact surface includes a plurality of grooves that are parallel to each other.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of grooves are aligned at an angle between 20 and 60 degrees with respect to a direction of movement of the electric vehicle.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein making electrical contact includes extending the plurality of charging brushes in a direction transverse to a direction of movement of the electric vehicle to contact the contact surface, and the method further includes retracting the plurality of charging brushes away from the contact surface in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the electric vehicle after charging of the electric vehicle.

16-22. -22. (canceled)

24-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A system for charging of an electric vehicle with a charging station, comprising:

a charging station comprising a charging arm coupled to a plurality of brushes configured to direct electric current therethrough; and

an electric vehicle comprising at least one battery and a charging interface electrically coupled to the at least one battery, the charging interface comprising;

an interface body; and

an electrode coupled to the interface body, the electrode having a contact surface configured to engage with the plurality of charging brushes, the contact surface having a patterned texture adapted to remove a portion of the charging brushes from the charging arm during engagement of the charging brushes with the contact surface.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the contact surface comprises a plurality of grooves parallel to each other.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of grooves are aligned at an angle between 20 and 60 degrees with respect to a direction of movement of the electric vehicle.

33. The charging interface of claim 29, wherein the interface body projects outwards from a roof of the electric vehicle and includes a longitudinal axis that extends along a direction of travel of the electric vehicle, and wherein the electrode is a first electrode positioned on a first side of the interface body, and the interface body further includes a second electrode positioned on a second side of the interface body, the second side being opposite from the first side.

30. (canceled)