Method for charging an electric vehicle by supplying DC over a cable configured for AC charging

• US 9,216,653 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Barlag, Heike, Heuer, Jrg, Bhm, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/825,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A method is disclosed for charging at least one energy store of an electric vehicle via a charging point, using a first terminal having first connecting elements of a charging cable connected to the charging point. The first connecting elements are connected to corresponding second connecting elements of a second terminal on the vehicle, and the first and second connecting elements are designed to supply alternating current for charging the at least one energy store. Direct current from the charging point for charging the at least one energy store is supplied to the electric vehicle via at least two first connecting elements or at least two third connecting elements of the first terminal, wherein PLC communication between the electric vehicle and charging point in order to exchange information relating to the charging operation occurs via one or more first connecting elements on which no direct current for charging is carried.

Claims

1. A method for charging at least one energy store of an electric vehicle by supplying direct current (DC) from a charging point over a charging cable configured for supplying alternating current (AC), the method comprising:

connecting the electric vehicle to the charging point via the charging cable, the charging cable having a plurality of first AC-configured connecting elements that are (a) connected at a first end to the charging point and (b) connected at a second end to corresponding second connecting elements of a second terminal on the vehicle side, wherein the plurality of first AC-configured connecting elements comprise interfaces configured for connection to an alternating current source to supply alternating current for charging the at least one energy store of the vehicle,

supplying direct current from the charging point for charging the at least one energy store to the electric vehicle via at least two of the first AC-configured connecting elements or at least two separate third connecting elements of the charging cable,

during the supply of direct current from the charging point to the electric vehicle via the at least two first AC-configured connecting elements or the at least two third connecting elements, performing power line communication (PLC) between the electric vehicle and the charging point to exchange information relating to the charging operation via one or more of the first AC-configured connecting elements on which no alternating current or direct current for charging is being carried.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductor or conductors in the charging cable, which lead to the first AC-configured connecting element or elements via which the PLC communication takes place, are electromagnetically screened.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetically screened conductor or the electromagnetically screened conductors are designed as twisted pairs and have a metallic screening.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the charging with direct current from the charging point, one or more non-current-carrying conductors are arranged between the conductor or conductors in the charging cable, which lead to the first AC-configured connecting element or elements, via which the PLC communication takes place, and the conductors, which lead to the at least two first AC-configured connecting elements, via which direct current is supplied from the charging point for charging the at least one energy store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first AC-configured connecting element or elements, via which the PLC communication during the charging with direct current takes place, correspond to the first AC-configured connecting elements which are used during the charging with alternating current for PLC communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct current is supplied via a charging cable attached to the charging point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting power of the PLC communication during the charging with direct current is reduced compared to the transmitting power of the PLC communication during the charging with alternating current.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the exchange of information relating to the charging operation via the PLC communication is based on a standard selected from the group consisting of the ISO/IEC 15118 standard and the ISO/IEC 61851 standard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the PLC communication takes place based on a standard from the Homeplug family selected from the group consisting of Homeplug Green PHY and the G3 standard.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a charging plug according to Type 2 in the standard IEC 62196 or a modification of this charging plug, which comprises the separate third connecting elements, is used as the first terminal.

11. A charging cable embodied for used in the method of claim 1, wherein the conductor or conductors in the charging cable, which lead to the first AC-configured connecting element or elements via which the PLC communication takes place, are electromagnetically screened.

12. A charging point for charging at least one energy store of an electric vehicle by supplying direct current (DC) from to the electric vehicle over a charging cable configured for supplying alternating current (AC), the charging point comprising:

a first terminal connected to a first terminal of the charging cable comprising having a plurality of first AC-configured connecting elements configured for connection to an alternating current source to carry alternating current,

wherein the charging point is configured to charge the at least one energy store via the charging point using the first terminal of the charging cable,

wherein during the charging of the at least one energy store, the first AC-configured connecting elements are connected to corresponding second connecting elements of a second terminal on the vehicle side, the second connecting elements being configured for connection to the first AC-configured connecting elements of the charging cable to supply alternating current for charging the at least one energy store,

wherein the charging point is configured to;

supply direct current to the electric vehicle via at least two of the first AC-configured connecting elements or at least two separate third connecting elements of the first terminal, and

during the supply of direct current from the charging point to the electric vehicle via the at least two first AC-configured connecting elements or the at least two third connecting elements, perform PLC communication between the electric vehicle and the charging point to exchange information relating to the charging operation via one or more of the first AC-configured connecting elements on which no alternating current or direct current for charging is being carried.

13. An electric vehicle having at least on energy store, wherein the electric vehicle is configured for charging the at least one energy store via a charging point in accordance with claim 12.