Power-sharing charging system, charging device, and method for controlling the same

• US 9,637,017 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
• Original Assignee: Korea Institute of Energy Research
• Inventors: Sung, Yoon Dong, Oh, Sea Seung, Chae, Su Yong, Song, Yujin, Park, Sukin, Han, Su Bin, Kim, Gyu Duk, Yu, Seung Weon, Lee, ILoun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Jerry D
• Application Number:
  US14/523,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20150115891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• 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 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a charging system including: at least two charging devices including at least two output units configured to supply connected automobiles with charging power, a first bus electrically connected to the output units and configured to transfer charging power to the output units, and a power processing unit configured to process power, which is supplied from a power source, using a first capacity and supply the first bus with the processed power; and a second bus configured to connect a first bus of a first charging device and a first bus of a second charging device, wherein, when a total capacity of charging power supplied to automobiles connected to the first charging device exceeds the first capacity, a part or all of lacking capacity is supplied via the second bus.

Claims

1. A charging system comprising:

a first charging device including at least two first output units each configured to supply automobiles connected thereto with charging power, a first bus electrically connected to the first output units and configured to transfer charging power to the first output units, and a first power processing unit configured to process power from a power source and supply the first bus with the processed power, the first power processing unit has a first capacity;

a second charging device including at least two second output units each configured to supply automobiles connected thereto with charging power, a second bus electrically connected to the second output units and configured to transfer charging power to the second output units, and a second power processing unit configured to process power, which is supplied from the power source and supply the second bus with the processed power, the second power processing unit has a second capacity; and

a shared bus connecting the first bus of the first charging device and the second bus of the second charging device;

wherein when power required to charge automobiles connected to the first output units exceeds the first capacity of the first power processing unit, and power required to charge automobiles connected to the second output unit is less than the second capacity of the second power processing unit, excess power processed by the second power processing unit that is not needed to charge automobiles connected to the second output units is routed to the first output units by way of the shared bus to charge automobiles connected to the first output units.

2. The charging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first bus comprises a first AC bus configured to supply AC power and a first DC bus configured to supply DC power.

3. The charging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the shared bus comprises a shared AC bus configured to supply AC power and a shared DC bus configured to supply DC power, the shared AC bus is connected to a first AC bus of the first charging device and a second AC bus of the second charging device, and the shared DC bus is connected to a first DC bus of the first charging device and a second DC bus of the second charging device.

4. The charging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first power processing unit comprises a bidirectional AC/DC converter configured to convert power of the first AC bus into power of the first DC bus and convert power of the first DC bus into power of the first AC bus.

5. The charging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first power processing unit comprises a DC supply unit configured to convert three-phase AC power, which is supplied from a system, into DC power and supply the first DC bus with the DC power and an AC supply unit configured to supply the first AC bus with power of two phases of the three phases.

6. The charging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first charging device comprises a bus connection unit configured to connect the first bus and the shared bus, and

the bus connection unit comprises a DC/DC converter configured to convert power of the first DC bus into MVDC (Medium Voltage DC) power or HVDC (High Voltage DC) power or an AC/DC converter configured to convert power of the first AC bus into MVDC (Medium Voltage DC) power or HVDC (High Voltage DC) power.

7. The charging system as claimed in claim 6, wherein:

the shared bus is a first shared bus;

the charging system further comprises a second shared bus configured to connect a first bus of the first charging device and a third bus of a third charging device,

the first charging device comprises at least two bus connection units, and

the first charging device is configured to connect the first bus and the shared bus via a first bus connection unit and connect the first bus and the third bus via a second bus connection unit.

8. The charging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first output units comprises an output connector comprising both an AC output terminal connected to an onboard charger of a connected automobile and a DC output terminal connected to a battery of the connected automobile.

9. The charging system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first bus comprises a first AC bus configured to supply AC power and a first DC bus configured to supply DC power, the first AC bus is configured to supply the AC output terminal of the first output units with AC power, and the first DC bus is configured to supply the DC output terminal of the first output units with DC power.

10. The charging system as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the first output units comprises an output controller,

the output controller is configured to supply the AC output terminal with charging power in a first charging power range and supply the DC output terminal with charging power in a second charging power range, and a maximum value of the second charging power range is larger than a maximum value of the first charging power range.

11. The charging system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the output controller comprises a charging mode selection unit, and

the charging mode selection unit is configured to selectively connect the AC output terminal and the DC output terminal according to a range of charging power supplied to a connected automobile.

12. The charging system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the output controller comprises a current controller, and the current controller is configured to adjust a charging rate of a connected automobile by controlling the amount of charging current.

13. The charging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first charging device comprises a bus connection unit configured to connect the first bus and the shared bus,

the bus connection unit comprises a power transmitter, and

the power transmitter is configured to transmit a part or all of remaining capacity, which is obtained by subtracting the total capacity of charging power supplied to connected automobiles from the first capacity, to the shared bus.

14. The charging system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bus connection unit further comprises a bypass circuit configured to unidirectionally transfer power from the shared bus to the first bus, and the bypass circuit is connected in parallel with the power transmitter.

15. The charging system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the bypass circuit comprises a diode configured to prevent a reverse current.

16. The charging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power source is a system, and the charging devices are connected to the system using limited power capacities.

17. A method for controlling a first charging device comprising at least two output units configured to supply connected automobiles with charging power, the first charging device being supplied with power from a second charging device via a shared bus, the method comprising:

comparing an available charging capacity of the first charging device with a total amount of power required to rapidly charge automobiles connected to the first charging device;

when the available charging capacity of the first charging device is smaller than the total amount of power required to rapidly charge automobiles connected to the first charging device, determining whether the second charging device has sufficient excess charging capacity that when combined with the available charging capacity of the first charging device will at least equal the total amount of power required to rapidly charge automobiles connected to the first charging device;

displaying rapid charging on by at least one output unit when a first condition is present in which the available charging capacity of the first charging device is equal to or larger than the amount of rapid charging, and when a second condition is present in which the second charging device has sufficient excess charging capacity that when combined with the available charging capacity of the first charging device will at least equal the total amount of power required to rapidly charge automobiles connected to the first charging device; and

displaying a limited charging condition by the at least one output unit when the first condition and the second condition are not satisfied.