System and method for redundantly controlling a dual electric vehicle supply equipment

• US 9,783,072 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SemaConnect
• Original Assignee: Semaconnect, Inc. (Blink Charging Co.)
• Inventors: Reddy, Mahidhar, Kumar, Rajesh, Kayser, Vince
• Primary Examiner(s): Memula, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US14/571,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• 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 system and method is provided for creating a redundantly controlled dual electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). A double pole, double throw (DPDT) AC relay is provided on a power input to a low-voltage direct current (LVDC) circuit. The DPDT AC relay switches the AC power to the LVDC circuit automatically from either a LEFT ACV input or RIGHT ACV input such that operation of LVDC circuit remains uninterrupted.

Claims

1. A dual electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) comprising:

a first alternating current (AC) charging circuit configured to receive AC power from a first AC voltage (ACV) input;

a second AC charging circuit configured to receive AC power from a second ACV input;

a low-voltage direct current (LVDC) circuit configured to provide LVDC to one or more control circuits of the dual EVSE, wherein the LVDC is derived from the AC power associated with either the first ACV input or the second ACV input; and

a double pole, double throw (DPDT) AC relay provided at an input of the LVDC circuit, wherein the DPDT AC relay is configured to switch the AC power to the LVDC circuit from either the first ACV input or the second ACV input.

2. The dual EVSE of claim 1, wherein the first AC charging circuit is configured to provide a first charging voltage to a first vehicle connected to the dual EVSE.

3. The dual EVSE of claim 2, wherein the second AC charging circuit is configured to provide a second charging voltage to a second vehicle connected to the dual EVSE.

4. The dual EVSE of claim 3, wherein the one or more control circuits are configured to control delivery of the first charging voltage to the first vehicle and the second charging voltage to the second vehicle.

5. The dual EVSE of claim 1, wherein the LVDC circuit is configured to provide LVDC to at least one display associated with the dual EVSE.

6. The dual EVSE of claim 1, wherein the first AC charging circuit comprises a first AC relay that is controlled by the one or more control circuits.

7. The dual EVSE of claim 6, wherein the second AC charging circuit comprises a second AC relay that is controlled by the one or more control circuits.

8. A method for creating a redundantly controlled dual electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), the method comprising:

providing a first alternating current (AC) power from a first AC voltage input to a low-voltage direct current (LVDC) circuit;

sensing a loss of the first AC power from the first AC voltage input; and

in response to sensing the loss, providing a second AC power from a second AC voltage input to the LVDC circuit, wherein LVDC provided by the LVDC circuit is derived from either the first AC power or the second AC power and wherein the LVDC is provided to one or more control circuits of the redundantly controlled dual EVSE.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

switching from the first AC power to the second AC power such that operation of the LVDC circuit remains uninterrupted.

10. A dual electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) comprising:

a low-voltage direct current (LVDC) circuit configured to receive a first alternating current (AC) power from a first AC voltage input; and

a double pole, double throw (DPDT) AC relay configured to;

sense a loss of the first AC power from the first AC voltage input, and

provide a second AC power from a second AC voltage input to the LVDC circuit in response to the loss of the first AC power, wherein the LVDC circuit is configured to provide LVDC to one or more control circuits of the dual EVSE.

11. The dual EVSE of claim 10, further comprising:

a first AC charging circuit configured to receive the first AC power from the first AC voltage input.

12. The dual EVSE of claim 11, wherein the first AC charging circuit is configured to provide a first charging voltage to a first vehicle connected to the dual EVSE.

13. The dual EVSE of claim 10, further comprising:

a second AC charging circuit configured to receive the second AC power from the second AC voltage input.

14. The dual EVSE of claim 13, wherein the second AC charging circuit is configured to provide a second charging voltage to a second vehicle connected to the dual EVSE.

15. The dual EVSE of claim 12, wherein the one or more control circuits are configured to control delivery of a first charging voltage to a first vehicle connected to the dual EVSE and a second charging voltage to a second vehicle connected to the dual EVSE.

16. The dual EVSE of claim 12, wherein the LVDC is derived from the first AC power prior to sensing the loss of the first AC power and from the second AC power when the second AC power is provided to the LVDC circuit.

17. The dual EVSE of claim 10, wherein the DPDT AC relay is configured to switch from the first AC power to the second AC power such that operation of the LVDC circuit remains uninterrupted.