Scalable inductive charging station

• US 10,427,531 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Krammer, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun C
• Application Number:
  US15/331,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20170036553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/124 Detection or removal of foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An inductive charging system is provided for a vehicle. A floor unit is designed to generate an electromagnetic charging field for transmitting electrical energy to the vehicle. The floor unit has a first interface which is designed to receive electrical energy in the form of a direct current at the floor unit. The floor unit further has an alternating current generator which is designed to convert the direct current into an alternating current. The floor unit also has a primary coil which is designed to generate the electromagnetic charging field on the basis of the alternating current.

Claims

1. A floor unit for generating an electromagnetic charging field for transmission of electrical energy to a vehicle, the floor unit comprising:

a first interface configured to receive electrical energy in the floor unit in the form of a direct current;

an alternating current generator configured to convert the direct current into an alternating current;

a primary coil configured to generate the electromagnetic charging field from the alternating current;

a sensor configured to detect measuring data with respect to a state of the floor unit; and

a communication unit configured to transmit data, based on the measuring data, to a charging unit, wherein the charging unit is configured to deliver the electrical energy to the floor unit in the form of the direct current.

2. The floor unit according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is as a wireless communication link to the charging unit and/or as a power line communication link to the charging unit.

3. The floor unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the floor unit incorporates a control unit; and

the control unit is configured to control the generation of the alternating current by the alternating current generator.

4. The floor unit according to claim 1, wherein:

the floor unit incorporates a second interface; and

the second interface is configured to route the electrical energy in the form of the direct current to another floor unit.

5. The floor unit according to claim 1, wherein the alternating current has a frequency of 80-90 kHz.

6. A charging unit for a charging station for wireless transmission of electrical energy to a vehicle, wherein the charging unit comprises:

a power factor correction unit, which is adapted to electrical energy from a power supply network in order to provide a direct current; and

a first interface configured to deliver electrical energy to a floor unit in the form of the direct current,

wherein the charging unit comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with the vehicle and with the floor unit.

7. The charging unit according to claim 6, wherein the charging unit comprises a plurality of interfaces, which are configured to deliver the electrical energy in the form of the direct current to a corresponding plurality of floor units.

8. The charging unit according to claim 6, wherein the charging unit comprises a control unit which is configured to control transmission of the electrical energy to the vehicle via the floor unit.

9. The charging unit according to claim 6, wherein the charging unit comprises a control unit which is configured to control transmission of the electrical energy to the vehicle via the floor unit.

10. A charging station for wireless transmission of electrical energy to a vehicle, the charging station comprising:

a charging unit configured to deliver electrical energy in the form of a direct current, the charging unit comprising a power factor correction unit adapted to receive electrical energy from a power supply network to form the direct current, and a first interface configured to deliver the direct current;

a floor unit that generates an electromagnetic charging field for wirelessly transmitting the electrical energy to the vehicle, the floor unit comprising;

a first interface configured to receive the direct current from the charging unit,

an alternating current generator configured to convert the direct current into an alternating current,

a primary coil configured to generate the electromagnetic charging field from the alternating current,

a sensor configured to detect measuring data with respect to a state of the floor unit, and

a communication unit configured to transmit data, based upon the measuring data, to the charging unit; and

a connecting cable configured to provide a galvanic connection between the first interface on the charging unit and the first interface on the floor unit.

11. The charging station according to claim 10, wherein:

the floor unit incorporates a control unit; and

the control unit is configured to control the generation of the alternating current by the alternating current generator.

12. The charging station according to claim 10, wherein:

the floor unit incorporates a second interface; and

the second interface is configured to route the electrical energy in the form of the direct current to another floor unit.

13. The charging station according to claim 10, wherein the alternating current has a frequency of 80-90 kHz.

14. The charging station according to claim 10, wherein the charging unit comprises a plurality of interfaces, which are configured to deliver the electrical energy in the form of the direct current to a corresponding plurality of floor units.

15. The charging station according to claim 14, wherein the charging unit comprises a communication unit which is configured to communicate with the vehicle and with the floor unit.