EVSE WITH CORDSET HANDLE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

• US 20160138980A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: JEFFERIES, Kevin M., EDWARDS, Benjamin W., WHITE, Matthew L., FILIPPENKO, Konstantin A., WEILER, Richard K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• 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 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: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/16 using resistive elements resistive elements per se H01C, H01L
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/24 in a specially-adapted circuit, e.g. bridge circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7137 with thermal interrupter H01R13/7132 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• 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

Abstract

A circuit measures temperature in a charging handle 150 of an electric vehicle charging station (EVSE) 100. A temperature sensor is connected between a control pilot line 115 and ground line G in the charging handle of the EVSE. The control pilot line transmits a square wave signal CP having positive and negative portions, to an electric vehicle, according to the SAE J1772 standard. A temperature monitor 300 in the EVSE, coupled to a pilot signal measurement circuit 230 in the EVSE, measures the negative portions of the square wave signal resulting from the temperature sensor conducting current in response to changes in temperature in the handle. Temperature measurement of the charging handle is achieved without significant added cost or complexity, by reusing existing components in the EVSE, with little or no modification required to EVSE electronics, and minimal modification of the handle.

Claims

6. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 4, wherein the thermistor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor, so that as the temperature in the charging handle increases, resistance of the thermistor decreases and current increases for negative portions of a control pilot signal on the control pilot line.

1. A circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

a temperature sensor connected between a control pilot line and a ground line in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein a change in current conducted from the ground line to the control pilot line occurs when the temperature sensor is exposed to a change in temperature in the charging handle.

2. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the control pilot line is coupled to a control pilot signal generator in the charging station, the control pilot signal generator transmitting on the control pilot line to an electric vehicle connected to the charging handle, a control pilot signal having positive and negative voltage portions.

3. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature monitor in the charging station, the temperature monitor being coupled to a pilot signal measurement circuit, to measure the negative portions of the control pilot signal resulting from the temperature sensor conducting current from the ground line to the control pilot line in response to changes in the temperature in the charging handle.

4. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is a diode and a thermistor connected in series between the control pilot line and the ground line in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station, wherein the diode'"'"'s cathode is coupled to the control pilot line so that a change in current conducted from the ground line to the control pilot line occurs when the thermistor is exposed to a change in temperature in the charging handle.

5. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 4, wherein the thermistor is a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor, so that as the temperature in the charging handle increases, resistance of the thermistor decreases and voltage becomes less negative for negative portions of a control pilot signal on the control pilot line.

7. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the control pilot signal operates according to SAE J1772 standards for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE).

8. The circuit for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein when a temperature monitor in the electric vehicle charging station, detects an increase in temperature in the charging handle, the temperature monitor causes at least one of:

reducing a charging rate offered by the charging station to the electric vehicle to decrease resistive heating of conductors and contact points within the charging handle, discontinuing charging the electric vehicle if a measured temperature does not return to nominal limits, indicating a temperature rise problem to a user, and signaling an undesired operating condition to an owner or operator of the charging station.

9. The method for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 6, further comprising:

discontinuing charging of the electric vehicle, if the measured temperature does not return to nominal limits, in response to determining that the temperature of the charging handle exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature.

10. The method for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 6, further comprising:

indicating a temperature rise problem to a user or signaling an undesired operating condition to an owner or operator of the electric vehicle charging station, in response to determining that the temperature of the charging handle exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature.

6-1. A method for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station, comprising:

transmitting on a control pilot line to an electric vehicle connected to a charging handle, a control pilot signal having positive and negative voltage portions;

measuring negative portions of the control pilot signal, resulting from a temperature sensor in the charging handle conducting current from a ground line to the control pilot line in response to changes in temperature in the charging handle; and

determining that the temperature of the charging handle exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature, based on the measurement.

7-1. The method for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 6, wherein the temperature sensor is a diode and a thermistor connected in series between the control pilot line and the ground line in the charging handle of the electric vehicle charging station.

8-1. The method for temperature measurement in a charging handle of an electric vehicle charging station of claim 6, further comprising:

reducing a charging rate offered by the electric vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle, in response to determining that the temperature of the charging handle exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature.