Charging service vehicles and methods using modular batteries

• US 8,963,481 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engie Storage Services NA LLC (ENGIE SA)
• Original Assignee: Green Charge Networks LLC (ENGIE SA)
• Inventors: Prosser, Ronald D., Taddeo, Stephen R., Israel, Stephen P., Allendorph, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, NGHIA M
• Application Number:
  US13/480,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 320103-104, 320/109, 320/112, 320/116
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• 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 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

Charging service vehicles and methods using modular batteries are disclosed. The service vehicles are vehicles having electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment, and removably mounted battery modules or battery module connection points. The battery modules are connected to the EV charging equipment as a source of electrical energy. Some embodiments disclose integrating the EV charging equipment with the vehicle, recharging modules through a distribution grid connection, the manner of discharging the batteries, modes of connecting and disconnecting the modules, the size and weight of the modules, quick-disconnectability of modules, control and monitoring of the modules and charging equipment, and/or ways of connecting modules to the vehicle. These features are beneficial to efficiently keep service vehicles available for EV charging through exchanging battery modules or providing additional battery modules when necessary, and may keep operators safe through de-energization of connectors and other precautions inherent in these designs.

Claims

1. A service vehicle comprising:

a vehicle;

electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment transported by the vehicle;

two or more battery modules removably mounted to the vehicle, the battery modules electrically connected to the EV charging equipment as a source of electrical energy for the EV charging equipment, wherein the EV charging equipment is configured to provide charge to an EV from the battery modules;

wherein the EV charging equipment is configured to sequentially draw energy from each of the two or more battery modules, wherein energy is drawn from battery modules having a lower state of charge before energy is drawn from battery modules having a higher state of charge.

2. The service vehicle of claim 1, wherein the EV charging equipment is integrated with or affixed to a body portion of the vehicle.

3. The service vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a grid connection port electrically connected to the two or more battery modules, wherein the two or more battery modules are chargeable by an electrical utility distribution grid when the distribution grid is connected to the grid connection port.

4. The service vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a switch connecting at least one of the two or more battery modules to the EV charging equipment, wherein at least one of the two or more battery modules is connected or disconnected from the EV charging equipment by toggling the switch.

5. The service vehicle of claim 4, further comprising:

an onboard controller device enabled to electronically toggle the switch.

6. The service vehicle of claim 5, the onboard controller device comprising a user interface, wherein the electronic toggle is performed via the user interface.

7. The service vehicle of claim 5, wherein the electronic toggle is overridable by a manual override switch.

8. The service vehicle of claim 1, wherein the two or more battery modules are manually removable and replaceable by a single human operator.

9. The service vehicle of claim 8, wherein the two or more battery modules have a weight less than or equal to a weight defined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) individual lifting recommendations.

10. The service vehicle of claim 8, wherein the two or more battery modules are configured to be lifted by a single human operator.

11. The service vehicle of claim 8, wherein the two or more battery modules each weigh 42 pounds or less.

12. The service vehicle of claim 8, wherein the two or more battery modules are quick-disconnectable such that power lines to the two or more battery modules are de-energized or disconnected if the two or more battery modules are prepared to be unmounted from the service vehicle.

13. The service vehicle of claim 8, wherein at least one of the two or more battery modules comprises a charging port configured to receive a standard electric vehicle charging plug, wherein the charging plug is configured to recharge the at least one battery module.

14. The service vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

an onboard controller device configured to measure, monitor, and indicate the status of the EV charging equipment and the two or more battery modules.

15. The service vehicle of claim 14, wherein the onboard controller device is further configured to control operation of the EV charging equipment.

16. A method of providing charge to electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment transported by a service vehicle having battery modules while minimizing the frequency of replacement of the battery modules, the method comprising:

determining the state of charge of battery modules connected to provide power to EV charging equipment on a service vehicle; and

sequentially discharging the battery modules to provide charge to an EV using the EV charging equipment, wherein battery modules having a lower state of charge are discharged before discharging battery modules having a higher state of charge.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

removing the depleted battery modules from the service vehicle; and

replacing the depleted battery modules with charged battery modules having a higher state of charge than the depleted battery modules.