Charging station and arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an electrical grid to an electric vehicle

Description

CHARGING STATION AND ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRIC COMPONENTS FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF ELECTRICITY FROM AN ELECTRICAL GRID TO AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE The present invention relates to an arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an electrical grid to an electric vehicle, and it also relates to a charging station including such an arrangement. An electrical installation for recharging electric vehicles is typically organised in a tree structure in which a combination of electric signals (eg. ground, protective earth, and first phase) from an electrical grid is distributed to a number of charging stations. The electrical installation is usually provided with: a main electrical safety device, such as a fuse, for interrupting the installation’s supply of electricity if a predefined maximum current is consumed; an arrangement of the charging stations into groups; and an electrical safety device for each group in order to interrupt a group’s supply of electricity if a predefined maximum current is consumed by the group. The electric signals from the electrical grid are distributed from the global electrical safety device to each of the electrical safety devices of the groups, and then to each of the charging stations within each group. Around the world, a number of different combinations of electric signals are seen to be supplied to charging stations. In some cases, different types of earthing system are observed. For example, following the terminology established by the international standard IEC 60364, three families of earthing systems can be observed: Terra-Neutral (TN); Terra-Terra (TT), and Isolated-Terra (IT). In other cases, different types of electric power distribution are used, such as the split-phase type. Yet in other cases, different numbers of electrical phases can be observed. For example, a charging station can have one, two or three electrical phases available at its input terminals, and electric power from any of these can be transmitted to an electric vehicle. Particularly, when more than one electrical phase is available to the charging stations in a group, an inefficient situation can happen due to phase balancing issues. For example, an inefficient situation can be observed when, in a group of charging stations protected by an electrical safety device for interrupting a three-phase power supply of the group at 32 A in any of the phases, two charging stations are each consuming 16 A from the same electrical phase. Alternatively, both charging stations can consume 32 A each but from P28888NO00prio different electrical phases, without causing the electrical safety device to interrupt the supply of electricity. This selection of phases allows doubling the amount of power that is used for recharging electric vehicles. A known approach for improving the phase balance in a group of charging stations is to provide the charging stations with a feature for dynamically selecting the electrical phases being used to recharge an electric vehicle. For example, a charging station having three electrical phases as input can be operated to: in some cases, select one of the three phases and transmit it to the electric vehicle; in others, select the three phases and transmit them directly; or, yet in others, select any combination of two of the input phases and transmit them to the electric vehicle. A control system can be used for monitoring the load distribution (ie. the electric vehicles that are being recharged over time) and issue commands to the charging stations indicating which electrical phases are to be used by each and the maximum power that an electric vehicle may consume from the indicated phases. Thus, the group of charging stations can better adapt to changes in the load distribution and consume power more efficiently than when each charging station is permanently connected to at least one electrical phase of the group. A phase selection feature that is known to operate correctly with one combination of input electrical signals may not be suitable for another combination. The possible combinations of input electrical signals can differ in other ways than the number of electrical phases, as explained above. For example, the two input terminals that are supplied with the third electrical phase are typically different in the earthing systems of the TN and IT types. This difference can result in the wrong phase being transmitted to the electric vehicle, which in turn can result in safety risks, cause damage, or create phase balancing problems. Thus, the safe operability of a phase selection feature is strongly influenced by the combination of input electrical signals. It can be challenging to provide a charging station for electric vehicles that allows phase selection, without knowing in advance which combination of input electrical signals will be available to the charging station. This challenge can be observed in a number of situations. For example, when an electrician is hired to replace a charging station in an electrical installation, it is often only possible for him / her to know which combination of input electric signals will be available for the charging station when he / she is present at the site of the P28888NO00prio electrical installation. Thus, before travelling to the site, the electrician doesn’t know which input signals will be available, and thus doesn’t know which type of charging station to purchase or take to the site. Another example of this challenge happens when an owner of an electrical installation wishes to buy a charging station. Typically, the owner doesn’t have sufficient technical expertise to find out or understand which combination of input signals is available in the electrical installation. Thus, the owner can find him / herself in a situation in which several charging stations have to be bought until one works correctly. In an even worst context, the owner can buy the wrong charging station and cause damage to an electric vehicle. Yet another example of this challenge is observed when a manufacturer of charging stations has to decide which type of charging stations with a phase selection feature is to be manufactured. In this context, it can be difficult to predict which type of charging stations will be sold in the future. In some countries there are different earthing systems being used, and this does not always make it easy to decide based on the intended region of sale. The manufacturer can easily run into a situation where he has decided not to produce a certain type of charging station for which it turns out that there is a demand, or into a situation where several types of charging stations are manufactured in amounts that are wasteful. A further example of this challenge can be seen by a seller when deciding how to acquire or store a stock of charging stations to be sold later. The difficulties observed in this situation are similar to the ones seen by a manufacturer, as it is not possible for the seller to predict with confidence which types and the amounts that will be sold. A known solution for this challenge involves providing one charging station for each possible combination of input electric signals. For example, in the case of the electrician, this involves carrying several charging stations to the electrical installation, and only when at the electrical installation’s site using the one that is appropriate. This solution is simple but can be very expensive and cause a lot of logistical drawbacks, such as having too many charging stations in stock or having too many charging stations being transported between locations. Also, the electrician can make a mistake and connect a charging station that is not the right one for the electrical installation. P28888NO00prio Another known solution is to provide a charging station that can operate with more than one combination of input electrical signals. However, it has been observed that known charging stations of this type are difficult to install. In some cases, the installation requires performing shunt connections between some of the input terminals of the charging station, and this can lead to dangerous situations in the case of a human error. In other situations, it has been observed that the charging stations are voluminous due to the number of electronic components included inside. In terms of volume, the typical difficulty is the presence of a high number of relays, which are components known to occupy a lot of space. Also, a higher number of electronic components makes the charging station more expensive. The present invention will now be disclosed. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an electrical grid (EG) to an electric vehicle (EV), the arrangement comprising: - a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input terminals, each for receiving an electric signal from the EG; - two switching components for controlling two connections between a neutral output terminal connectable to the EV and the first and the second input terminals; and - three switching components for controlling three connections between a first-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals. The arrangement may comprise: - a switching component for controlling a connection between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the third input terminal, and - a switching component for controlling a connection between a third-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the fourth input terminal. P28888NO00prio Also, the arrangement may comprise: - a switching component for controlling a connection between the neutral output terminal and the third input terminal; - a switching component for controlling a connection between the first-phase output terminal and the first input terminal; and - three switching components for controlling three connections between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals. Moreover, the arrangement may comprise: - a switching component for controlling a connection between a third-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the fourth input terminal. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an EG to an EV, the arrangement comprising: - a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input terminals for receiving electric signals from the EG; - three switching components for controlling two connections between a neutral output terminal connectable to the EV and the first, the second, and the third input terminals; - three switching components for controlling three connections between a first-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the first, the second, and the third input terminals; and - tree switching components for controlling three connections between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals. P28888NO00prio In any of the aspects above, the first, the second, and the third input terminals may be connectable to a Terra-Neutral earthing system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a neutral electrical signal; - the second input terminal receives a first-phase electrical signal; and - the third input terminal receives a second-phase electrical signal Also, the fourth input terminal may be connectable to the Terra-Neutral earthing system so that the fourth input terminal receives a third-phase electrical signal. Moreover, in any of the aspects above, the first and the second input terminals may be connectable to any of an Isolated-Terra earthing system or a Terra-Terra earthing system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a first-phase electrical signal; and - the second input terminal receives a second-phase electrical signal. Also, the third input terminal may be connectable to the any of an Isolated-Terra earthing system or a Terra-Terra earthing system, so that the third input terminal receives a third-phase electrical signal. Moreover, in any of the aspects above, the first and the second input terminals may be connectable to a split-phase distribution system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a neutral electrical signal; and - the second input terminal receives one of the two line electrical signals of the split-phase distribution system. The third input terminal may be connectable to the split-phase distribution system, so that the third input terminal receives the remaining line electrical signal of the split-phase distribution system. P28888NO00prio A switching component may be a relay or a contactor. The switching component may also be of a solid-state type, such as a solid-state relay and any other solid-state device that is suitable for switching an electrical connection in a charging station. According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a charging station for recharging an electric vehicle comprising an arrangement of electric components as described in any of previous aspects. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an electric vehicle being recharged by a charging station; Figure 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an arrangement of electric components for single-phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1; Figures 3A and 3B are two schematic views of three arrangement embodiments for single-phase charging consuming electrical power from two different combinations of electrical signals, in which Figure 3A shows the activations of switching components in a TN, 3 phases combination and Figure 3B shows the activations in an IT / TT, 3 lines or a Split-phase 240V combinations; Figure 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an arrangement of electric components for single- or three- phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an arrangement of electric components for dual-phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1; Figures 6A and 6B are two schematic views of three arrangement embodiments for dual-phase charging consuming electrical power from two different combinations of electrical signals, in which Figure 6A shows the activations of switching components for a TN, 3 phases combination and Figure 6B shows the activations for an IT / TT, 3 lines or a Split-phase 240V combinations; P28888NO00prio Figure 7 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an arrangement of electric components for single- or dual- phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1; Figure 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an arrangement of electric components for single-, dual- or three- phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1. Turning now to Figure 1, it shows an electric vehicle 102 being recharged. The electric vehicle 102 (shown on the lower right corner of Figure 1) is supplied with electrical power from a charging station 100 including five output terminals: a ground / protective earth output terminal 24; a neutral output terminal 20; a first-phase output terminal 21; a second-phase output terminal 22; and a third-phase output terminal 23. In practice, the connection between the electric vehicle 102 and the charging station 100 is typically implemented using a multi-conductor cable including a standard connector on each end, such as the Type 1 / SAE J1772 or the Type 2 connectors established in the international standards IEC 62196. Moreover, conductors for transmitting signalling data may also be provided in the connection between the electric vehicle 102 and the charging station 100. These signalling conductors can be used by the charging station 100 to indicate to the electric vehicle 102 which electrical phases and how much current can be consumed. The charging station 100 is part of an electrical installation for recharging electric vehicles, of which only a part of one group of charging stations is shown in Figure 1. The electrical installation in this example is organised as follows: the electrical signals from an electrical grid (not shown) are distributed from a main electrical safety device (not shown) to an electrical safety device 101 (shown on the left-hand side of Figure 1) of the group, and then to each of the charging stations within the group, including the charging station 100 (shown in Figure 1) that is recharging the electric vehicle 102. The charging station 100 receives electrical signals at its input terminals that are distributed by the electrical safety device 101 to the charging stations in the group. The input terminals of the charging station 100 are: a ground / protective earth input terminal 10, a first input terminal 11, a second input terminal 12, a third input terminal 13, and a fourth input terminal 14. The electrical signals transmitted to the charging station 100 P28888NO00prio depend on the electrical signals that the electrical installation receives from the electrical grid. Table 1 shows a number of possible combinations for the electrical signals. Table 1 ground / prosecond tective first input third input fourth input Input terminals input earth input terminal 11 terminal 13 terminal 14 terminal 12 terminal 10 TN, 3 phases PE N L1 L2 L3 TN, 2 phases PE N L1 L2 — TN, 1 phase PE N L1 — — IT / TT, 3 lines PE L1 L2 L3 — IT / TT, 2 lines PE L1 L2 — — Split-phase 240V G W X Y — Split-phase 120V G W X or Y — — Electrical signals in Table 1:  PE: protective earth  G: ground  N, W: neutral  L1, L2, L3: line 1, line 2, line 3 (sometimes, referred to by the ordinal number of its electrical phase: first-phase, second-phase, third-phase)  X, Y: AC Line The internal structure of the charging station 100 is shown in a simplified manner in Figure 1. For example, a direct connection is shown between the ground / protective earth input terminal 10 and the ground / protective earth output terminal 24, but in many cases the ground / protective earth input terminal 10 is also connected to other parts of the charging station 100 for safety purposes. The charging station 100 includes an arrangement 1 of electric components for controlling how the electricity from the first, second, third and fourth input terminals 11, 12, 13, 14 is delivered to the neutral, first-phase, second-phase, and third-phase output terminals 20, 21, 22, 23. The representation of the arrangement 1 inside the charging station 100 is also simplified, as several other components may exist between the arrangement 1 and the input terminals 11, 12, 13, 14 as well as between the arrangement 1 and the output terminals 20, 21, 22, 23. P28888NO00prio The purpose of the arrangement 1 is to provide a phase selection feature for the charging station 1. For example, in single phase charging, the arrangement 1 can be instructed to select a certain electrical phase and then it connects the appropriate pair of input terminals to the neutral 20 and first-phase 21 output terminals. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the arrangement 1 of electric components. The arrangement 1 includes a first 11, a second 12, a third 13, and a fourth 14 input terminals for receiving electrical signals, two switching components 211, 221 for controlling which of the input electrical signals is transmitted to a neutral output terminal 20, and three switching components 222, 232, 242 for controlling which of the input electrical signals is transmitted to a first-phase output terminal 21. The arrangement 1 also includes two output terminals 22, 23 that are not being used. In total, the arrangement 1 includes five switching components. The latter can be implemented with relays, contactors, or any other electric component that allows switching an electrical connection. The two switching components 211, 221 connected to the neutral output terminal 20 allow connecting the latter with the first 11 and the second 12 input terminals. Also, the three switching components 211, 221 connected to the first-phase output terminal 20 allow connecting the latter with the second 12, the third 13, and the fourth 14 input terminals (the connections between input terminals and switching components can be observed in the upper part of Figure 2). The low number of switching components, such as relays and contactors, achieves a lower heat loss. Moreover, since only a few switching components are used, the physical paths in the internal electronic circuit of the arrangement 1 are also shorter, which results in lower heat losses as well. Thus, a low amount of heat is generated, and the arrangement 1 can be implemented without requiring any fan or similar cooling devices. For any of the combinations of electrical signals shown in Table 1, the arrangement 1 can select one of the electrical phases at the input terminals 11, 12, 13, 14 to be transmitted between the neutral output terminal 20 and the first-phase output terminal 21. The arrangement 1 is thus very adaptable for single-phase charging. P28888NO00prio Figures 3A and 3B both show three instances of the arrangement 1 embodiment in Figure 2, each arrangement 301, 302, 303 being part of a different charging station and each transmitting a different electrical phase to the output terminals of the respective charging station. The switching components that are activated are shown in the two Figures with a direct line in their interior. The main difference between the two figures is the combination of input electrical signals: in Figure 3A, the TN, 3 phases combination (see Table 1) is used; and in Figure 3B either the IT / TT, 3 lines or the Split-phase 240V combination (see Table 1) is used. In Figure 3A, the three arrangements 301, 302, 303 are all establishing the following connection: the first input terminal 11, which is receiving a neutral electrical signal, is connected by a switching component 211 to the neutral output terminal 20. However, the connection established with the first-phase output terminal 21 varies along the arrangements 301, 302, 303. In the first arrangement 301, in which the first electrical phase is selected, the second input terminal 12 is receiving a first-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 222 to the first-phase output terminal 21. In the second arrangement 302, in which the second electrical phase is selected, the third input terminal 13 is receiving a second-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 232 to the first-phase output terminal 21. And in the third arrangement 303, in which the third electrical phase is selected, the fourth input terminal 14 is receiving a third-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 242 to the first-phase output terminal 21. The chosen activations of the switching components 211, 221, 222, 232, 242 for achieving the connections in Figure 3A are suitable for a TN, 3 phases combination (see Table 1). However, this choice of switching components would not work in an IT / TT, 3 lines or a Split-phase 240V combination because the input electrical signals are different. In these latter two cases, the fourth input terminal 14 is not supplied with any electrical signal. Thus, different activations of the switching components in the arrangement 1 need to be chosen. In Figure 3B, each of the arrangements 301, 302, 303 has one switching component that is not connected to any input terminal (ie. the one on the right end of each arrangement). This representation serves only to illustrate that this switching component is not used, however it could be connected to the fourth input terminal 14, and this would not be P28888NO00prio problematic because this switching component is not activated in the IT / TT, 3 lines or the Split-phase 240V combinations. The first two arrangements 301, 302 are both establishing the following connection: the first input terminal 11, which is receiving a line 1 signal, is connected by a switching component 211 to the neutral output terminal 20. However, the connection established with the first-phase output terminal 21 varies along the two arrangements 301, 302. In the first arrangement 301, in which a first electrical phase is selected, the second input terminal 12 is receiving a line 2 electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 222 to the first-phase output terminal 21. In the second arrangement 302, in which a second electrical phase is selected, the third input terminal 13 is receiving a line 3 electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 232 to the first-phase output terminal 21. Moreover, in the third arrangement 303, in which a third electrical phase is selected, the following connections are established: the second input terminal 11, which is receiving the line 2 electrical signal, is connected by a switching component 221 to the neutral output terminal 20, and the third input terminal 13, which is receiving the line 3 electrical signal, is connected by a switching component 232 to the first-phase output terminal 21. Therefore, the arrangement 1 in Figure 2, including five switching components 211, 221, 222, 232, 242 can select each of the input electrical phases for single phase charging, in any of the following combinations of input electrical signals (see Table 1): TN, 3 phases; IT / TT, 3 lines; and Split-phase 240V. Moreover, the selection of any of the two electrical phases supplied in a TN, 2 phases combination (see Table 1) is also possible with the arrangement 1 shown in Figure 2, for example by activating the switching components as shown for the first two arrangements 301, 302 in Figures 3A and 3B. Furthermore, the arrangement 1 is also compatible with the following single-phase combinations (see Table 1): TN, 1 phase; IT / TT, 2 lines; and Split-phase 120V. Figure 4 shows an arrangement 1 embodiment similar to the one shown in Figure 2, additionally including two switching components 233, 244 for connecting the third 13 and fourth 14 input terminals to the second 22 and third 23 phase output terminals, respectively. P28888NO00prio The arrangement 1 includes seven switching components 211, 221, 222, 232, 242, 233, 244, in total, and can achieve the adaptability in the selection of the electrical phase for single-phase charging, as explained above for Figures 2, 3A and 3B, as well as achieve a selection of electrical phases for three-phase charging. The arrangement 1 can also achieve dual-phase charging, but only for phase selections and combinations of input signals (see Table 1) in which the second-phase output terminal 22 is to be connected with the third input terminal 13 by a switching component 233. In practice, it has been observed that the arrangement 1 in Figure 4 also achieves a low heat generation, and the arrangement 1 can be implemented without requiring any fan or similar cooling devices. Figure 5 shows an arrangement 1 of electric components for dual-phase charging of the electric vehicle 102 in Figure 1. In dual-phase charging, the electric vehicle 102 consumes two electrical phases: one is consumed between the neutral output terminal 20 and the first-phase output terminal 21; the other is consumed between the neutral output terminal 20 and the second-phase output terminal 22. The arrangement 1 includes three switching components 211, 221, 231 for controlling which of the input electrical signals is transmitted to the neutral output terminal 20, three switching components 212, 222, 232 for controlling which of the input electrical signals is transmitted to the first-phase output terminal 21, and three switching components 223, 233, 243 for controlling which of the input electrical signals is transmitted to the second-phase output terminal 22. The arrangement 1 also includes a third-phase output terminal 23 that is not being used. In total, the arrangement 1 includes nine switching components. The three switching components 211, 221, 231 connected to the neutral output terminal 20 allow connecting the latter with the first 11, the second 12, and the third 13 input terminals. Also, the three switching components 212, 222, 232 connected to the first-phase output terminal 21 allow connecting the latter with the first 11, the second 12, and the third 13 input terminals. Moreover, the three switching components 223, 233, 243 connected to the second-phase P28888NO00prio output terminal 22 allow connecting the latter with the second 12, the third 13, and the fourth 14 input terminals (the connections between input terminals and switching components can be observed in the upper part of Figure 5). For any of the combinations of electrical signals shown in Table 1 that include at least two electrical phases, the arrangement 1 can select two electrical phases at the input terminals 11, 12, 13, 14 to be transmitted between the neutral output terminal 20 and the first-phase output terminal 21, and between the neutral output terminal 20 and the second-phase output terminal 22. The arrangement 1 is thus very adaptable for dual-phase charging. Figures 6A and 6B follow a similar illustration to the one shown in Figures 3A and 3B for the arrangement 1 in Figure 2. That is, three instances of the arrangement 1 embodiment in Figure 5 are shown, each arrangement 601, 602, 603 being part of a different charging station and each transmitting a different pair of electrical phases to the output terminals of the respective charging station. The switching components that are activated are shown in the two Figures with a direct line in their interior. In order to simplify the drawings, Figures 6A and 6B only show the switching components that are activated in each arrangement. Also, the main difference between the two figures is the combination of input electrical signals: in Figure 6A, the TN, 3 phases combination (see Table 1) is used; and in Figure 6B either the IT / TT, 3 lines or the Split-phase 240V combination (see Table 1) is used. In Figure 6A, the three arrangements 601, 602, 603 are all establishing the following connection: the first input terminal 11, which is receiving a neutral electrical signal, is connected by a switching component 211 to the neutral output terminal 20. However, the connections established with the first-phase output terminal 21 and the second-phase output terminal 22 varies along the arrangements 601, 602, 603. The connections of switching components and the input terminals can be observed in the upper half of Figure 6A as follows. In the first arrangement 601, in which the first and second electrical phases are selected, the second input terminal 12 is receiving a first-phase electrical signal, and it is connected P28888NO00prio by a switching component 222 to the first-phase output terminal 21, and the third input terminal 13 is receiving a second-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 233 to the second-phase output terminal 22. In the second arrangement 602, in which the first and third electrical phases are selected, the second input terminal 12 is also receiving the first-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 222 to the first-phase output terminal 21, but the fourth input terminal 14 is receiving a third-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 243 to the second-phase output terminal 22. And in the third arrangement 603, in which the second and third electrical phases are selected, the third input terminal 13 is receiving a second-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 232 to the first-phase output terminal 21, and the fourth input terminal 14 is receiving the third-phase electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 243 to the second-phase output terminal 22. The chosen activations of the switching components 211, 221, 231, 212, 222, 232, 223, 233, 243 for achieving the connections in Figure 6A are suitable for a TN, 3 phases combination (see Table 1). However, this choice of switching components would not work in an IT / TT, 3 lines or a Split-phase 240V combination because the input electrical signals are different. In these latter two cases, the fourth input terminal 14 is not supplied with any electrical signal. Thus, different activations of the switching components in the arrangement 1 need to be chosen. The connections of switching components and the input terminals can be observed in the upper half of Figure 6B as follows. In the first arrangement 601, in which a first and a second electrical phases are selected, the first input terminal 11 is receiving a line 1 electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 211 to the neutral output terminal 20; the second input terminal 12 is receiving a line 2 electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 222 to the first-phase output terminal 21; and the third input terminal 13 is receiving a line 3 electrical signal, and it is connected by a switching component 233 to the second-phase output terminal 22. P28888NO00prio In the second arrangement 602, in which the first and a third electrical phases are selected, the second input terminal 12 receiving the line 2 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 221 to the neutral output terminal 20; the first input terminal 11 receiving the line 1 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 212 to the first-phase output terminal 21; and the third input terminal 13 is receiving the line 3 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 233 to the second-phase output terminal 22. And in the third arrangement 603, in which the second and the third electrical phases are selected, the third input terminal 13 receiving the line 3 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 231 to the neutral output terminal 20; the first input terminal 11 receiving the line 1 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 212 to the first-phase output terminal 21; and the second input terminal 12 receiving the line 2 electrical signal is connected by a switching component 223 to the second-phase output terminal 22. Therefore, the arrangement 1 in Figure 5, including nine switching components 211, 221, 231, 212, 222, 232, 223, 233, 243 can select pairs of electrical phases for dual-phase charging, in any of the following combinations of input electrical signals (see Table 1): TN, 3 phases; IT / TT, 3 lines; and Split-phase 240V. Figure 7 shows an arrangement 1 embodiment combining the embodiments shown in Figure 2 and Figure 5. The arrangement 1 allows single- or dual- phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1. In contrast to Figure 5, the arrangement 1 includes an additional switching component 242 for connecting the fourth input terminal 14 to the first-phase output terminal 21. Thus, the arrangement 1 has a total of ten switching components 211, 221, 231, 212, 222, 232, 242, 223, 233, 243. Figure 8 shows an arrangement 1 embodiment combining the embodiments shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5. The arrangement 1 allows single-, dual- or three- phase charging of the electric vehicle in Figure 1. P28888NO00prio In contrast to Figure 7, the arrangement 1 includes an additional switching component 244 for connecting the fourth input terminal 14 to the third-phase output terminal 23. Thus, the arrangement 1 has a total of eleven switching components 211, 221, 231, 212, 222, 232, 242, 223, 233, 243, 244. Embodiments of the invention may have some or all of the following advantages:  Low number of switching components, such as relays or contactors  Lower heat loss in the charging station and lack of need for cooling devices, such as fans  Allows solving the challenge of providing a charging station for electric vehicles that allows phase selection, without knowing in advance which combination of input electrical signals will be available to the charging station  Smaller charging station and cheaper to produce There are several ways of implementing a control system for instructing a group of charging stations about the choice of electrical phase in each one. Generally, the terms used in this description and claims are interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Notwithstanding, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. These terms are not interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or integers. Furthermore, the indefinite article “a” or “an” is interpreted openly as introducing at least one instance of an entity, unless explicitly stated otherwise. An entity introduced by an indefinite article is not excluded from being interpreted as a plurality of the entity. The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or in the following claims, or in the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for obtaining the disclosed results, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof. While the invention has been described in conjunction with the embodiments described above, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art when given this disclosure. Accordingly, the embodiments of the invention set forth P28888NO00prio above are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. P28888NO00prio

Claims

1. An arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an electrical grid (EG) to an electric vehicle (EV), the arrangement comprising: - a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input terminals, each for receiving an electric signal from the EG; - two switching components for controlling two connections between a neutral output terminal connectable to the EV and the first and the second input terminals; and - three switching components for controlling three connections between a first-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, comprising: - a switching component for controlling a connection between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the third input terminal, and - a switching component for controlling a connection between a third-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the fourth input terminal.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, comprising: - a switching component for controlling a connection between the neutral output terminal and the third input terminal; - a switching component for controlling a connection between the first-phase output terminal and the first input terminal; and - three switching components for controlling three connections between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals.

4. Arrangement according to claim 3, comprising: - a switching component for controlling a connection between a third-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the fourth input terminal.

5. An arrangement of electric components for controlling the delivery of electricity from an electrical grid (EG) to an electric vehicle (EV), the arrangement comprising: - a first, a second, a third, and a fourth input terminals for receiving electric signals from the EG; P28888NO00prio - three switching components for controlling two connections between a neutral output terminal connectable to the EV and the first, the second, and the third input terminals; - three switching components for controlling three connections between a first-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the first, the second, and the third input terminals; and - tree switching components for controlling three connections between a second-phase output terminal connectable to the EV and the second, the third, and the fourth input terminals.

6. Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first, the second, and the third input terminals are connectable to a Terra-Neutral earthing system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a neutral electrical signal; - the second input terminal receives a first-phase electrical signal; and - the third input terminal receives a second-phase electrical signal 7. Arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the fourth input terminal is connectable to the Terra-Neutral earthing system so that the fourth input terminal receives a third-phase electrical signal.

8. Arrangement according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the first and the second input terminals are connectable to any of an Isolated-Terra earthing system or a Terra-Terra earthing system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a first-phase electrical signal; and - the second input terminal receives a second-phase electrical signal.

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the third input terminal is connectable to the any of an Isolated-Terra earthing system or a Terra-Terra earthing system, so that the third input terminal receives a third-phase electrical signal.

10. Arrangement according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the first and the second input terminals are connectable to a split-phase distribution system, so that: - the first input terminal receives a neutral electrical signal; and - the second input terminal receives one of the two line electrical signals of the split-phase distribution system. P28888NO00prio 11. Arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the third input terminal is connectable to the split-phase distribution system, so that the third input terminal receives the remaining line electrical signal of the split-phase distribution system.

12. Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a switching component is a relay.

13. Arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the relay is a contactor.

14. A charging station for recharging an electric vehicle comprising an arrangement of electric components as described in any of the preceding claims. P28888NO00prio 1 / 8 Fig.1 14 13 12 11 10 1 23 22 21 20 24 102 1012 / 8 Fig.2 14 13 12 11 1 1 2 20 21 22 23 232 242 13 / 8 Fig.3A Fig.3B 14 13 12 11 211 222 20 21 211 232 20 21 211 242 20 21 14 13 12 11 211 222 20 21 211 232 20 21 20 21 221 232 1 302 303 1 302 3034 / 8 Fig.4 14 13 12 11 1 221 222232242 233 244 23 22 21 20 15 / 8 Fig.5 14 13 12 11 211 23 22 21 20 1 231 212 222 232223 233 243 16 / 8 Fig.6A Fig.6B 211 20 222 2122 233 211 20 222 2122 243 211 20 232 2122 243 601 603 601 602 603 211 20 222 2122 221 20 2122122 233 231 20 2122122 223 233 6027 / 8 Fig.7 23 22 21 20 14 13 12 11 1 1 231 212 222 232242 223 233 243 18 / 8 Fig.8 212 222 232 242 223 233243 23 22 21 20 244 1