A charging early warning and runaway protection device and protection method for electric vehicles

Abstract

This invention discloses an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device and method, including a charging control box installed in the charging circuit between the charging pile and the vehicle's charging port; the control box is equipped with three color indicator lights to indicate the corresponding states of thermal runaway; the control box acquires in real time the charging capacity of the electric vehicle during fast charging, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the battery's SOC, and also acquires in real time parameters such as the output power and temperature of the charging pile and the charging interface temperature during fast charging; the illumination state of the three color indicator lights is controlled according to the monitored parameters. The advantages of this invention are: it can monitor the status of the electric vehicle and the charging pile during charging, and will issue an alarm to remind the operator when an abnormality occurs. This device can also isolate the chain reaction of spontaneous combustion of the electric vehicle or charging pile on other equipment, intelligently solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electric vehicle charging safety monitoring, and in particular to a method and device for early warning and protection against runaway during charging. Background Technology

[0002] As the market share of electric vehicles increases, the demand for electric vehicle charging is also growing. During the charging process, due to internal short circuits, external short circuits, overcharging, over-discharging, and other reasons, a large amount of heat is generated, leading to battery thermal runaway and frequent accidents that cause electric vehicles to explode. Therefore, the safety of electric vehicles and charging stations during the charging process has attracted great attention from all sectors.

[0003] The current national standard charging process includes: physical connection, low-voltage auxiliary power-on, charging handshake stage, charging parameter configuration stage, charging stage, and charging end stage. During the charging stage, the vehicle sends a battery charging request message to the charging pile according to the BMS requirements. The charging pile adjusts the charging voltage and current in real time based on the message parameters to ensure normal charging. Simultaneously, the two continuously exchange real-time charging status information, such as charging voltage, charging current, battery level, time elapsed, and equipment temperature, mutually monitoring and controlling each other's status. The entire charging process, apart from the signal interaction between the vehicle and the charging pile, stops charging upon detecting a fault, but lacks other runaway protection measures.

[0004] When a short circuit occurs or the battery temperature exceeds its tolerance limit, the electric vehicle may spontaneously combust immediately. Even before the charging station issues a command, there is a high probability of a complete grid failure, from the vehicle to the charging station and ultimately to the entire power grid. The resulting losses to the charging station and the power grid circuitry are incalculable. Alternatively, a problem with the charging station itself could lead to overheating and a fire during prolonged high-power charging, affecting other electric vehicles and causing even greater losses. Furthermore, if thermal runaway occurs while the charging gun remains connected to the vehicle or the power supply is not severed, it poses a safety risk to rescue efforts and could even increase the overall damage to the charging station. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device and protection method. It can monitor the status of electric vehicles and charging piles during the charging process, and will issue an alarm to remind operators when an abnormality occurs. This device can also isolate the chain effect on other equipment when electric vehicles or charging piles spontaneously combust, and intelligently solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device, comprising a charging control box installed on the charging circuit between the charging pile and the vehicle charging port; the control box is equipped with three color indicator lights to indicate the corresponding state of thermal runaway; the control box acquires in real time the charging capacity of the electric vehicle during fast charging, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the SOC of the battery, and acquires in real time parameters such as the output power and temperature of the charging pile and the charging interface temperature during fast charging; and controls the lighting state of the three color indicator lights according to the parameters acquired by monitoring.

[0007] The control box includes a processor and a cable cutting device; the output of the processor is connected to the cable cutting device to control whether the charging circuit cable for charging the vehicle is cut off.

[0008] A red, yellow, and green indicator light is installed on the control box. The processor inside the control box determines the current safety status of the charging process based on the data obtained from monitoring, and illuminates one of the red, yellow, or green indicator lights corresponding to the safety status to issue an alarm indication.

[0009] When the processor determines that the current charging is in a normal state, the drive indicator light is lit in green; when it determines that it is in a warning state, the drive indicator light is lit in yellow; when it determines that it is in a thermal runaway abnormal state, the control indicator light is lit in red.

[0010] The protection device also includes a heat dissipation module installed inside the charging pile. The processor of the control box outputs a control signal to the heat dissipation module to control the heat dissipation module to start heat dissipation when the indicator light is in the warning state.

[0011] The control box panel is equipped with a power switch button and a manual cut-off button; the power switch button is used to control whether the control box is powered on; the output of the manual cut-off button is connected to the processor, and the processor controls the working state of the cable cutting device according to the state of the manual switch button.

[0012] The processor of the control box is connected to the CAN network of the charging vehicle via a CAN signal, and is used to issue a cooling command to the charging vehicle in the early warning state to activate the battery cooling system of the charging vehicle.

[0013] The output of the processor in the control box is connected to the controller of the charging pile or the controller of the charging station where the charging pile is located. It is used to upload charging abnormal signals so as to control the charging of the charging pile or the entire charging station and the connection with the power grid based on the abnormal signals.

[0014] A protection method for an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device includes: a control box acquiring in real time the charging capacity of the electric vehicle during fast charging, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery; acquiring in real time parameters such as the output power and temperature of the charging pile and the charging interface temperature during fast charging; and performing the following protection control based on the acquired parameters:

[0015] When the signal interaction is normal, the indicator light on the drive control box will be green. If the highest temperature of the electric vehicle battery module group or the internal temperature of the charging pile is detected to exceed the set temperature range, the fan of the charging pile will be started to cool the charging pile or the battery cooling system of the electric vehicle will be started to cool the electric vehicle battery module group. During this process, the indicator light on the control box will be yellow. If the output current of the charging pile is detected to be greater than the current required by the electric vehicle, or if the temperature of the charging interface is abnormal, the indicator light on the control box will be red, an alarm will sound, and the cable will be automatically cut off immediately.

[0016] When all parameters are operating normally within the set working range, i.e., the charging pile temperature ≤ A1, the vehicle battery temperature < B1, the charging interface temperature ≤ C1, and the vehicle charging current < the vehicle demand current, the warning control box indicator light will be green.

[0017] When the parameters are within the set warning temperature range, the control box indicator light turns yellow and the warning protection function is activated. Specifically, when A1 < charging pile temperature < A2, the control box issues a fan start command to the charging pile, and the fan runs to cool the charging pile. When B1 ≤ vehicle battery temperature ≤ B2, the control box issues a battery cooling system start command to the vehicle, and the coolant circulates to cool the battery. When the charging pile temperature or battery temperature drops to within the thresholds A1 and B1, the control box indicator light changes from yellow to green.

[0018] When the parameters exceed the set boundary conditions, i.e., the charging pile temperature ≥ A2, the vehicle battery temperature > B2, the charging interface temperature ≥ C1, or the vehicle charging current > the vehicle's required current, the control box indicator light will turn red, an alarm sound will be emitted, and the automatic cut-off device will be activated immediately to disconnect the connection between the vehicle and the charging pile.

[0019] The advantages of this invention are: it can monitor the status of the electric vehicle and charging station during the charging process, and will issue an alarm to remind the operator when an abnormality occurs. This device can also isolate the chain reaction of spontaneous combustion of the electric vehicle or charging station on other equipment, intelligently solving the problems mentioned in the background art. When the charging process goes out of control, it will immediately and automatically cut off the charging cable to block the transfer of electrical energy and prevent the situation from deteriorating. A control box is added to the charging cable, with a preset normal working range. When the working range is exceeded, the operator will be notified through indicator lights or alarm sounds, resulting in fast response, low cost, and easy operation; ensuring the safety of the charging process and reducing losses in the event of a risk. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating an electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a connection diagram of an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the control panel of an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 The working principle of an electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection device provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0025] Attached reference numerals: 1-Electric vehicle, 2-Charging pile, 3-220V power supply, 4-Control box, 5-Charging cable connection inlet, 6-Charging cable connection outlet, 7-Charging interface, 8-Control box processor, 9-Air pump, 10-Charging cable inlet sleeve, 11-Charging cable outlet sleeve. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.

[0027] Compared to existing charging early warning and runaway protection schemes, this embodiment adds a dedicated control box to monitor charging runaway. It can disconnect charging, disconnect the charging pile, or disconnect the charging station based on the monitoring status. This avoids the drawback of a charging runaway caused by a vehicle charging at a single charging pile potentially spreading to other vehicles charging at the same charging pile or even the power grid, thus preventing the escalation of the accident. Therefore, a dedicated control box is used to implement charging runaway control. The specific scheme is as follows:

[0028] like Figure 2 , 3Figure 4 shows a structural diagram and installation connection diagram of the charging box. The electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection device includes a charging control box installed on the charging circuit between the charging pile and the vehicle charging port. Each charging pile has a control box on its charging gun circuit, which controls the charging circuit. The charging box has a charging cable connection inlet and a charging cable connection outlet. The charging cable of the charging pile is connected to the charging cable connection inlet, and then passes through the inside of the charging box before being led out by the charging cable connection outlet. At the end of the cable is a charging gun for connecting to the charging port of the vehicle to be charged.

[0029] The control box is equipped with three color indicator lights to indicate the corresponding state of thermal runaway; the control box acquires in real time the charging power of the electric vehicle during the fast charging process, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the SOC of the battery, and acquires in real time the output power, temperature, and charging interface temperature of the charging pile during the fast charging process; and controls the lighting status of the three color indicator lights according to the parameters acquired by monitoring.

[0030] The control box includes a processor and a cable cutting device. The processor's output is connected to the cable cutting device to control whether the charging circuit cable for vehicle charging is cut. The cable cutting device includes an air pump, a charging cable inlet sleeve, and a charging cable outlet sleeve, used to control the cutting of the charging cable. The air pump, powered by an electric motor, continuously compresses air, generating pressure that acts on the charging cable sleeve to cut the connected charging cables. The charging cables are directly connected, meaning each signal within the control box is independent and transmitted separately. After the cable is cut, power transmission stops. Disconnecting the air pump and reinserting the charging cable restores charging functionality. Therefore, the device does not damage the wiring harness and can be reused.

[0031] A three-color indicator light (red, yellow, and green) is installed on the control box. The processor inside the control box determines the current safety status of the charging process based on monitoring data and illuminates one of the corresponding red, yellow, or green indicator lights to issue an alarm. Different indicator light colors are used to provide alerts based on whether the charging status is normal or abnormal, and to indicate the specific state in case of an abnormality. Specifically:

[0032] When the processor determines that the current charging is in a normal state, the drive indicator light is green; when it determines that it is in a warning state, the drive indicator light is yellow; when it determines that it is in a thermal runaway abnormal state, the control indicator light is red.

[0033] To achieve safety protection and control under different charging states, the protection device in this embodiment also includes a heat dissipation module installed inside the charging pile. The processor of the control box outputs a control signal to the heat dissipation module to control it to start cooling when the indicator light is in a warning state. That is, when it is determined that the charging is in a warning state, the yellow indicator light is illuminated and the heat dissipation module is activated simultaneously. The heat dissipation module includes, but is not limited to, cooling fans, water cooling, and other cooling systems installed in the charging pile, as well as cooling systems installed inside the vehicle. It controls the cooling of the battery, motor, etc., inside the vehicle by calling the vehicle's cooling system. To enable the operation of calling and controlling the vehicle's cooling system, the processor of the control box is connected to the CAN network of the charging vehicle via a CAN signal to issue a cooling command to the charging vehicle to activate the charging vehicle's battery cooling system when the warning state is activated.

[0034] In this embodiment, a power switch button and a manual cut-off button are provided on the control box panel. The power switch button controls whether the control box is powered on. The output of the manual cut-off button is connected to a processor, which controls the working state of the cable cutting device according to the state of the manual switch button. The power switch button controls the power supply to the processor and other components inside the charging box. The control box is equipped with a charging port to supply power to the control box. The manual cut-off switch mainly provides a basis for manual control by the user. When a fault occurs, the user can adjust and control whether to cut off the charging circuit according to their own judgment, realizing the user's initiative in control.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the output of the processor in the control box is connected to the controller of the charging pile or the controller of the charging station where the charging pile is located. This is used to upload a charging anomaly signal to control the charging of the charging pile or the entire charging station and its connection to the power grid based on the anomaly signal. When the processor in the control box determines that an anomaly is currently occurring, it first illuminates an indicator light in red and simultaneously controls a wire disconnection device to disconnect the charging circuit cable, thus interrupting the charging process. Simultaneously, the processor sends a request to the controller of the charging pile or charging station to disconnect the high-voltage power supply to the abnormal charging pile, putting the charging pile in a power-off and non-operating state. This provides a basis for subsequent rescue operations and avoids the safety hazards of rescuing a charging pile while it is energized. Furthermore, it monitors the temperature data of other charging piles in the charging station in real time and determines whether the thermal runaway of this charging pile has spread to other charging piles based on the temperature data of other charging piles. If the temperature of other charging piles rises to a certain value within a set time range, it is determined that the thermal runaway has spread to other charging piles. At this time, the controller of the charging station or the processor of the control box sends a request signal to the controller of the charging station. At this time, the entire charging station is controlled to disconnect from the high-voltage mains power, thereby ensuring the safety of the entire charging station, avoiding the safety hazards caused by rescuing while the power is energized, and also preventing the impact of the charging station failure on the power grid.

[0036] like Figure 1-4 As shown in this embodiment, a method and device for electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection are disclosed. This method can monitor the status of the electric vehicle and the charging pile during the charging process. When an abnormality occurs, an alarm will be issued to remind the operator. This device can also isolate the chain effect on other equipment when the electric vehicle or the charging pile spontaneously combusts, thus intelligently solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0037] A method for electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection includes the following steps: The control box acquires in real time the charging capacity of the electric vehicle during fast charging, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the SOC of the battery; it also acquires in real time parameters such as the output power and temperature of the charging pile and the charging interface temperature during fast charging. When the signal interaction is normal, the control box indicator light is green; if the highest temperature of the electric vehicle battery module group or the internal temperature of the charging pile is detected to exceed the set temperature range, the charging pile fan is activated to cool the charging pile or the electric vehicle battery cooling system is activated to cool the electric vehicle battery module group; during this process, the control box indicator light is yellow; if the output current of the charging pile is detected to be greater than the electric vehicle's required current, or the charging interface temperature is abnormal, the control box indicator light is red, an alarm sounds, and the cable is immediately and automatically cut off to prevent further deterioration.

[0038] This invention provides a device for electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection, comprising a control box, a power cord, a charging cable connection inlet, and a charging cable connection outlet. The control box is located on the cable between the charging pile and the electric vehicle, and is an independent unit, with the cable passing through it. The control box is powered by an external 220V power input or its own battery. The entire control device is started and stopped via a power input switch, and the charging status of the electric vehicle is indicated by indicator lights. The CAN signal connection line inside the control box is isolated, and parameter data from both ends of the vehicle and the charging pile are collected in real time at a frequency of 1Hz. The control box contains a cable cutting device; when the charging indicator light is red, this device is immediately activated to cut the cable, or the cable can be cut manually via a button on the control panel.

[0039] The control panel features a power switch, a power input socket, three charging signal indicator lights (red, yellow, and green), and a manual cut-off button. The charging pile cable connection inlet and outlet are located on either side of the control panel. During charging, the charging status is determined by collecting CAN signal data from both ends of the charging pile. When the indicator light is green, it indicates that all parameters are operating normally within the working range. When the indicator light is yellow, it indicates that the internal temperature of the charging pile is within the warning range. At this time, the control panel processor will send a command to the charging pile fan controller to rotate the fan to cool the charging pile. Alternatively, if the vehicle battery temperature is within the warning range, the control panel processor will send a command to the vehicle battery cooling system to circulate cooling for the battery. When the indicator light is red, it indicates that the charging process parameters are out of control. At this time, the control panel automatically activates the cable cut-off device and emits a continuous alarm sound. Personnel can also manually cut the cable using the cut-off button on the control panel to stop the power supply and prevent accidents.

[0040] To address the problems existing in the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for early warning and runaway protection of electric vehicles.

[0041] For the working principle of this method, please refer to... Figure 1 Specifically, the process involves first connecting the warning device, inserting the charging gun, and starting charging. During the charging process, the charging demand information of the electric vehicle, charging voltage and current, the temperatures of various battery modules, the voltage and current output by the charging pile, the temperature of the charging pile, and the temperature of the charging interface are monitored in real time. The parameters are then analyzed to assess the safety of the charging process.

[0042] (1) When all parameters are operating normally within the set working range, specifically when the charging pile temperature is ≤A1, the vehicle battery temperature is <B1, the charging interface temperature is ≤C1, the vehicle charging current is <the vehicle demand current, the warning control box indicator light is green.

[0043] (2) When the relevant parameters are within the set warning temperature range, the control box indicator light will turn yellow and the warning protection function will be activated. Specifically, when A1 < charging pile temperature < A2, the control box will issue a fan start command to the charging pile, and the fan will run to cool the charging pile; when B1 ≤ vehicle battery temperature ≤ B2, the control box will issue a battery cooling system start command to the vehicle, and the coolant will circulate to cool the battery. When the charging pile temperature or battery temperature drops to the temperature range of step (1), the control box indicator light will change from yellow to green, and the status of each charging parameter will be monitored repeatedly.

[0044] (3) When the parameters exceed the set boundary conditions, specifically when the charging pile temperature is ≥A2, the vehicle battery temperature is >B2, the charging interface temperature is ≥C1, the vehicle charging current is > the vehicle demand current, the control box indicator light turns red, an alarm sound is emitted, and the automatic cut-off device is immediately activated to disconnect the connection between the vehicle and the charging pile.

[0045] Temperature thresholds A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1 are all pre-calibrated and can be set according to the temperature tolerance parameters of charging stations, vehicles, etc.

[0046] A schematic diagram of a device for early warning and runaway protection of an electric vehicle, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the control box 4 has charging cable inlets 5 connecting to the charging pile 2 and charging cable outlets 6 connecting to the electric vehicle 1. This device also requires a 220V external power supply 3 to provide power for monitoring parameters and issuing commands. The control panel of this device is shown below. Figure 3 As shown, it has an external power socket, an external power switch, a manual disconnect switch, and a charging signal indicator. The external power socket connects to the external input power supply 3. After connection, the control switch next to it needs to be turned on. This switch is also part of the safety protection during the charging process. When the control switch is closed, charging is disconnected; when the control switch is closed, charging starts. The manual disconnect switch is used when the indicator light signal is red, indicating that the control box has not automatically disconnected the connection between the charging station and the vehicle. At this time, the charging cable can be manually disconnected. The charging signal indicator shows the charging status: green indicates normal operation, yellow indicates that the charging station or battery temperature is slightly high, but there is no immediate risk, and red indicates abnormal operation, accompanied by an alarm sound, alerting the operator.

[0047] The working principle of an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the control box independently connects the CAN high and CAN low loops on the charging cable to monitor the charging pile temperature, charging voltage, current, battery module temperature, and battery SOC in real time during the charging process, and sends each parameter value to the control box. The control box processor analyzes and judges the safety of the charging process. If there is no problem, monitoring continues; if the signal value is in the warning range, it sends a command to the charging pile motor controller or the vehicle battery cooling system to make the motor or cooling system work in a cycle to cool it down; if the signal value is in the out-of-control range, it directly disconnects the connection between the charging pile and the vehicle and cuts off the external power connection of the control box.

[0048] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described methods. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging early warning and runaway protection device, characterized in that: The system includes a charging control box installed on the charging circuit between the charging pile and the vehicle charging port; the control box is equipped with three color indicator lights to indicate the corresponding state of thermal runaway; the control box acquires in real time the charging power of the electric vehicle during the fast charging process, the temperature sequence of each battery module under dynamic power, and the SOC of the battery, and acquires in real time the output power and temperature of the charging pile and the temperature of the charging interface during the fast charging process; and controls the lighting state of the three color indicator lights according to the parameters acquired by monitoring. The output of the processor in the control box is connected to the controller of the charging pile or the controller of the charging station where the charging pile is located, and is used to upload charging abnormal signals so as to control the charging of the charging pile or the entire charging station and the connection with the power grid based on the abnormal signals. When the signal interaction is normal, the indicator light on the drive control box will be green. If the highest temperature of the electric vehicle battery module group or the internal temperature of the charging pile is detected to exceed the set temperature range, the fan of the charging pile will be started to cool the charging pile or the battery cooling system of the electric vehicle will be started to cool the electric vehicle battery module group. During this process, the indicator light on the control box will be yellow. If the output current of the charging pile is detected to be greater than the current required by the electric vehicle, or if the temperature of the charging interface is abnormal, the indicator light on the control box will be red, an alarm will sound, and the cable will be automatically cut off immediately.

2. The electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control box includes a processor and a cable cutting device; the output of the processor is connected to the cable cutting device to control whether the charging circuit cable for charging the vehicle is cut off.

3. An electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control box panel is equipped with a power switch button and a manual cut-off button; the power switch button is used to control whether the control box is powered on; the output of the manual cut-off button is connected to the processor, and the processor controls the working state of the cable cutting device according to the state of the manual switch button.

4. An electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processor of the control box is connected to the CAN network of the charging vehicle via a CAN signal, and is used to issue a cooling command to the charging vehicle in the early warning state to activate the battery cooling system of the charging vehicle.

5. A protection method for an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device, characterized in that: The method is applied to an electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device as described in any one of claims 1-4.

6. The protection method of the electric vehicle charging early warning runaway protection device as described in claim 5, characterized in that: When all parameters are operating normally within the set working range, i.e., charging pile temperature ≤ A1, vehicle battery temperature < B1, charging interface temperature ≤ C1, and vehicle charging current < vehicle demand current, the control box indicator light will be green. When the parameters are within the set warning temperature range, the control box indicator light turns yellow and the warning protection function is activated. Specifically, when A1 < charging pile temperature < A2, the control box issues a fan start command to the charging pile, and the fan runs to cool the charging pile. When B1 ≤ vehicle battery temperature ≤ B2, the control box issues a battery cooling system start command to the vehicle, and the coolant circulates to cool the battery. When the charging pile temperature or battery temperature drops to within the thresholds A1 and B1, the control box indicator light changes from yellow to green. When the parameters exceed the set boundary conditions, i.e., the charging pile temperature ≥ A2, the vehicle battery temperature > B2, the charging interface temperature ≥ C1, or the vehicle charging current > the vehicle's required current, the control box indicator light will turn red, an alarm sound will be emitted, and the cable cutting device will be activated immediately to disconnect the connection between the vehicle and the charging pile.

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