Group electric vehicle power supply equipment (EVSE) system

Abstract

An electric vehicle (EV) charging system may include a plurality of charging terminals, each including a charging cable configured to be connected to an electric vehicle. The system may include an electrical equipment component physically separate from the plurality of charging terminals. The assembly may include a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads, each configured to supply power to a respective charging terminal to provide a charging current to an EV connected to a cable of the charging terminal. A main circuit breaker is connectable to the plurality of EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker configured to supply power to the plurality of EVSE loads and to provide fail-safe to the plurality of EVSE loads to provide protection to each charging terminal. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker is at least partially solid state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a group electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) system. Background Art

[0002] A system with multiple electric vehicle chargers may have multiple branch circuits connected to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Each EVSE has logic to control charging, and the charging cable is ultimately electrically connected to each EVSE during charging. Conventional charging stations accessible to the public (e.g., bases or wall mounts) contain expensive electronic components and are therefore susceptible to theft and / or damage because such charging stations are located in unprotected locations.

[0003] Conventional methods and systems are generally considered satisfactory for their intended purposes. However, there is still a need for improvement in the art. The present disclosure provides a solution to meet this need. Summary of the invention

[0004] An electric vehicle (EV) charging system may include a plurality of charging terminals, each charging terminal including a charging cable configured to be connected to an electric vehicle. The system may include an electrical equipment component physically separated from the plurality of charging terminals. The component may include a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads, each EVSE load being configured to supply power to a corresponding charging terminal to provide charging current to an EV connected to a cable of the charging terminal. A main circuit breaker may be connected to the plurality of EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker being configured to supply power to the plurality of EVSE loads and to provide fault protection to the plurality of EVSE loads to provide protection to each charging terminal. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker is at least partially solid-state.

[0005] In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker is a hybrid solid-state mechanical circuit breaker. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker is a solid-state circuit breaker.

[0006] In some embodiments, each charging terminal may include a housing and a terminal block inside the housing that is connected between the corresponding EVSE load and the charging cable. In some embodiments, the terminal block does not include a local protection circuit and is only protected from faults by the corresponding EVSE load and the main circuit breaker in the electrical equipment assembly.

[0007] In some embodiments, the terminal block may include a switch configured to transfer a suitable current from the electrical equipment component to the charging cable. In some embodiments, the switch is a relay and / or a purpose-determining contactor.

[0008] In some embodiments, each charging terminal may not include other circuits or switch components. In some embodiments, each charging terminal may be arranged at an unfixed position.

[0009] In certain embodiments, the electrical equipment assembly may be disposed in a fixed location and / or housing structure.Each charging terminal may be connected to a corresponding EVSE load via a connecting conductor.

[0010] In some embodiments, each EVSE load may be configured to determine when there is a fault between the corresponding EVSE load and the corresponding charging terminal, and configured to close in a fault state. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker may be configured to trip in a fault state, thereby cutting off the current to multiple EVSE loads and clearing the fault state. In some embodiments, each EVSE load may be configured to transmit a fault signal to the main circuit breaker to indicate the fault when in a fault state. The main circuit breaker may be configured to turn on to allow other non-faulty EVSE loads to operate, thereby allowing one or more charging terminals associated with the non-faulty EVSE loads to operate. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker may be configured so that if a fault signal is not received from one or more EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker remains closed to prevent current to all EVSE loads.

[0011] In some embodiments, the fault condition may be a ground fault or an overcurrent exceeding a threshold. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker may be the only circuit breaker for multiple EVSE loads and charging terminals.

[0012] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical equipment component for charging an electric vehicle can be physically separated from a plurality of charging terminals. The component can be or include any suitable embodiment of the electrical equipment component disclosed herein.

[0013] These and other features of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be more readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Therefore, those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will readily understand how to make and use the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure without undue experimentation, embodiments of which will be described in detail below with reference to certain drawings, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system according to the present disclosure; and

[0016] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Reference will now be made to the drawings, in which like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, illustrative views of embodiments of systems according to the present disclosure are shown in FIG. Figure 1 100 and is generally indicated by the reference numeral 100. Figure 2 Other embodiments and / or aspects of the present disclosure are shown in . Certain embodiments may be used to remove expensive components from a charging terminal (e.g., ground fault / short circuit protection circuit) and move them into, for example, a protected area. Any other suitable uses are contemplated herein.

[0018] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electric vehicle (EV) charging system 100 may include a plurality of charging terminals 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d (for clarity, Figure 1 A single charging terminal 101a is shown in the figure, each charging terminal including a charging cable 103 configured to be connected to an electric vehicle. The system 100 may include an electrical equipment component 105 physically separated (e.g., in a separate housing and / or physically spaced apart) from the plurality of charging terminals 101a, b, c, d.

[0019] The assembly 105 may include a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads 107a, b, c, d (e.g., two or more). Each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d may be configured to supply power to a corresponding charging terminal 101a, b, c, d to provide a charging current to an EV connected to a cable 103 of the charging terminal 101a, b, c, d. Each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d may include a relay or contactor circuit (e.g., a PCBA). Each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d may include a charging circuit breaker device (CCID) with any suitable trip threshold (e.g., CCID20 with a 20mA ground fault threshold). Each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d may be configured to provide a control signal (SC) and / or a control pilot (CP) signal. Each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d may include logic to tell when there is an overcurrent or ground fault that exceeds a maximum threshold for the vehicle, output a fault signal in such a fault condition, and shut down in such a fault condition.

[0020] The system 100 may include a main circuit breaker 109 that may be connected to a plurality of EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d (e.g., via a common bus 111), the main circuit breaker being configured to supply power to the plurality of EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d and provide fault protection to the plurality of EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d to provide protection to each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 is at least partially solid-state. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 is a hybrid solid-state mechanical circuit breaker. For example, the main circuit breaker 109 may include hybrid switching technology and may provide current limiting and energy management control.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 is a purely solid-state circuit breaker. Such embodiments may include an additional cooling system to further cool the main circuit breaker 109 and / or associated solid-state circuits. Making the main circuit breaker 109 at least partially solid-state can provide a suitably fast response time (e.g., about 20 ms or less) to each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d at a non-local location to provide the desired protection (e.g., this can eliminate the need to have any expensive electronics in the charging terminals 101a, b, c, d).

[0022] In some embodiments, each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d may include a housing 113 and a junction box 115 within the housing 113 connected between the corresponding EVSE load 107a and the charging cable 103. In some embodiments, the terminal block 111 does not include a local protection circuit and is only protected from faults by the corresponding EVSE load 107A and the main circuit breaker 109 in the electrical equipment assembly 105. For example, in some embodiments, the terminal block 111 may include a switch (not shown) configured to transfer a suitable current from the electrical equipment assembly 105 to the charging cable 103. In some embodiments, the switch (not shown) is a relay and / or a determined purpose (DP) contactor. The response time of such a switch (not shown) may be too slow to provide adequate protection against ground faults or short circuits (e.g., greater than about 20ms). In some embodiments, each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d may not include other circuits or switch components.

[0023] In certain embodiments, for example, Figure 2 As shown, each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d can be set in a non-fixed position 217 (for example, it can be picked up by the EV driver at a parking space for charging via the charging cable 103). In some embodiments, for example, Figure 2 As shown, the electrical equipment assembly 105 can be disposed in a fixed location and / or housing structure 219 (e.g., within a protective housing and / or within a gated location further away from the parking space than each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d). Each charging terminal 101a, b, c, d can be connected to a corresponding EVSE load 107a, b, c, d via a connecting conductor 115 (e.g., buried underground or otherwise protected / hidden). The connecting conductor 115 may include power wiring (e.g., 8 / 2 romex) and / or information / low power carrier (e.g., RJ450 cable).

[0024] In some embodiments, each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d can be configured to determine when there is a fault between the corresponding EVSE load 107a, b, c, d and the corresponding charging terminal 101a, b, c, d (e.g., the EVSE load 107a can determine whether there is a fault at the charging terminal 101a and / or the charging cable / connector), and shut down in the fault state. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 can be configured to trip in the fault state, thereby shutting off the current to the plurality of EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d and clearing the fault state. In some embodiments, each EVSE load 107a, b, c, d can be configured to transmit a fault signal to the main circuit breaker 105 (e.g., if the EVSE load is associated with a fault) to indicate the fault in the fault state (e.g., during or after the fault). For example, if there is a ground fault somewhere on the charging terminal 101a circuit associated with the EVSE load 107a, the EVSE load 107a can determine that a fault has occurred (e.g., before, during, or after the main circuit breaker 109 is tripped). The main circuit breaker 109 can be configured to close to allow other non-faulty EVSE loads (e.g., EVSE loads 107b, c, d in the above example) to operate, thereby allowing one or more charging terminals (charging terminals 101b, c, d in the above example) associated with the non-faulty EVSE loads (e.g., EVSE loads 107b, c, d in the above example) to operate. In some embodiments, the speed at which the main circuit breaker 109 is reclosed depends on the speed at which each EVSE logic module determines whether a fault exists and the disconnection time (e.g., about 50ms in some embodiments).

[0025] In certain embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 may be configured such that if a fault signal is not received from one or more EVSE loads (any one or more of the EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d), the main circuit breaker 109 remains closed to prevent current from flowing to all EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d. In this case, there may be faulty EVSE loads and / or other undetectable problems on one or more branches of the system 100, and the main circuit breaker 109 may remain closed to prevent damage or injury until manually reset by a technician.

[0026] In some embodiments, the fault condition may be a ground fault or an overcurrent exceeding a threshold. In some embodiments, the main circuit breaker 109 may be the only circuit breaker for the plurality of EVSE loads 107a, b, c, d and charging terminals 101a, b, c, d (e.g., Figure 1 and 2 shown).

[0027] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, the electrical equipment assembly 105 for electric vehicle charging may be physically separated from the plurality of charging terminals 101a, b, c, d. For example, the assembly 105 may be or include any suitable embodiment of the electrical equipment assembly 105 described above.

[0028] Embodiments may utilize hybrid solid-state circuit breakers or fully solid-state circuit breakers that, for example, trip faster and communicate well with downstream devices than purely mechanical circuit breakers. In conventional systems, each EVSE load has its own circuit breaker, but certain embodiments may utilize a single at least partially solid-state circuit breaker device to protect multiple EVSE loads. In certain embodiments, there is no separate short circuit protection in the charging terminal (e.g., base or wall mount) and no high-speed contactors that are more expensive than cheaper basic contactors. Embodiments may reduce the cost of the entire charging system and reduce the number of components in unprotected locations, thereby reducing the risk of damage or theft. Embodiments include components that are positioned and selected to be appropriately fast to protect against short circuit / ground faults without the need for expensive circuitry or fast contactors in the charging terminal.

[0029] Certain embodiments may include an architecture for a group EVSE facility with EVSE "panelization" and utilizing technology bricks (hybrid switches) and "total coordination" to optimize system cost. Certain embodiments may include a main breaker (for the entire EVSE group) and electronics for energy management system control and control pilot output / commands to loads, the main breaker may include a hybrid switch and current limiter. Certain embodiments may include a block of EVSE loads (one or more EVSE loads as described above) in a panel with low-cost switches (e.g., relays or DP contactors), load CCID20 detection, proximity circuits, and control pilot outputs.

[0030] Embodiments may include a group EVSE facility architecture including a hybrid switch main breaker that provides group short circuit and ground current disconnect capabilities, monitors group-level energy consumption for group-level energy limits, and provides command signals to EVSE load functional blocks to reduce EV charging rates, and the group EVSE facility architecture also has an EVSE load functional block that provides load-level isolation capabilities, detects load-level faults (short circuit, CCID20 ground current) and requests protection from the group main breaker. Embodiments may also generate EV control pilot outputs based on command signals from the main breaker and manage EV control pilot interactions.

[0031] Embodiments may provide a cost-optimized architecture intentionally designed for multi-EVSE installations. Embodiments may eliminate unnecessary redundancy. Embodiments may avoid the need for many expensive components (e.g., networked EVSE boxes, power meters, network switches) compared to conventional systems.

[0032] Embodiments (e.g., main circuit breakers, EVSE loads) may include any suitable computer hardware and / or software modules to perform any suitable functions (e.g., as disclosed herein). As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented as systems, methods, or computer program products. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a fully hardware embodiment, a fully software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, all of which may be referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system." A "circuit," "module," or "system" may include one or more portions of one or more separate physical hardware and / or software components that may together perform the functions of the disclosed "circuit," "module," or "system," or a "circuit," "module," or "system" may be a single independent unit (e.g., hardware and / or software). In addition, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code contained thereon.

[0033] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media may include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0034] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal having computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that may convey, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0035] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0036] The computer program code for operating various aspects of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and conventional process programming languages ​​(such as "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as an independent software package, partially on the user's computer, partially on a remote computer, or completely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0037] Aspects of the present disclosure may be described above with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that each block of any flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of blocks in any flowchart and / or block diagram, may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that instructions executed by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the function / action specified in one or more boxes of any flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0038] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0039] Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operating steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified herein.

[0040] It is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any numerical value disclosed herein may be an exact value or may be a value within a certain range. In addition, any approximate terms (e.g., "about," "approximately," "approximately") used in the present disclosure may refer to the value within a certain range. For example, in certain embodiments, the range may be within 20% (positive or negative), or 10%, or 5%, or 2%, or any other suitable percentage or number (e.g., for a known tolerance or error range) as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0041] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the articles "a," "an," and "the" used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or more (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical objects of the article. For example, "an element" means one element or a plurality of elements.

[0042] The phrase "and / or" as used in this specification and claims should be understood to mean "either or all" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that exist jointly in some cases and separately in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be interpreted in the same manner, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so connected should be interpreted in the same manner. In addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether or not related to the specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, when used in conjunction with open language such as "comprising", a reference to "A and / or B" may refer to only A (optionally including elements other than B) in one embodiment; to only B (optionally including elements other than A) in another embodiment; to both A and B (optionally including other elements) in another embodiment; and so on.

[0043] As used in this specification and claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" should be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one, but also including more than one multiple or series of elements, and optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms that clearly indicate the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of", or when used in the claims, "consisting of..." will refer to including multiple elements or exactly one element in a list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein should be interpreted as indicating an exclusive choice (i.e., "one or the other, but not both") only when it precedes an exclusive term, such as "either," "one," "only one," or "exactly one."

[0044] Any suitable combination of any disclosed embodiments and / or any suitable portions thereof are contemplated herein, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure.

[0045] The embodiments of the present disclosure as described above and shown in the accompanying drawings provide improvements in the field to which they belong. Although the subject disclosure includes references to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and / or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle (EV) charging system, comprising: a plurality of charging terminals, each charging terminal including a charging cable configured to be connected to an electric vehicle; as well as An electrical equipment assembly, physically separated from the plurality of charging terminals, the assembly comprising: a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads, each EVSE load configured to supply power to a corresponding charging terminal to provide a charging current to an EV connected to a cable of the charging terminal; as well as A main circuit breaker is connected to the plurality of EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker being configured to provide power to the plurality of EVSE loads and to provide fault protection to the plurality of EVSE loads to provide protection to each charging terminal, wherein the main circuit breaker is at least partially solid-state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the main circuit breaker is a hybrid solid-state mechanical circuit breaker.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the main circuit breaker is a solid-state circuit breaker.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each charging terminal comprises a housing and a terminal block, the terminal block being connected between a corresponding EVSE load and the charging cable inside the housing.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the terminal block does not include a local protection circuit and is protected against faults only by corresponding EVSE loads in the electrical equipment assembly and the main circuit breaker.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the terminal block includes a switch configured to transfer a suitable current from the electrical equipment component to the charging cable.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the switch is a relay and / or a purpose-determined contactor.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein each charging terminal includes no other circuit or switch components.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein each charging terminal is arranged at a non-fixed position.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electrical equipment assembly is disposed in a fixed location and / or housing structure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each charging terminal is connected to a corresponding EVSE load via a connecting conductor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each EVSE load is configured to determine when a fault exists between the corresponding EVSE load and the corresponding charging terminal, and is configured to shut down in a fault state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the main circuit breaker is configured to trip under the fault condition, thereby disconnecting current to the plurality of EVSE loads and clearing the fault condition.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each EVSE load is configured to transmit a fault signal to the main circuit breaker to indicate a fault when in the fault state, wherein the main circuit breaker is configured to close to allow other non-faulty EVSE loads to operate, thereby allowing one or more charging terminals associated with the non-faulty EVSE loads to operate.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the main circuit breaker is configured such that if a fault signal is not received from one or more EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker remains closed to prevent current from flowing to all EVSE loads.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the fault condition is a ground fault or an overcurrent exceeding a threshold.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the main circuit breaker is the only circuit breaker for the plurality of EVSE loads and charging terminals.

18. An electrical equipment assembly for charging an electric vehicle, the assembly being physically separated from a plurality of charging terminals, the assembly comprising: a plurality of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) loads, each EVSE load configured to supply power to a corresponding charging terminal to provide a charging current to an EV connected to a cable of the charging terminal; as well as A main circuit breaker connected to the plurality of EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker configured to supply power to the plurality of EVSE loads and provide fault protection to the plurality of EVSE loads to provide protection to each charging terminal, wherein the main circuit breaker is at least partially solid-state, wherein the main circuit breaker is the only circuit breaker for the plurality of EVSE loads.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein each EVSE load is configured to determine when a fault exists between the corresponding EVSE load and the corresponding charging terminal and is configured to shut down in a fault state, and wherein, The main circuit breaker is configured to trip under the fault condition, thereby shutting off current to the plurality of EVSE loads and clearing the fault condition.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein each EVSE load is configured to transmit a fault signal to the main circuit breaker to indicate a fault when in the fault state, wherein the main circuit breaker is configured to close to allow other non-faulty EVSE loads to operate, thereby allowing one or more charging terminals associated with the non-faulty EVSE loads to operate, wherein the main circuit breaker is configured such that if a fault signal is not received from one or more EVSE loads, the main circuit breaker remains closed to prevent current from flowing to all EVSE loads.

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