Central electrical device for operating electrical drive and / or regenerative axle of trailer or semitrailer of commercial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a central electrical device (1) for operating an electrical drive and / or regeneration axle (16) of a trailer or semitrailer (2) of a commercial vehicle (5), comprising at least two electrical and / or electronic components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) which are arranged in a common housing (6) and which are connected within the housing (6), according to the invention, the components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) operating at the same voltage level are guided to a common interface (14, 15, 16) formed on the housing for connection to an electrical drive and / or regeneration axle (16) of a trailer or semitrailer (2) of a commercial vehicle (5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a central electrical device for operating an electric drive and / or regenerative axle of a trailer or semitrailer of a commercial vehicle. The electric drive and / or regenerative axle is preferably designed as an eDrive axle. The trailer or semitrailer can be designed as a dump truck, a central axle trailer or a saddle trailer. Background Art

[0002] It is known that eDrive axles are used in trailers or semitrailers of commercial vehicles and are distinguished by the fact that the electric drive is integrated into the axle. Such trailers or semitrailers can be attached to any truck or any tractor and form a hybrid vehicle from them. The additional self-drive of the trailer or semitrailer influences the traction and acceleration of the entire vehicle.

[0003] All known electric trailer systems use a variety of component arrangements, which contain the electrical and / or electronic components required for the supply voltage and the drive, which are distributed over the entire trailer or semitrailer and make installation at the manufacturing site of the trailer or semitrailer or on a conventional production line difficult. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to specify a central electrical device which can be installed at just one location or on a conventional production line.

[0005] This object is achieved by a central electrical device according to claim 1. Accordingly, a central electrical device for operating an electric drive and / or regenerative axle of a trailer or semitrailer of a commercial vehicle comprises at least two electrical and / or electronic components, which are arranged in a common housing and are wired within the housing so that components operating at the same voltage level are connected to a common interface formed on the housing for connection to the electric drive and / or regenerative axle of the trailer or semitrailer of the commercial vehicle. Such a central electrical device has a reduced number of interfaces that connect the central electrical device to the trailer or semitrailer and can be delivered preassembled to the manufacturer of the trailer or semitrailer. At the manufacturer of the trailer or semitrailer, subsequent manual completion can be omitted during assembly, because only a few interfaces need to be connected to the trailer or semitrailer. This shortens the assembly time and saves assembly steps. For example, the use of trained production personnel and highly specialized workers with knowledge of, for example, high-voltage components and high-voltage circuits can also be omitted as much as possible. Structural changes at the trailer or semitrailer are not necessary. The central electrical installation can be mass-produced.

[0006] The manufacturer of trailers or semitrailers only has to replace conventional axles with eDrive axles. eDrive axles are electrically driven axles in which the electric motor is positioned at the axle. This makes it possible to create an electric trailer function that includes the recovery of kinetic energy from mechanical energy (this is called regeneration) and the provision of driving force by electrical energy to support the tractor in overcoming driving resistance (this is called traction).

[0007] In the simplest variant, the wiring inside the housing of components operating at the same voltage level is realized by a distribution unit corresponding to the voltage level, wherein the distribution unit can especially have a protection unit. Such a distribution unit connected to the voltage source provides the corresponding voltage to the individual electrical components. If the distribution unit is supplemented by a protection unit including a fuse or a relay, then when a line overload occurs, the lines leading to the electrical and / or electronic components are protected separately from each other. This prevents central electrical devices from becoming inoperable as much as possible.

[0008] The electrical components operating at the high voltage level are connected to the high voltage source located in the housing via a high voltage distribution unit or via a high voltage distribution and protection unit and are led to a common high voltage interface for operating the drive components of the drive and / or regenerative axle. Through the high voltage distribution and protection unit, energy is supplied to all electrical components in the central electrical device from only one high voltage source. At the same time, the high voltage source supplies energy to the electrical drive and regenerative axles via a single high voltage interface.

[0009] In one embodiment, electrical and / or electronic components are directed to a common low-voltage interface for supplying voltage and / or controlling at least one low-voltage component positioned in a drive and / or regenerative axle via a low-voltage module preferably having a low-voltage distribution and / or protection unit. In this case, the wiring of the low-voltage line within the central electrical device and the collection of the low-voltage line in the low-voltage module are also realized, and the low-voltage module also has fuses and relays for protecting each low-voltage line. The low-voltage module is directed to only one low-voltage interface, which is configured to transfer the data and / or voltage transmitted to the low-voltage line to the controller that can be positioned at the drive and / or regenerative axle of the drive and / or regenerative axle. The low-voltage interface is advantageously configured as a cable harness.

[0010] The low-voltage module can be directly connected to a low-voltage voltage source arranged in the housing of the central electrical device. Thus, energy is supplied at the low-voltage level of the low-voltage components arranged in the housing and the controller externally arranged at the drive and / or regenerative axle.

[0011] In a particularly simple embodiment, the high-voltage interface connected to the high-voltage voltage source via an inverter is configured as an AC current interface for directly supplying voltage to the electric motor driving the drive and / or regenerative axle. For this purpose, only one high-voltage interface is required at the housing, which is preferably configured as a plug with a large cross-section. However, electrical energy is not only transmitted to the drive and / or regenerative axle to drive the electric motor via this high-voltage interface. During the regenerative operation of the drive and / or regenerative axle (wherein the electric motor works as a generator and is driven by the mechanical energy of the wheels), electrical energy can be generated from the mechanical energy in the opposite direction, which is led back to the central electrical device via the same high-voltage interface in order to charge the high-voltage battery.

[0012] In another embodiment, the high-voltage source is designed to supply voltage to an inverter located at the drive and / or regenerative axle via a high-voltage interface designed as a direct current interface and to supply and control a controller of the electric motor supported at the drive and / or regenerative axle via a low-voltage interface. This is thus the simplest variant of a central electrical device, which requires only one high-voltage interface and one low-voltage interface for coupling to the trailer or semitrailer.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, a cooling system for the electric drive and / or regenerative axle is arranged in the housing, wherein the cooling system is guided to a coolant interface constructed at the housing via a cooling circuit inside the housing to cool the electric drive and / or regenerative axle. The coolant interface is preferably constructed as a coupling, which connects the cooling circuit inside the housing with the cooling circuit of the drive and / or regenerative axle. The coupling can be installed with only a few operations. This significantly simplifies the coupling process between the central electrical device and the drive and / or regenerative axle. Inside the housing, in addition to cooling the high-voltage battery, other electrical components can also be cooled in the following manner, that is, the corresponding cooling circuit of the cooling system is connected to other components.

[0014] In another preferred embodiment, a controller external to the housing of the trailer or semitrailer, which is connected to the data and / or energy lines of the commercial vehicle via an electronic gateway, is routed from the outside to the low-voltage module via a controller interface of the housing and outputs the control signals to the controller of the electric drive and / or regenerative axle via the low-voltage interface of the housing. Thus, in this convenient design, the external commercial vehicle's own controller can be connected to the central electrical device. This has the advantage that the drive conditions of the tractor and the trailer or semitrailer can be coordinated with each other.

[0015] In another embodiment, the control unit outside the housing is designed as a brake control unit for the trailer or semitrailer. It is thus possible to transmit, for example, a deceleration or acceleration request of the tractor and its inclination to the brake control unit via a standardized interface. The brake control unit can draw inferences about the driving dynamics from this and provide data which are sent via a low-voltage interface to the control unit of the drive and / or regenerative axle, thereby actuating the electric motor, thereby improving the driving dynamics of the entire commercial vehicle.

[0016] In another preferred embodiment, the controller is connected to a telematics unit of a commercial vehicle in order to improve the driving dynamics and / or efficiency and / or vehicle monitoring of the commercial vehicle. Alternatively, the telematics unit can also be connected directly to the low-voltage interface. For this purpose, an additional data line is connected to the connection between the low-voltage interface and the controller. The distance data of the commercial vehicle to the destination are obtained with the help of the telematics unit. From this, it can be inferred whether the charge state of the high-voltage battery is sufficient to reach the destination. From the surface contour of the surroundings of the distance to be traveled, it can be determined when it is advantageous to put the drive and / or regenerative axle into regenerative operation in order to charge the high-voltage battery during the travel of the commercial vehicle and thus compensate for the energy balance.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment, an electrical power port is arranged in the housing, which can be led to the auxiliary mechanism of the trailer or semitrailer via another electrical power interface of the housing. This electrical power port can be used in a variety of ways. Therefore, it can also be used to operate a cooling compressor to cool the goods in the trailer or semitrailer. It is also conceivable that a forklift truck fastened to the trailer or semitrailer is powered by this power port. Because the power port can also be configured as a separate island network, a separate high-voltage battery for supplying the auxiliary mechanism of the trailer or semitrailer is eliminated.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment, the auxiliary unit of the trailer or semitrailer is designed as a cooling unit. The noise load of the trailer or semitrailer is improved by eliminating the diesel compressor in the cooling unit. At the same time, space is saved in the trailer or semitrailer. The energy required for supplying the cooling unit can also be compensated by the regenerative operation of the drive and / or regenerative axle.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, a battery charger is arranged in the housing, which is connected to a further high-voltage connection of the housing in order to convey external energy to and / or from the high-voltage battery. If the energy consumption in the central electrical system is too high or the charge state of the high-voltage battery is too low, the high-voltage battery can be charged externally at any time.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment, a mechanical interface for fastening to the chassis of a trailer or semitrailer of a commercial vehicle is formed on the housing. The central electrical device prefabricated in this way can be easily installed on the trailer or semitrailer by the manufacturer of the trailer or semitrailer via this mechanical interface. Depending on the type of trailer or semitrailer, the central electrical device can be fastened to the side or bottom of the trailer or semitrailer or to the top surface or top surface. In a saddle trailer, it has proven to be advantageous to position the central electrical device in the area of ​​the pallet box provided for the pallet. In a dump truck, it is recommended to arrange the central electrical device at its guide frame. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Further features, advantages and properties of the present invention are explained with reference to the description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram shows an exemplary embodiment of a central electrical device according to the invention on a semitrailer of a commercial vehicle;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of an electrical connection of an electric drive and / or regenerative axle to a central electrical device according to the invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a second exemplary embodiment of the electrical connection of an electric drive and / or regenerative axle to a central electrical device according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] exist Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a central electrical device according to the present invention arranged at a semitrailer. The central electrical device 1 configured as a box is fastened to the narrow side of the semitrailer 2 via a mechanical interface 3 ( Figure 1 b). The manufacturer of the semitrailer 2 takes this semitrailer, after the central electrical system 1 has been installed, to the manufacturer of the tractor 4 , where the semitrailer 2 is mounted on the tractor and thus forms a commercial vehicle 5 together with the tractor 4 .

[0026] Figure 2The schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the electrical connection of a central electrical device 1 according to the invention to an electrical drive and / or regenerative axle 16 is shown. The central electrical device 1 comprises a housing 6 in which a high-voltage power grid 7 and a low-voltage power grid 8 are constructed. The voltage is supplied to various high-voltage components arranged in the housing 6 by a high-voltage battery 9 providing a voltage between 650 V and 800 V via a high-voltage distribution and protection unit 10. These components include an inverter 19, an electrical power port 11 for supplying auxiliary devices of the semitrailer 2, and a battery charger 12 which is simultaneously connected to a low-voltage module 38 via the low-voltage power grid 8 for data transmission. A low-voltage distribution and protection unit 39 is integrated in this low-voltage module 38. The high-voltage battery 9 is led via the high-voltage distribution and protection unit 10 to a DC / DC converter 13 which converts the DC voltage provided by the high-voltage battery 9 for supplying the low-voltage module 38 with voltage into a low-voltage DC voltage. The high-voltage battery 9 is therefore connected to the low-voltage power grid and provides a low-voltage voltage to the low-voltage module 38 and the battery management system 42 connected to the low-voltage module 38 .

[0027] The inverter 19 supplied by the high-voltage battery 9 generates a high-voltage AC voltage from the high-voltage DC voltage, which is led via a high-voltage line 45 directly to a single high-voltage connection 14 configured as an AC current connection on the housing 6, while the low-voltage module 38 is led to a low-voltage connection 15 also configured on the housing 6. The high-voltage connection 14 is formed by a plug with a large cross section, while the low-voltage connection 15 is configured as a cable harness.

[0028] The high-voltage interface 14 and the low-voltage interface 15 each form a port to an electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16 (eDrive axle) of the semitrailer 2 in order to supply voltage to this electric drive and / or regenerative axle and to exchange data or control signals with this drive and / or regenerative axle. To drive the mechanical axle 17, an electric motor 18 supplied with AC voltage is located on this mechanical axle and is driven by a control unit 20 also fastened to the axle 17 with the aid of signals provided by a low-voltage module 38. In traction operation, the electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16 operates as a drive axle for driving wheels 21 of the semitrailer 2 fastened to the mechanical axle 17. However, the electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16 can also be operated in regenerative mode, wherein electrical energy is drawn from the mechanical energy applied by the wheels by the electric motor 18 operating as a generator, which is fed into the high-voltage network 7 via the high-voltage connection 14 and can be used there to recharge the high-voltage battery 9 or to supply energy to the electrical power port 11. The regenerative mode is set when the commercial vehicle 5 is traveling downhill.

[0029] In addition to the electrical components described, the housing 6 also contains a cooling system 22 for the electrical drive and / or regenerative axle 16. This cooling system 22 is connected to a cooling line 23 inside the housing, which is led to a cooling interface 24 constructed on the housing 6, for example in the form of a coupling. The cooling system 22 is connected to the high-voltage battery 9 and other internal components via a second cooling line 25 inside the housing to cool them. In addition, the cooling system 22 is controlled by a low-voltage module 38, which drives the cooling system 22 based on the signal of the controller 20 fastened to the mechanical axle 17.

[0030] When the central electric device 1 is mechanically coupled to the semitrailer 2, corresponding mating parts 26, 27, 28 formed on the chassis of the semitrailer 2 engage in the high-voltage connection 14, the low-voltage connection 15 and the cooling connection 24. For the sake of clarity, the corresponding connections 29, 30, 31 extending from the chassis to the electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16 are simplified in FIG. Figure 2 These lines 29 , 30 , 31 can advantageously be laid in the frame of the semitrailer 2 .

[0031] The power port 11 and the battery charger 12 and the cooling system 22 designed as electrical cooler ports can be optional components and do not have to be part of the basic equipment of the central electrical device 1. The cooler port 11 is connected to a cooling device 33 of the semitrailer 2 via an additional interface 32. The battery charger 12 can be connected to an external local power grid 35 for charging the high-voltage battery 9 via a further interface 34.

[0032] The semitrailer 2 has its own brake control 36, which is connected via a line 41 to a standardized plug 40, for example ISO7638, and to the ABS system and ESP system of the tractor 4. In addition, the brake control 36 of the semitrailer 2 receives all information about the driving and braking behavior of the tractor 4. Since the brake control 36 is externally coupled to a low-voltage module 38, which is realized via a control interface 43 of the housing 6, data or energy exchange in both directions is realized via the existing low-voltage interface 15 via a line 44 between the brake control 36 and the control 20 of the electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16. Since the brake control 36 recognizes the intention of the driver of the tractor 4 in addition to the above information, the driving dynamics and efficiency of the entire commercial vehicle 5 are improved. At the same time, the regenerative operation of the electric drive and / or regenerative axle 16 and its influence on the driving dynamics of the entire commercial vehicle 5 are taken into account.

[0033] In order to improve driving dynamics even further, the telematics unit 37 of the commercial vehicle 5 is connected to the brake control unit 36, which also communicates with the control unit 20 of the driving and regenerative axle 16 via the low-voltage interface 15. This ensures that route optimization and terrain characteristics, such as roads with many bends, large height differences and also large detours relative to the originally determined route, are proactively taken into account when coordinating the driving dynamics between the tractor 4 and the semitrailer 2. This ensures that the electric driving and regenerative axle 16 always assumes this operating mode, i.e. the tractor is always supported by the semitrailer 2 during driving operation. This is of particular significance in the autonomous driving operation of the commercial vehicle.

[0034] exist Figure 3 A second exemplary embodiment of the electrical connection of an electric drive and / or regenerative axle to a central electrical device according to the invention is shown in FIG. Figure 2 The difference is that the high-voltage battery 10 is directly connected to the high-voltage DC current interface 46 of the housing 6, which is led via the line 29 to the inverter 19, which is arranged in the drive and regenerative axle 16 and supplies the electric motor 18 with AC voltage. The controller 20 of the drive and regenerative axle 16 is coupled to the inverter 19. The telematics unit 37 is decoupled from the brake controller 36 and is led directly to the low-voltage module 38 via the telematics interface 47 of the housing 6 in order to exchange signals with the controller 20 of the drive and regenerative axle 16.

[0035] The described solution can be used on all trucks or tractors, whether with conventional drive, electric drive or fuel drive.

[0036] List of reference numerals (part of the description)

[0037] 1 Central electrical unit

[0038] 2 Semi-trailers

[0039] 3 Mechanical interface

[0040] 4 Traction machine

[0041] 5 Commercial vehicles

[0042] 6 Housing

[0043] 7 High-voltage power grid

[0044] 8 Low-voltage power grid

[0045] 9 High-Voltage Battery

[0046] 10 High Voltage Distribution and Protection Unit

[0047] 11 Electrical cooling port

[0048] 12. Battery Charger

[0049] 13 DC / DC Converter

[0050] 14 High voltage interface for AC current

[0051] 15 Low volt interface

[0052] 16 Electrically driven axles

[0053] 17 Mechanical Axle

[0054] 18 Electric Motor

[0055] 19 Inverter

[0056] 20 Controller for electrically driven axles

[0057] 21 Wheel

[0058] 22 Cooling System

[0059] 23 Cooling circuit inside the housing

[0060] 24 Electrical interface

[0061] 25 Cooling circuit inside the housing

[0062] 26 High voltage interface matching parts

[0063] 27 Mating parts for low voltage interface

[0064] 28 Cooling interface mating parts

[0065] 29 High Voltage Connections

[0066] 30 Low volt connection

[0067] 31 Cooling circuit

[0068] 32 Power interface

[0069] 33 Cooling mechanism of semi-trailer

[0070] 34 Battery charger interface

[0071] 35 Local power grid

[0072] 36 Brake controller

[0073] 37 Telematics Unit

[0074] 38 Low Volt Module

[0075] 39 Low voltage distribution and protection unit

[0076] 40 Standardized interface between tractor and semitrailer

[0077] 41 Data and / or power lines

[0078] 42 Battery Management System

[0079] 43 Controller interface

[0080] 44 Data and power lines

[0081] 45 High-voltage lines for alternating current

[0082] 46 High voltage interface for DC current

[0083] 47 Telematics Interface

Claims

1. A central electrical device (1) for operating an electric drive and / or regeneration axle (16) of a trailer or semitrailer (2) of a commercial vehicle (5), the central electrical device comprising at least two electrical and / or electronic components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) which are arranged in a common housing (6) and are connected within the housing (6) such that components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) operating at the same voltage level are routed to a common interface (14, 15, 16) formed on the housing for connection to the electric drive and / or regeneration axle (16) of the trailer or semitrailer (2) of the commercial vehicle (5).

2. The central electrical device according to claim 1, characterized in that The components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) operating at the same voltage level are connected inside the housing by means of a distribution unit (10, 38) corresponding to the voltage level, wherein the distribution unit (10, 38) preferably has a protection unit (39).

3. The central electrical device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Electrical components (9, 10, 11, 12) operating at a high voltage level are connected to a high voltage source (9) located in a housing (6) via a high voltage distribution and protection unit (10) and are routed to a common high voltage interface (14, 46) for operating a drive component (18) of the drive and / or regenerative axle (16).

4. A central electrical device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that The electrical and / or electronic components are routed via a low-voltage module (38), preferably with a low-voltage distribution and protection unit (39), to a common low-voltage interface (15) for controlling at least one low-voltage component (20) located on the drive and / or regenerative axle (16).

5. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The low-voltage module (38) is directly connected to the low-voltage voltage source (13).

6. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The high-voltage interface (14) connected to the high-voltage voltage source (9) via an inverter (19) is designed as an alternating current interface for directly supplying voltage to an electric motor (18) driving the drive and regeneration axle (16).

7. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The high-voltage source (9) is designed to supply voltage to an inverter (19) located on the drive and / or regenerative axle (16) via a high-voltage interface (46) designed as a direct current interface and to supply and control a controller (20) of an electric motor (18) mounted on the drive and / or regenerative axle (16) via a low-voltage interface (15).

8. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A cooling system (22) for the electric drive and / or regenerative axle (16) is arranged in the housing (6), wherein the cooling system (22) is guided via a cooling line (23) inside the housing to a coolant connection (24) formed on the housing (6) for cooling the electric drive and / or regenerative axle (16).

9. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A control unit (36) external to the housing of the trailer or semitrailer (2) which is connected to the data and power line (41) of the commercial vehicle (5) via a standardized interface (40) between the tractor (4) and the semitrailer (2) is routed from the outside to a low-voltage module (38) via a control unit interface (43) of the housing (6) and outputs actuation signals to a control unit (20) of the electric drive and / or regenerative axle (16) via a low-voltage interface (15) of the housing (6).

10. The central electrical device according to claim 9, characterized in that The control unit outside the housing is designed as a brake control unit (36).

11. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The controller (36) is connected to a telematics unit (37) of the commercial vehicle (5) in order to improve driving dynamics and / or efficiency and / or vehicle monitoring of the commercial vehicle (5).

12. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that An electrical power port (11) is arranged in the housing (6), which can be led via at least one power interface (32) of the housing (6) to an auxiliary device (33) of the trailer or semitrailer (2) to operate the auxiliary device.

13. The central electrical device according to claim 12, characterized in that The auxiliary device of the trailer or semitrailer is designed as a cooling device (33).

14. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that A battery charger (12) is arranged in the housing (6) and is connected to a further high-voltage interface (34) of the housing (6) for conveying external energy into and / or out of the high-voltage battery (9) in at least one direction.

15. A central electrical device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that A mechanical interface (3) is formed on the housing (6) for fastening to the chassis of a trailer or semitrailer (2) of the commercial vehicle (5).

Images