Energy complementing system

Abstract

The utility model provides an energy complementing system for an electric automobile, which comprises a battery replacing module for replacing a power battery, a charging module separated from the battery replacing module and used for charging the replaced power battery, a transfer trolley for transferring the power battery between the battery replacing module and the charging module, and a control device, wherein the control device comprises a battery replacement control sub-module used for a battery replacement execution device of the battery replacement module, a transfer control sub-module used for the transfer trolley and a charging control sub-module used for the charging module, and when the transfer trolley is located in the battery replacement module, the transfer control sub-module and the battery replacement control sub-module directly perform data interaction; and when the transfer trolley is in the charging module, the transfer control sub-module and the charging control sub-module directly perform data interaction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of new energy vehicles, and in particular to an energy replenishment system for electric vehicles. Background Art

[0002] In order to ensure power and transportation distance, electric heavy trucks are usually equipped with high-capacity or high-energy-density power batteries. On the one hand, the charging efficiency of such power batteries for heavy trucks is low and the charging time is too long under AC charging. On the other hand, if DC high-current fast charging is used, its service life will be affected. Therefore, the energy replenishment problem of electric heavy trucks (including battery replacement and charging) is one of the bottlenecks affecting its rapid development.

[0003] Taking the energy replenishment demand on highways in long-distance transportation scenarios as an example, conventional centralized battery swap stations located on highway ramps or in service areas can be used, where the power batteries can be disassembled and charged at the same time. However, due to the power capacity limitations of the service area, the charging efficiency of the power batteries of electric heavy trucks is low and the charging time is long, which may not meet the daily battery swap needs. This problem also exists for battery swap stations for electric heavy trucks located in urban areas.

[0004] It should be noted that the content introduced here only provides background information related to the present disclosure and does not necessarily belong to the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] According to different aspects, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved separate energy replenishment system.

[0006] In addition, the utility model is also intended to solve or alleviate other technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] The utility model solves the above-mentioned problems by providing an energy replenishment system, specifically, it includes a battery replacement module for replacing power batteries, a charging module separated from the battery replacement module and used to charge the replaced power batteries, a transfer vehicle for transferring power batteries between the battery replacement module and the charging module, and a control device, wherein the control device includes a battery replacement control submodule of a battery replacement execution device for the battery replacement module, a transfer control submodule for the transfer vehicle, and a charging control submodule for the charging module, and wherein, when the transfer vehicle is in the battery replacement module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the battery replacement control submodule, and when the transfer vehicle is in the charging module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the charging control submodule.

[0008] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the battery swap module includes a battery swap compartment for parking service vehicles and performing battery swap operations and a storage compartment for placing power batteries, wherein the relative position of the storage compartment relative to the battery swap compartment depends on the overall specification design size of the battery swap module.

[0009] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, when the overall specification design size is greater than or equal to a preset size threshold, the storage bin is arranged on the side of the battery swap bin with respect to the entry direction of the service vehicle, and when the overall specification design size is less than the preset size threshold, the storage bin and the battery swap bin are arranged together along the entry direction of the service vehicle.

[0010] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the energy replenishment system also includes a charging gun for connecting to the discharge port of the power battery in the storage bin, and a switching element is provided between the charging gun and the discharge port, and the switching element is controlled by the control device.

[0011] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the power battery is transported between the charging module and the battery replacement module in a battery rack unit, and the battery rack includes a plurality of carriers for carrying the power battery, wherein a fire-fighting mechanism for safely protecting the power battery is provided on the battery rack.

[0012] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, when the battery rack is located in the battery exchange module, the fire-fighting mechanism directly communicates with the battery exchange control submodule and the working state of the fire-fighting mechanism is directly controlled by the battery exchange control submodule.

[0013] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, when the battery rack is located in the charging module, the fire fighting mechanism directly communicates with the charging control submodule and the working state of the fire fighting mechanism is directly controlled by the charging control submodule.

[0014] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the transfer control submodule is communicatively connected with the transfer vehicle and is used to send a transfer control signal to the transfer vehicle, and the transfer control signal contains information about the start time point of the transfer.

[0015] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the transfer control submodule is connected to an external map database to call the driving road information about the transfer vehicle, and the driving road information is used to determine the start time point of the transfer.

[0016] In the energy replenishment system proposed according to the utility model, the battery replacement control submodule, the transport control submodule and the charging control submodule can also communicate with each other through the cloud.

[0017] In the present disclosure, by improving the transportation strategy of power batteries, the situation where there is no battery to replace can be avoided as much as possible, thereby improving the user's battery replacement experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 The main steps of an implementation method for controlling an energy replenishment system according to the utility model are shown;

[0020] Figure 2 A configuration of a computer device for executing the above control method is schematically shown;

[0021] Figure 3 A configuration mode of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model is schematically shown;

[0022] Figure 4 Another configuration of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] It is easy to understand that according to the technical solution of the utility model, without changing the essential spirit of the utility model, a person skilled in the art can propose a variety of interchangeable structural modes and implementation modes. Therefore, the following specific implementation modes and drawings are only exemplary descriptions of the technical solution of the utility model, and should not be regarded as the entirety of the utility model or as a limitation or restriction to the technical solution of the utility model.

[0024] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or may be mentioned in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the drawings. They are relative concepts and may change accordingly according to their different positions and different usage states. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. or similar expressions are only used for description and distinction purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components.

[0025] Before elaborating on the control method for the energy replenishment system, first refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 Two exemplary configuration schemes of the energy replenishment system according to the present utility model are described below. Figure 3 and Figure 4The battery exchange modules 100, 100' of the energy replenishment system and the electric vehicle 200 to be replaced (hereinafter also referred to as the service vehicle) are schematically shown, wherein the power battery is made clearer by means of oblique lines, and the movement direction of the relevant moving parts is presented by arrows. The battery exchange modules 100, 100' are used to replace the power batteries (i.e., depleted batteries) of electric vehicles; the charging module is separated from the battery exchange modules 100, 100' or can be said to be separated in space, and can be used to charge the replaced depleted batteries (in other words, to provide fully charged batteries); the transfer vehicle can be used to transfer the power batteries between the battery exchange modules 100, 100' and the charging modules, that is, to transfer the depleted batteries at the battery exchange modules 100, 100' to the charging modules and to transport the fully charged batteries back to the battery exchange modules.

[0026] The energy replenishment system proposed here can be used for electric heavy trucks, whose power batteries can be arranged on the chassis or in the space behind the cab, wherein the power battery disassembly and assembly actuator can be matched accordingly according to the arrangement and fixing mode of the power battery. Of course, the energy replenishment system can also be used for other types of electric vehicles equipped with power batteries with higher capacitance.

[0027] In addition, the expression "the charging module is separated or spatially separated from the battery swap module" should be understood relative to the centralized battery swap station, and means that the charging module and the battery swap module are spatially separated by a certain distance, which needs to be crossed by a transfer vehicle. For example, for energy replenishment on the highway, the battery swap module is set in the service area, and the charging module can be set near the service area, such as at the off-ramp of the highway, thereby meeting the charging power requirements of large-capacity power batteries and facilitating the transportation of power batteries.

[0028] by Figure 3 For example, in the energy replenishment system, the battery swap module 100 includes a battery swap compartment 110 and a storage compartment 120, wherein the battery swap compartment is used for the service vehicle 200 to park and perform battery swap operations there, and the storage compartment 120 is used to place power batteries (including depleted batteries replaced from the service vehicle and fully charged batteries to be installed on the service vehicle). In an optional embodiment, the relative position between the storage compartment and the battery swap compartment is determined according to the overall specification design size of the battery swap module, so that the space for battery swapping is adapted to the actual situation and is conducive to site selection planning.

[0029] For example, the position of the storage bin is adjusted according to the size of the overall design size of the battery swap module. Specifically, when the overall design size is greater than or equal to the preset size threshold, the storage bin is arranged on the side of the battery swap bin with respect to the driving direction of the service vehicle, such as Figure 3 As shown. Figure 3The implementation shown in is particularly suitable for large-scale energy replenishment systems, which occupy a large area and have ample site space, wherein the storage compartment 120 is located on the side of the battery exchange compartment 110.

[0030] Different from this, when the overall specification design size is smaller than the preset size threshold, the storage compartment and the battery swap compartment are arranged together along the driving direction of the service vehicle, such as Figure 4 As shown in Figure 4 The embodiment shown in is particularly suitable for small energy replenishment systems and is adapted to the larger longitudinal dimensions of electric heavy trucks, wherein the storage compartment 120' and the battery swap compartment 110' are arranged along the driving direction of the service vehicle (indicated by arrows). In this case, after the battery swap is completed, the service vehicle drives out of the battery swap compartment along the original route.

[0031] For example, Figure 3 For example, the battery replacement operation of the power battery at the chassis is performed as follows: when the service vehicle 200 drives to the battery replacement warehouse 110 in accordance with regulations along the driving direction (indicated by an arrow in the attached figure) or its wheels reach the wheel positioning device 111, the low-power battery is removed from the chassis of the service vehicle 200 with the help of a locking and unlocking gun, and it is transferred to the transfer vehicle through the RGV (Rail Guided Vehicle) and the stacking device 130. Subsequently, the fully charged battery is removed from the transfer vehicle, transported to the battery replacement warehouse 110 and fixed to the service vehicle 200 with the help of a locking and unlocking gun. When the fully charged batteries in the storage warehouse 120 are taken out or there are no fully charged batteries available, a transfer vehicle equipped with fully charged batteries is summoned to update and replenish the power batteries in the storage warehouse.

[0032] In order to achieve coordinated control of battery swapping, charging and transfer operations, the control device of the energy replenishment system includes: a battery swapping control submodule for the battery swapping execution device of the battery swapping module, a transfer control submodule for the transfer vehicle, and a charging control submodule for the charging module. Among them, when the transfer vehicle is in the battery swapping module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the battery swapping control submodule, and when the transfer vehicle is in the charging module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the charging control submodule. Through this direct data interaction, the control of the transfer vehicle can be transferred between the battery swapping module and the charging module, which helps to monitor the power battery on the transfer vehicle and effectively adjust the driving status of the transfer vehicle. In addition, when the transfer vehicle is not staying in the battery swapping module or the charging module, the three control submodules can communicate with each other through the cloud.

[0033] refer to Figure 1 , exemplarily, the three control submodules can coordinately perform the following steps at the control method level according to the utility model:

[0034] Data acquisition step: acquiring vehicle status parameters of the service vehicle located in the battery swap module, the historical battery swap order quantity corresponding to the current time point, and the battery status parameters of the power battery located in the storage bin of the battery swap module;

[0035] A battery swap control step: generating a battery swap control signal based on the vehicle state parameter, wherein the battery swap control signal is used to control a corresponding battery swap execution device in the battery swap module;

[0036] Transfer control step: Generate a transfer control signal based on the historical battery replacement order quantity and the battery status parameters, and the transfer control signal is used to control the driving status parameters of the transfer vehicle.

[0037] Regarding the above-mentioned data acquisition step, the vehicle status parameters may include parameters of the service vehicle regarding the battery swap module, especially regarding the battery swap compartment (such as location parameters) and parameters of the service vehicle itself (such as battery parameters of the depleted battery thereon and its driving speed).

[0038] Regarding the "historical battery swap order volume", it refers to the number of battery swaps performed or the number of battery swap requests received in the past time period. For example, for the time period from 7pm to 8pm, if the average number of battery swaps performed or the average number of battery swap requests received in this time period is 20 according to data statistics, then the historical battery swap order volume corresponding to the time point in this time period is 20. Here, the historical battery swap order volume is not fixed, but can be updated at fixed time intervals. Exemplarily, the historical battery swap order volume is used to evaluate the busyness of battery swaps and determine whether the current time point is in a busy battery swap stage, so as to control the relevant components of the energy replenishment system based on this.

[0039] Regarding the "battery status parameters of the power battery located in the storage bin of the battery swap module", it may involve the number of available fully-charged batteries in the storage bin, the location information of the available fully-charged batteries in the storage bin, and optionally may also involve the characteristic parameters of the relevant power battery itself, such as charge state parameters, battery health status parameters, battery temperature parameters, etc.

[0040] In the above-mentioned battery replacement control step, the battery replacement control signal generated based on the vehicle state parameter of the service vehicle is used to start and stop the relevant battery replacement execution device. Figure 3 and Figure 4Taking the battery swap module 100, 100' shown as an example, according to the battery swap control signal, it is determined when to put the locking and unlocking gun into operation to remove the power battery or when to stop it, and when to put the RGV used to transport the power battery between the battery swap warehouse 110, 110' and the storage warehouse 120, 120' into use or when to stop it. In general, the various links of the battery swap operation are coordinated according to the battery swap control signal. Here, the battery swap operation may include the link of removing the low-power battery, the link of transporting the low-power battery, the link of taking the fully charged battery, and the link of installing the fully charged battery.

[0041] In some optional embodiments, in order to replenish the available fully charged batteries in a timely and efficient manner, the above-mentioned transport control step is specifically performed as follows:

[0042] Based on the battery status parameter, the number of available power batteries is calculated;

[0043] In response to the historical battery exchange order volume being greater than or equal to a preset order threshold and the number of available power batteries being lower than a preset first quantity threshold, a transfer control signal is generated, which is used to trigger a transfer vehicle to drive to the battery exchange module to replace the power batteries in the storage bin. Here, this provides a transfer control strategy when the battery exchange is busy, that is, to summon a transfer vehicle early in advance to replenish the available power batteries. The first quantity threshold can be set according to actual needs, for example, it is half of the maximum number of power batteries that can be stored in the storage bin. According to the transfer control signal, one transfer vehicle is summoned each time, or multiple transfer vehicles are summoned and made to stand by near the battery exchange module. Further preferably, based on the transfer control signal, seamless transfer of available power batteries is achieved while taking into account the historical battery exchange order volume. In this way, the situation where there is no battery to replace is avoided as much as possible, thereby improving the user's battery exchange experience.

[0044] In some other embodiments, in response to the historical battery swap order volume being less than the above order threshold and the number of available power batteries being less than a preset second quantity threshold, a transfer control signal is generated, wherein the second quantity threshold is less than the above first quantity threshold. This provides a transfer control strategy when the battery swap is not busy, that is, there is no need to summon a transfer vehicle earlier. Through this hierarchical transfer control strategy that depends on the order volume, the transfer efficiency can be improved while ensuring the required fully charged batteries.

[0045] In some embodiments, the energy replenishment system according to the utility model may also include a charging gun for connecting to the discharge port of the power battery in the storage bin, and a switch element controlled by the above-mentioned control device is provided between the charging gun and the discharge port. The setting of the charging gun can take into account the following energy replenishment needs: first, the remaining power of the power battery of the service vehicle does not reach the preset lower limit and needs to be charged and replenished; second, charging a service vehicle equipped with a power battery with relatively low capacitance, such as a common electric passenger car. Correspondingly, this charging function is activated or contact-activated in consideration of the busyness of the battery replacement. Specifically, if the corresponding historical battery replacement order volume is greater than or equal to the preset order threshold, a charging lock signal is generated, which is used to disconnect the electrical path between the charging gun and the discharge port of the power battery in the storage bin to ensure the demand for the power battery for battery replacement as much as possible. However, if the corresponding historical battery replacement order volume is less than the preset order threshold, the electrical connection between the charging gun and the discharge port of the power battery is restored.

[0046] In some other optional embodiments, the transfer control submodule communicates with the transfer vehicle and transmits the generated transfer control signal to it, wherein the transfer control signal additionally includes information about the transfer start time point, from which the transfer vehicle drives from the charging module to the battery replacement module. Thus, the power battery transfer time point is accurately controlled.

[0047] The determination of the start time of the transfer can be performed with the help of an external map database connected to the transfer control submodule, wherein the transfer control submodule calls the road information from the charging module to the battery replacement module from the map database and determines the required driving time of the transfer vehicle based on it. Since the impact of road congestion on the transfer of power batteries is taken into account, the situation where there is no battery to replace can be avoided more effectively.

[0048] As for the charging control submodule, it can also control the charging equipment in the charging module according to the above-mentioned historical battery replacement order volume. Specifically, when executing the charging control step, the historical battery replacement order volume corresponding to the current time point is compared with the preset order threshold and a charging control signal is generated according to the comparison result, which is used to adjust the charging state parameters of the power battery in the charging module, such as charging current, charging power or charging voltage. Specifically, when it is determined that the battery replacement is currently in a busy stage according to the historical battery replacement order volume, the charging control signal can be used to increase the charging current and perform the so-called fast charging.

[0049] In general, the above-mentioned battery replacement control step can be performed by the battery replacement control submodule of the control device of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model, the transport control step can be performed by the transport control submodule, and the charging control step can be performed by the charging control submodule. Regarding the energy replenishment system according to the utility model, the three control submodules can refer to the description of the control method according to the utility model in terms of functional configuration and line connection.

[0050] In some other embodiments, in the energy replenishment system, the power battery is transported in a battery rack 140 (or a battery cabinet), wherein the battery rack includes a plurality of carriers for supporting and carrying the power battery. A fire-fighting mechanism is provided on the battery rack to safely protect the failed battery with abnormal temperature. The fire-fighting mechanism may exemplarily include a sprinkler pipe extending along the fire-fighting rack and a corresponding temperature detector.

[0051] Here, Figure 3 For example, in order to facilitate the safety protection of the power battery on the battery rack 140, when the battery rack 140 is transported to the battery swap module 100 or stays in the storage bin 120, the fire fighting mechanism is directly communicated with and controlled by the battery swap control submodule. In this way, the higher computing power configuration of the battery swap control submodule can be utilized.

[0052] Furthermore, when the battery rack 140 is located in the charging module, the fire fighting mechanism directly communicates with the charging control submodule and is directly controlled by it, for example, the fire fighting mechanism is started and stopped, the spray flow rate is controlled, the coolant temperature is controlled, and the like.

[0053] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also proposed, on which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the control method for the above-mentioned energy replenishment system according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium mentioned herein includes various types of computer storage media, which can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EPROM, E2PROM, register, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other temporary or non-temporary medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code unit in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Regarding the computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention, reference can be made to the explanation of the control method or energy replenishment system according to the present invention, and no further description will be given.

[0054] In addition, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer device 10 is provided, which is schematically Figure 2 . The computer device includes a memory 11 (for example, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a ROM, a hard disk drive, a disk, or an optical disk), a processor 12, and a computer program 13 stored in the memory 11 and executable on the processor 12. The execution of the computer program implements a control method for an energy replenishment system according to one or more embodiments of the present utility model. For example, the computer device can be a cloud computing device. Exemplarily, the memory and the processor as cloud computing resources can be located not only in the same physical device (for example, the same server), but also in different physical devices (for example, different servers).

[0055] It should be understood that all the above preferred embodiments are illustrative rather than restrictive, and various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the specific embodiments described above under the concept of the present invention should be within the legal protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power replenishment system, comprising a battery replacement module for replacing a power battery, a charging module separated from the battery replacement module and used to charge the replaced power battery, a transfer vehicle for transferring the power battery between the battery replacement module and the charging module, and a control device, It is characterized in that The control device includes a battery replacement control submodule of a battery replacement execution device for a battery replacement module, a transfer control submodule for a transfer vehicle, and a charging control submodule for a charging module, and wherein, when the transfer vehicle is in the battery replacement module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the battery replacement control submodule, and when the transfer vehicle is in the charging module, the transfer control submodule directly exchanges data with the charging control submodule.

2. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery swap module includes a battery swap compartment for parking service vehicles and performing battery swap operations, and a storage compartment for placing power batteries, wherein the relative position of the storage compartment with respect to the battery swap compartment depends on the overall specification design size of the battery swap module.

3. The energy replenishment system according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the overall specification design size is greater than or equal to a preset size threshold, the storage bin is arranged on the side of the battery swap bin with respect to the entry direction of the service vehicle, and when the overall specification design size is less than the preset size threshold, the storage bin and the battery swap bin are arranged together along the entry direction of the service vehicle.

4. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The energy replenishment system also includes a charging gun for connecting to a discharge port of a power battery in a storage bin, and a switch element is provided between the charging gun and the discharge port, and the switch element is controlled by the control device.

5. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power batteries are transported between the charging module and the battery replacement module using a battery rack as a unit. The battery rack includes a plurality of carriers for carrying the power batteries, wherein a fire-fighting mechanism for safely protecting the power batteries is provided on the battery rack.

6. The energy replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the battery rack is located in the battery exchange module, the fire-fighting mechanism directly communicates with the battery exchange control submodule and the working status of the fire-fighting mechanism is directly controlled by the battery exchange control submodule.

7. The energy replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the battery rack is located in the charging module, the fire fighting mechanism communicates directly with the charging control submodule and the working state of the fire fighting mechanism is directly controlled by the charging control submodule.

8. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer control submodule is communicatively connected to the transfer vehicle and is used to send a transfer control signal to the transfer vehicle, wherein the transfer control signal includes information about a transfer start time point.

9. The energy replenishment system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transfer control submodule is connected to an external map database to call the driving road information about the transfer vehicle, and the driving road information is used to determine the start time point of the transfer.

10. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery replacement control submodule, the transport control submodule and the charging control submodule can also communicate with each other through the cloud.

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