Energy complementing system

Abstract

The utility model provides an energy complementing system for an electric automobile, which comprises a battery replacing module, a battery charging module, a battery charging module, a battery charging module, a battery charging module and a battery charging module, wherein the battery charging module is used for replacing a power battery of the electric automobile; the charging module is separated from the battery replacing module and is used for charging the replaced power battery; the transfer trolley is used for transferring the power battery between the battery replacing module and the charging module; wherein a transfer device, which can be moved between a first end position, which is located in the storage compartment, and a second end position, which is located externally on the side of the storage compartment, which is remote from the battery replacement compartment, is arranged in the storage compartment for moving the battery transfer cabinet between the storage compartment and the transfer trolley, the battery transfer cabinet comprises a plurality of bearing pieces used for bearing power batteries. According to the separated energy complementing system, the flexibility of the battery transfer trolley can be released.

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 to swap batteries for electric heavy trucks, where the power batteries are disassembled and charged at the same time. However, due to the limited power capacity of the service area, the charging efficiency of the power batteries of electric heavy trucks is low and the charging time is long, which cannot 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 utility model is to provide an improved energy replenishment system, which can be used to replenish large-capacity power batteries for vehicles, or more precisely, power batteries for electric heavy trucks.

[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 problems by providing an energy replenishment system of the following type, specifically, it includes:

[0008] A battery replacement module, which is used to replace the power battery of an electric vehicle and includes a battery replacement compartment and a storage compartment located on its side;

[0009] A charging module, which is separated from the battery replacement module and is used to charge the replaced power battery;

[0010] A transfer vehicle, which is used to transfer power batteries between the battery replacement module and the charging module;

[0011] In which, a transfer device that can move between a first end position and a second end position is provided in the storage bin for moving the battery transfer cabinet between the storage bin and the transfer vehicle, the first end position is located in the storage bin, and the second end position is located outside on the side of the storage bin away from the battery exchange bin, wherein the battery transfer cabinet includes a plurality of carriers for carrying power batteries.

[0012] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the battery transport cabinet is open on one side or has an openable and closable side wall, so that the power batteries in the battery transport cabinet are accessible from the outside.

[0013] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a coupling part is provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet, and is detachably coupled with another adjacent battery transport cabinet or with the carriage of the transport vehicle through the coupling part.

[0014] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the carrier is directly fixed on the inner wall of the battery transport cabinet, or the carrier is fixed on the frame of the battery rack placed in the battery transport cabinet.

[0015] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a charging gun is provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet, and an input end of the charging gun is electrically connected to one of the power batteries in the battery transport cabinet.

[0016] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the present invention, the supporting member is a roller mechanism, and the power battery supported thereon is caused to move translationally in a horizontal plane through the roller mechanism.

[0017] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the battery exchange module also includes a rail shuttle device that can move back and forth between the battery exchange bin and the storage bin, and an actuating device assigned thereto, and the rail shuttle device is placed in a vertical position flush with the roller mechanism through the actuating device.

[0018] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the transfer device is a lifting device having a hook for use with a hook receiving portion located at the center of the top of the battery transport cabinet.

[0019] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a battery swap platform for parking a service vehicle to be replaced is provided in the battery swap compartment, and a plurality of hydraulic lifting columns are provided on the battery swap platform, and the hydraulic lifting columns act on the chassis of the service vehicle from below.

[0020] Optionally, in the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the hydraulic lifting column sinks below the battery exchange platform or is flush with the battery exchange platform when it is at the lowest position.

[0021] According to the separate energy replenishment system of the utility model, the flexibility of the battery transport vehicle can be released, wherein the battery transport vehicle can continuously perform the transport task or continuously between multiple battery exchange modules without being occupied by a single battery exchange module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A configuration mode of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model is schematically shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram shows an arrangement of power batteries on a transport vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] refer to Figure 1, which shows a configuration scheme of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model, wherein an electric vehicle to be replaced (hereinafter also referred to as a service vehicle) is shown, and 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 or double arrows. The energy replenishment system as a whole includes a battery replacement module 100 shown in the accompanying drawings, a transfer vehicle 200, and a charging module not shown, wherein the battery replacement module 100 can be used to replace the power battery (i.e., a low-power battery) of the electric vehicle 300; the charging module is separated from the battery replacement module or can be said to be separated in space, and can be used to charge the replaced low-power battery (in other words, to provide a fully charged battery); the transfer vehicle can be used to transport the power battery between the battery replacement module and the charging module, that is, to transport the low-power battery at the battery replacement module to the charging module and to transport the fully charged battery back to the battery replacement module.

[0028] Here, 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, and the distance needs to be crossed by a transfer vehicle. For example, for energy replenishment on the highway, the battery swap module can be 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 the power battery for the electric heavy truck and facilitating the transportation of the power battery.

[0029] Here, it should be noted that the low-charge battery mentioned in this article refers to a power battery whose SOC (state of charge) value is lower than a preset lower limit, such as a power battery whose SOC value is lower than 20%. In contrast, a fully-charged battery refers to a power battery whose SOC value is higher than a preset upper limit, such as a power battery whose SOC value is higher than 90%, especially a power battery whose SOC value is 100%.

[0030] In addition, it should be noted that the energy replenishment system proposed herein can be used for electric heavy trucks, for example, an electric heavy truck equipped with four compartment batteries, which can be arranged on the chassis of the electric heavy truck or in the space behind the cab to make full use of the space of the heavy truck and simplify the battery replacement operation. Here, the disassembly and assembly actuator of the power battery can be matched accordingly according to the arrangement and fixing method 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.

[0031] refer to Figure 1The battery swap module 100 includes a battery swap compartment 110 and a storage compartment 120 located on its side. Specifically, storage compartments are provided on the left and right sides of the battery swap compartment with respect to the direction of travel of the service vehicle in the battery swap module. A battery swap platform for parking the service vehicle to be swapped and a battery swap execution device for disassembling and installing the power battery are provided in the battery swap compartment 110. A wheel positioning device 111 for positioning the service vehicle 300, especially its wheels, is provided on the battery swap platform.

[0032] Exemplarily, the wheel alignment device can be implemented as a combination of a V-shaped groove and a push rod. The V-shaped groove, for example, includes two roller groups that form a V shape together. When the service vehicle is parked in place, the contact line of the two roller groups (i.e., the center line of the V-shaped groove) is basically aligned with the center of the wheel hub. The push rod is arranged at the end of the V-shaped groove and is used to push the wheel into the center of the V-shaped groove or to adjust the wheel along the center line of the V-shaped groove. Alternatively, the wheel alignment device can also be implemented in a simple manner as a warning component that serves a warning function, such as a warning column or a warning sign.

[0033] According to the utility model, reference Figure 2 The transfer vehicle 200 transfers the power battery between the battery exchange module and the charging module with the help of the battery transfer cabinet 210. Specifically, the battery transfer cabinet 210 includes a plurality of carriers 211 for carrying the power battery, and a power battery (in Figure 2 In addition, a transfer device (not shown) that can move between a first end position and a second end position is provided in the storage bin 120 of the battery exchange module, so as to load the battery transfer cabinet containing low-charged batteries in the storage bin onto the transfer vehicle or unload the battery transfer cabinet containing fully-charged batteries from the transfer vehicle into the storage bin. Here, the first end position is located in the storage bin 120, and the second end position is located outside on the side of the storage bin away from the battery exchange bin 110. The latter should be understood as follows: the driving route of the transfer vehicle 200 is located outside the battery exchange module and the driving direction is consistent with that of the service vehicle, which is reflected in the accompanying drawings as the transfer vehicle 200 driving on the left or right side of the storage bin.

[0034] Here, in this separated energy replenishment system, the battery transfer cabinet can release the flexibility of the battery transfer vehicle, that is, the battery transfer vehicle can continuously perform the transfer task or continuously between multiple battery exchange modules without being occupied by a single battery exchange module. In this way, not only can the battery exchange flexibility of the energy replenishment system (especially for electric heavy trucks) be improved, but also the overall operation and maintenance efficiency of multiple energy replenishment systems can be improved.

[0035] First, combine Figure 1 and Figure 2To illustrate the battery transport cabinet 210 (which may also be referred to as a battery transport box) as the minimum transport unit. Here, the battery transport unit in the form of a cabinet can protect the power battery during transportation. For example, the battery transport cabinet 210 may be provided with 3 layers in the vertical direction, and three power batteries are evenly arranged on each layer. The battery transport cabinet 210 may be implemented to be open on one side, for example, by removing one of the side walls or removing a portion of one of the side walls. Alternatively, the battery transport cabinet 210 is provided with an openable and closable side wall, which can be opened when the power battery needs to be taken and placed, otherwise it is in a closed state. In both embodiments, when the battery transport cabinet 210 is placed in the storage bin 120, the power battery placed therein can be approached from the outside and the open side or the openable and closable side wall is opened toward the battery exchange platform in the battery exchange bin. For example, before the battery transport cabinet is transported or during transportation, the open side or the openable and closable side wall is in a closed state.

[0036] Here, the transfer of the battery transport cabinet 210 can be achieved by a transfer device implemented as a lifting device, wherein the lifting device has, for example, a hook and a hook receiving part (such as a lifting ring) is correspondingly arranged at the center of the top of the battery transport cabinet 210, or vice versa.

[0037] In some optional embodiments, the carrier 211 for carrying the power battery can be directly fixed on the inner wall of the battery transport cabinet 210. Specifically, the carrier may include a plurality of bearing bars, one end of which is fixed on the inner wall of the battery transport cabinet and the other end protrudes inward to support the power battery. In this case, when performing the battery replacement operation, the power battery can be placed on or removed from the bearing bar with the help of a stacking device and a rail-guided shuttle device (which may also be referred to as RGV, Rail Guided Vehicle, rail-guided trolley) to be described later.

[0038] In some optional embodiments, the carrier 211 is fixed to the frame of the battery rack, wherein the battery rack is placed and fixed in the battery transport cabinet 210 as an independent component. In this case, the battery transport cabinet can adopt a small container of standard specifications.

[0039] In some optional embodiments, instead of the carrier in the form of a carrier bar, the carrier 211 can be implemented as a roller mechanism. Figure 2 The roller mechanism is arranged so that when the power battery is taken in and out, its rolling motion around the rotation axis causes its carrying surface (which is used to carry the power battery) to perform a translational motion in a horizontal plane, especially toward or away from the open side of the battery transport cabinet. Here, the roller mechanism can also be directly arranged on the inner wall of the battery transport cabinet 210 or fixed on the frame of the battery rack placed therein.

[0040] By using the roller mechanism as both a load-bearing element and a transmission element, the fork of a conventional stacking device can be omitted, and the vertical spatial arrangement of the battery transport cabinet can be optimized, which is particularly advantageous when the power battery of an electric heavy truck is fixed on the chassis.

[0041] In the case of a roller mechanism, the power battery can be taken in and out and transported in the battery swap module in the following manner, namely: a rail shuttle device (the RGV mentioned above) that can move back and forth between the battery swap compartment 110 and the storage compartment 120 and an actuating device 130 assigned thereto are provided. Figure 2 The RGV is shown in the position of the actuating device. The rail-mounted shuttle device is placed in a vertical position flush with the roller mechanism by the actuating device 130, that is, the roller mechanism is aligned with the carrier in the vertical direction for picking up and placing the power battery. In this case, the so-called stacking device mentioned above can only be used as an actuating device that acts vertically on the rail-mounted shuttle device.

[0042] Taking the replacement of the power battery located at the chassis as an example, the RGV carries the depleted battery removed from the service vehicle to the location of the stacking device; then, it is raised to a vertical position aligned with one of the carriers with the help of the stacking device; finally, the power battery is moved onto it with the help of the roller mechanism. The process of removing the fully charged battery from the roller mechanism can be understood in an analogous way.

[0043] Furthermore, if the power battery of the electric heavy truck is arranged to be accessible from above, the rail-based shuttle device and the actuating device assigned thereto are modified accordingly in terms of their arrangement position and movement trajectory.

[0044] In some optional embodiments, in order to ensure safety during transportation, a coupling portion is provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet 210. The coupling portion is detachably coupled with another adjacent battery transport cabinet (for example, in the case of transporting multiple battery transport cabinets at one time). Alternatively, the battery transport cabinet is detachably coupled to the carriage of the transport vehicle through the coupling portion. For example, the coupling portion can be in the form of a snap-fit ​​structure, a snap-fit ​​structure, or a shape-fitting portion. In this way, it is possible to prevent the power battery from being damaged due to bumps during transportation.

[0045] In some other optional embodiments, a charging gun may be provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet 210, and its input end is electrically connected to one of the power batteries in the battery transport cabinet. Here, a transformer is also provided between the charging gun and the power battery to which it is assigned, by means of which the output voltage of the charging gun is adjusted, in particular, the larger discharge voltage of the power battery corresponding to the electric heavy truck is reduced to the smaller discharge voltage corresponding to the electric passenger car, so as to match the power battery of the passenger car. Thus, the energy replenishment system can take into account the following energy replenishment needs, that is, the SOC value of the power battery of the service vehicle does not reach the preset lower limit and still needs to be replenished by charging. In addition, in this way, the following situation can also be taken into account, that is, charging a service vehicle equipped with a low capacity, such as a common electric passenger car. Thus, it is possible to provide an energy replenishment system that takes into account both battery replacement and charging, and thereby also makes it possible to take into account both battery replacement of electric heavy trucks and charging of passenger cars.

[0046] In some optional embodiments, a plurality of (e.g., four arranged at the corner areas) hydraulic lifting columns are provided at the battery exchange platform, which can act on the chassis of the service vehicle from below so as to lift the service vehicle when needed. Furthermore, the hydraulic lifting column is at least flush with the battery exchange platform or sinks below the battery exchange platform when it is in the lowest position. Instead of the common lifting of the battery exchange platform as a whole, this embodiment can realize the lifting process of the service vehicle in a simple and effective manner with less space requirements.

[0047] Below, the process of replacing the power battery at the chassis achieved by the energy replenishment system is specifically described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. When the service vehicle 200 drives to the battery exchange platform as required along the direction of travel (which is indicated by an arrow in the accompanying drawings) or its wheels reach the wheel positioning device 111, the low-power battery is removed from the chassis of the service vehicle with the help of a locking and unlocking gun, and it is transferred to the battery transfer cabinet 210 through the RGV. Subsequently, the fully charged battery is removed from the battery transfer cabinet 210, transported to the battery exchange warehouse 110 and fixed to the chassis of the service vehicle with the help of a locking and unlocking gun. When the fully charged batteries in the battery transfer cabinet 210 are taken out or it can be said that there are no fully charged batteries available in the battery transfer cabinet, the transfer equipment lifts the battery transfer cabinet 210 into the transfer vehicle 200, which then drives back to the charging module and completes the charging of the low-power battery there.

[0048] In some other optional embodiments, a positioning device may also be provided for the battery transport cabinet or the external transport vehicle, and its structure may be correspondingly referred to the wheel positioning device 111 described above.

[0049] In some other optional embodiments, in order to ensure the safety of the power battery, a spray pipeline for containing coolant is also provided in the battery transport cabinet, so as to spray and cool down the abnormal power battery on the carrier. In addition, the spray pipeline can also be provided in the storage bin or on the transport vehicle accordingly.

[0050] In summary, the separate energy replenishment system according to the utility model can release the flexibility of the battery transfer vehicle, wherein the battery transfer vehicle can continuously perform the transfer task or continuously between multiple battery exchange modules without being occupied by a single battery exchange module. In some embodiments, by providing a coupling part, it is possible to prevent the power battery from being damaged due to the bumps of the transfer vehicle. In some embodiments, the transfer vehicle travels outside the battery exchange module, which can prevent the movement interference of the moving parts inside the battery exchange module and make it possible to reduce the size of the storage bin. In some embodiments, by providing a charging gun, the energy replenishment system can take into account the charging function at the same time. In some embodiments, by providing a roller mechanism, the spatial layout of the battery transfer cabinet in the vertical direction can be optimized. In some embodiments, the spatial layout in the battery exchange bin can be further optimized by hydraulic lifting columns.

[0051] 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. An energy replenishment system for an electric vehicle, characterized in that: It includes: A battery replacement module, which is used to replace the power battery of an electric vehicle and includes a battery replacement compartment and a storage compartment located on its side; A charging module, which is separated from the battery replacement module and is used to charge the replaced power battery; A transfer vehicle, which is used to transfer power batteries between the battery replacement module and the charging module; In which, a transfer device that can move between a first end position and a second end position is provided in the storage bin for moving the battery transfer cabinet between the storage bin and the transfer vehicle, the first end position is located in the storage bin, and the second end position is located outside on the side of the storage bin away from the battery exchange bin, wherein the battery transfer cabinet includes a plurality of carriers for carrying power batteries.

2. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The battery transport cabinet is open on one side or has an openable and closable side wall so that the power batteries in the battery transport cabinet are accessible from the outside.

3. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A coupling portion is provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet, and is detachably coupled with another adjacent battery transport cabinet or with the carriage of a transport vehicle through the coupling portion.

4. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The carrier is directly fixed on the inner wall of the battery transport cabinet, or the carrier is fixed on the frame of the battery rack placed in the battery transport cabinet.

5. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A charging gun is provided on the outside of the side wall of the battery transport cabinet, and an input end of the charging gun is electrically connected to one of the power batteries in the battery transport cabinet.

6. The energy replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The bearing member is a roller mechanism, through which the power battery carried thereon is caused to move translationally in a horizontal plane.

7. The energy replenishment system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The battery exchange module also includes a rail-based shuttle device that can move back and forth between the battery exchange compartment and the storage compartment, and an actuating device assigned thereto, through which the rail-based shuttle device is placed in a vertical position flush with the roller mechanism.

8. The energy replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The transfer device is a lifting device having a hook for cooperating with a hook receiving portion located at the center of the top of the battery transport cabinet.

9. The energy replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A battery swapping platform is provided in the battery swapping compartment for parking service vehicles to be swapped, and a plurality of hydraulic lifting columns are provided on the battery swapping platform, which act on the chassis of the service vehicle from below.

10. The energy replenishment system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The hydraulic lifting column sinks below the battery exchange platform or is flush with the battery exchange platform when it is at the lowest position.

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