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 at a chassis of the electric automobile, a charging module separated from the battery replacing module and used for charging the power battery, and a transfer trolley for transferring the power battery between the battery replacing module and the charging module, the battery replacement module comprises a battery replacement bin and a storage bin located in the side direction of the battery replacement bin, a battery replacement platform used for parking an electric vehicle to be subjected to battery replacement and a battery replacement execution device used for disassembling and assembling a power battery are arranged in the battery replacement bin, and a first positioning device used for positioning the electric vehicle to be subjected to battery replacement is arranged on the battery replacement platform; a stacking device used for taking and placing the power batteries and a second positioning device are arranged in the storage bin, and the second positioning device is used for positioning the transfer trolley driving into the storage bin, so that the power batteries on the transfer trolley are located in the action range of the stacking device; and the stacking device stacks the power batteries on the transfer trolley or takes down the power batteries from the transfer trolley.

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] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an improved energy replenishment system, which can be used to replenish energy for large-capacity power batteries for vehicles, or more precisely, for 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 for electric vehicles. Specifically, the utility model comprises a battery replacement module for replacing the power battery at the chassis of the electric vehicle, a charging module separated from the battery replacement module and used to charge the replaced power battery, and a transfer vehicle for transferring the power battery between the battery replacement module and the charging module.

[0008] The battery swap module includes a battery swap compartment and a storage compartment located on the side of the battery swap compartment. A battery swap platform for parking the electric vehicle to be swapped and a battery swap execution device for disassembling and installing the power battery are provided in the battery swap compartment. A first positioning device for positioning the electric vehicle to be swapped is provided on the battery swap platform.

[0009] And wherein, a stacking device and a second positioning device for taking and placing power batteries are provided in the storage bin, which are used to position the transfer vehicle that has driven into the storage bin so that the power batteries on the transfer vehicle are within the effective range of the stacking device. Within the effective range, the stacking device stacks the power batteries on the transfer vehicle or removes the power batteries from the transfer vehicle.

[0010] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, at least one of the first positioning device and the second positioning device comprises a V-shaped groove and a push rod, wherein the wheel is pushed to the center of the V-shaped groove accordingly by means of the push rod.

[0011] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the first positioning device and the second positioning device are aligned with respect to the axial direction, wherein the axial direction is parallel to the length direction of the battery exchange platform or parallel to the length direction of the electric vehicle parked on the battery exchange platform as required.

[0012] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, an image sensor is arranged at the stacking device, and information about the relative position of the transfer vehicle in the storage bin relative to the stacking device is obtained by means of the image sensor.

[0013] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a battery rack is provided on the transfer vehicle, and the battery rack includes a plurality of battery carriers arranged in parallel with each other, wherein a charging gun for electrically connecting to a power battery carried thereon is provided at at least one battery carrier, and the power battery is discharged with the aid of the charging gun.

[0014] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a voltage transformer is further provided between the charging gun and the corresponding power battery, and the discharge voltage of the power battery is adjusted by means of the voltage transformer.

[0015] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a spray pipeline is arranged on the battery rack of the transfer vehicle, and a coolant is contained in the spray pipeline, by means of which the power battery on the battery carrier can be sprayed to cool down.

[0016] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, a data interface is provided on the transfer vehicle, and a matching data interface is correspondingly provided on the battery exchange platform, wherein the matching data interface is connected to the data interface for data transmission when the transfer vehicle is parked in the storage warehouse as required.

[0017] In the energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model, the data transmission is associated with the occupancy information of the battery carrier, the power battery temperature, the power battery charge state, or the number of power batteries on the transfer vehicle.

[0018] The energy replenishment system provided according to the utility model also includes an operation control module, which has a battery replacement control submodule for the battery replacement module, a charging control submodule for the charging module, and a transfer control submodule for the transfer vehicle, which communicate with each other via the cloud.

[0019] In the energy replenishment system according to the utility model, the transfer vehicle is accurately positioned by means of the second positioning device and the transfer vehicle is directly used as a battery compartment, thereby realizing a simplified separated battery replacement station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 A configuration of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] refer to Figure 1, which shows a configuration scheme of the energy replenishment system according to the utility model. Specifically, a transfer vehicle and an electric vehicle to be replaced (hereinafter referred to as a service vehicle) are parked in the battery exchange module of the energy replenishment system, and the power battery is made clearer by means of oblique lines. The energy replenishment system as a whole includes a battery exchange module 100, a transfer vehicle 200 and a charging module (not shown), wherein the battery exchange module 100 can be used to replace the power battery (i.e., a low-power battery) at the chassis of the electric vehicle 300; the charging module is separated from the battery exchange 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 200 can be used to transfer the power battery between the battery exchange module and the charging module, that is, to transfer the low-power battery at the battery exchange module to the charging module and to transfer the fully charged battery to the battery exchange module again.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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%.

[0027] In addition, it should be noted that the energy replenishment system proposed herein can be used for electric heavy trucks, for example Figure 1 The electric heavy truck is exemplarily configured with four box-type batteries (which are schematically represented by diagonal lines). The power battery can be arranged at the chassis of the electric heavy truck to make full use of the space below and simplify the battery replacement operation. Of course, the energy replenishment system can also be used for other types of electric vehicles equipped with power batteries with higher capacitance.

[0028] refer to Figure 1The battery swap module 100 includes a battery swap compartment 110 and a storage compartment 120 located on its side. Specifically, with respect to the travel direction of the service vehicle in the battery swap module, storage compartments are provided on the left and right sides of the battery swap compartment. A battery swap platform for parking service vehicles to be swapped and a battery swap execution device for disassembling and assembling power batteries are provided in the battery swap compartment 110. A first positioning device 111 for positioning the service vehicle 300, especially its wheels, is provided on the battery swap platform. Exemplarily, the battery swap execution device includes an RGV (Rail Guided Vehicle) for transferring power batteries between the storage compartment and the battery swap compartment and a locking and unlocking gun for screwing the fasteners of the power battery.

[0029] A stacking device 121 and a second positioning device 122 for picking up and placing power batteries are provided in the storage bin, wherein the second positioning device is used to position the transfer vehicle 200 that has entered the storage bin so that the power batteries on the transfer vehicle are within the action range of the stacking device 121, and the stacking device 121 can reach the power batteries on the transfer vehicle within the action range and complete the picking up and placing of the power batteries. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the stacking device can move back and forth in the direction indicated by the double arrow, which is substantially parallel to the travel direction of the service vehicle or parallel to the length direction of the battery exchange platform.

[0030] Exemplarily, when the service vehicle 300 drives to the battery exchange platform as required along the direction of travel (indicated by an arrow in the figure) or its wheels reach the first positioning device 111, the depleted battery is removed from the chassis of the service vehicle by means of a locking and unlocking gun, and is transferred to the stacking device 121 by means of the RGV. Subsequently, the stacking device 121 stacks the depleted battery on a transfer vehicle parked in the storage bin as required and removes the fully charged battery from it, which is then transported to the battery exchange bin by means of the RGV and fixed to the chassis of the service vehicle by means of the locking and unlocking gun. When the fully charged batteries on the transfer vehicle are completely removed or there are no fully charged batteries available on the transfer vehicle, the transfer vehicle drives back to the charging module and completes the charging of the depleted battery there.

[0031] It should be noted that "driving to" and "parking according to regulations" should be understood in conjunction with the corresponding positioning device. In general, it should be understood that the relative position with respect to the positioning device meets the regulations. For example, when the positioning device acts on the wheel, it can be understood that the wheel reaches the positioning device.

[0032] According to the utility model, by accurately positioning the transfer vehicle with the aid of a second positioning device and directly using the transfer vehicle as a battery compartment, a separate battery swap station for electric heavy trucks can be realized in a simple manner, and the control logic of the transfer vehicle can also be simplified.

[0033] In some embodiments, the energy replenishment system also includes an operation control module (not shown), which includes a battery replacement control submodule for the battery replacement module, a charging control submodule for the charging module, and a transport control submodule for the transport vehicle. These three submodules can communicate with each other through the cloud.

[0034] As an alternative implementation, the communication between the transfer vehicle and the battery exchange module is realized by hardware. Specifically, a data interface is provided on the transfer vehicle, and a matching data interface is provided on the battery exchange platform of the battery exchange module accordingly. Data transmission is realized by connecting the two when the transfer vehicle is parked in the storage bin as required. In this way, the speed of data transmission and the reliability of data transmission can be improved. Here, the connection of the two data interfaces can be carried out with the help of relevant mechanical mechanisms according to the control instructions of the operation control module.

[0035] Here, exemplarily, the data transmission may relate to operating status parameters of the transfer vehicle or relevant parameters of the power batteries thereon, such as occupancy information of the battery carrier, power battery temperature, power battery state of charge, the number of power batteries on the transfer vehicle or other relevant data.

[0036] In some embodiments, in order to obtain the relative position of the transfer vehicle in the storage bin relative to the stacking device, a sensor mechanism, such as an image sensor or an infrared sensor, is also provided at the stacking device. The collected sensor data can be transmitted to the operation control module or the battery replacement control submodule in the above-mentioned cloud transmission manner or by means of a data interface, so as to be used to adjust the movement of the stacking device.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first positioning device for the service vehicle or the second positioning device for the transfer vehicle 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 substantially 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.

[0038] As an alternative embodiment, the first positioning device or the second positioning device can be implemented in a simple manner as a warning component having a warning function, such as a warning column or a warning sign.

[0039] In some other embodiments, the first positioning device and the second positioning device are aligned in the axial direction, specifically, the two are substantially overlapped when viewed in a transverse direction perpendicular to the axial direction, wherein the axial direction is parallel to the length direction of the battery swap platform or to the length direction of the service vehicle parked on the battery swap platform as required. The axial direction is the up-down direction in the plane of the drawing.

[0040] Next, the transport vehicle of this energy replenishment system is described in more detail. A battery rack is provided on the transport vehicle, which includes a plurality of battery carriers arranged in an array with each other, and a power battery is supported on each battery carrier. As shown in the accompanying drawings, the battery rack can be provided with 3 layers in the vertical direction, and six power batteries are evenly arranged on each layer. The battery carrier can include a plurality of supporting bars for supporting the power battery at the end. Optionally, at least one power battery on the transport vehicle, in particular only one power battery, can be used as a charging battery. Specifically, a charging gun is arranged at at least one battery carrier, in particular only one battery carrier, one end of which is used to electrically connect to the power battery carried thereon and the other end is used to electrically connect to the service vehicle. As a result, 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 recharged 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. As a result, it is possible to provide an energy replenishment system that takes into account both battery replacement and charging, and thus makes it possible to take into account both battery replacement for electric heavy trucks and charging for passenger cars.

[0041] In this regard, in some other embodiments, in order to match the power battery of a passenger car, a transformer is provided between the charging gun and the associated power battery, by which the larger discharge voltage of the power battery corresponding to the electric heavy truck is reduced to a smaller discharge voltage corresponding to the electric passenger car.

[0042] In other embodiments, in order to ensure the operational safety of the transport vehicle as a so-called battery warehouse and the safety of the power batteries placed therein, a spray pipeline for containing coolant is also provided on the battery rack of the transport vehicle, so as to spray and cool down the abnormal power batteries on the battery carrier. The spray pipeline can be fixed on the frame structure of the battery rack and extend along the frame to cover the entire battery rack.

[0043] 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 for an electric vehicle, comprising a battery replacement module for replacing a power battery at a chassis of the electric vehicle, a charging module separated from the battery replacement module and used to charge the replaced power battery, and a transfer vehicle for transferring the power battery between the battery replacement module and the charging module. It is characterized in that The battery swap module includes a battery swap compartment and a storage compartment located on the side of the battery swap compartment. A battery swap platform for parking the electric vehicle to be swapped and a battery swap execution device for disassembling and installing the power battery are provided in the battery swap compartment. A first positioning device for positioning the electric vehicle to be swapped is provided on the battery swap platform. And wherein, a stacking device and a second positioning device for taking and placing power batteries are provided in the storage bin, and the second positioning device is used to position the transfer vehicle that has driven into the storage bin so that the power batteries on the transfer vehicle are within the effective range of the stacking device, and within the effective range, the stacking device stacks the power batteries on the transfer vehicle or removes the power batteries from the transfer vehicle.

2. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the first positioning device and the second positioning device comprises a V-shaped groove and a push rod, wherein the wheel is pushed to the center of the V-shaped groove accordingly by means of the push rod.

3. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first positioning device and the second positioning device are aligned with respect to an axial direction, wherein the axial direction is parallel to a length direction of the battery swap platform or parallel to a length direction of an electric vehicle parked on the battery swap platform as required.

4. The energy replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: An image sensor is arranged on the stacking device, with the aid of which information is acquired about the relative position of the transfer vehicle in the storage bin relative to the stacking device.

5. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A battery rack is provided on the transfer vehicle, and the battery rack includes a plurality of battery carriers arranged in parallel with each other, wherein a charging gun for electrically connecting to a power battery carried thereon is provided at at least one battery carrier, and the power battery is discharged by means of the charging gun.

6. The energy replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A voltage transformer is also provided between the charging gun and the corresponding power battery, and the discharge voltage of the power battery is adjusted by means of the voltage transformer.

7. The energy replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A spray pipeline is arranged on the battery rack of the transfer vehicle. A coolant is contained in the spray pipeline, and the power battery on the battery carrier can be sprayed to cool it down by means of the coolant.

8. The energy replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that: A data interface is provided on the transfer vehicle, and a matching data interface is correspondingly provided on the battery exchange platform, wherein the matching data interface is connected to the data interface for data transmission when the transfer vehicle is parked in the storage warehouse as required.

9. The energy replenishment system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The data transmission is associated with occupancy information of the battery carrier, the temperature of the power battery, the state of charge of the power battery, or the number of power batteries on the transport vehicle.

10. The energy replenishment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes an operation control module, which has a battery replacement control submodule for the battery replacement module, a charging control submodule for the charging module, and a transfer control submodule for the transfer vehicle, which communicate with each other via the cloud.

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