Charging station for an electric vehicle

Abstract

Charging station (1) for an electric vehicle (2), comprising - a charging plug (4) for charging the electric vehicle (2); - a media connector (3) connectable to the electric vehicle (2) for dissipating heat from a vehicle-side temperature control circuit (5) of the electric vehicle (2) by means of a cooling medium which can be supplied and discharged via the media connector (3); wherein heat can also be supplied to the electric vehicle (2) via the media connector (3) by means of a heating medium which can be supplied and discharged via the media connector (3); wherein the charging station (1) has a control unit which is coupled with various vehicle-side and vehicle-external sensors, and the control unit is configured to remove heat from the temperature control circuit (5) or to supply heat to the temperature control circuit (5) depending on corresponding sensor data regarding an outside temperature and a temperature of at least one component (7) of the electric vehicle (2) which is thermally coupled to the temperature control circuit (5). characterized by the fact that the charging station (1) has a payment interface for paying for the heat supplied and discharged.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a charging station for an electric vehicle of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Currently, charging stations are typically used exclusively for charging electric vehicles. Charging such vehicles takes a certain amount of time while the vehicle is not in operation. During the charging process, electric vehicles are often exposed to various environmental influences, including ambient temperature. The battery being charged typically heats up during the charging process, and other electrical and electronic components of the electric vehicle can also heat up. Frequently, vehicle systems such as batteries and other electronic systems in the passenger compartment are subjected to less than optimal thermal conditions, particularly during charging at a charging station.

[0003] Particularly fast charging and discharging times in high-performance electric vehicles can usually only be achieved through sophisticated thermal management of batteries and associated power electronics, with particular attention paid to cooling the battery cells.

[0004] Furthermore, electric vehicles exhibit a strong temperature dependency. For example, low temperatures reduce the range of an electric vehicle, while higher temperatures accelerate battery aging and can even damage battery cells. Therefore, a relatively homogeneous and favorable temperature distribution for electric vehicle batteries would be desirable.

[0005] To achieve optimal thermal management during the charging process of an electric vehicle, a portion of the available charging current often has to be used to regulate the temperature of the batteries. This means that this portion of the charging current is no longer available for the actual charging of the battery. In other words, a portion of the charging station's power output is consumed.

[0006] However, the available power that energy suppliers can provide via the grid is usually limited. Therefore, if the available power is used to temperature-control an electric vehicle's battery, the charging power is automatically limited.

[0007] It is already known in principle to dissipate excess heat during the charging process of electric vehicles. For example, DE 10 2016 004 851 A1, JP 2013-134 033 A, DE 10 2012 220 218 A1, DE 11 2012 003 099 T5, US 2009 / 0256523 A1, WO 2013 / 019336 A1 and US 2012 / 0318783 A1 each present solutions for dissipating heat from an electric vehicle battery during a charging process.

[0008] Furthermore, DE 10 2011 003 436 A1 discloses a container for housing a ground-level charging station for charging an electric vehicle. One side wall of the container can serve as wall or floor heating for a room in a building in which adjacent containers can be arranged.

[0009] FR 2 934 087 A3 discloses a system for cooling a battery of an electric vehicle, comprising at least one battery cooling circuit equipped with at least one inlet and one outlet for inlet and outlet of a fluid.

[0010] DE 10 2010 007 975 B4 discloses a charging station for an electrical energy storage device of a motor vehicle with a power source which can be connected to the energy storage device by means of at least one charging cable, wherein the charging station has a cooling device with at least one cooling line which can be connected to the motor vehicle for supplying a coolant to the energy storage device.

[0011] DE 195 30 609 C2 discloses a device for air conditioning a passenger compartment of vehicles, in particular electric vehicles, in which a heat exchange circuit is assigned to the cooling and heating of the passenger compartment.

[0012] DE 10 2015 222 703 A1 discloses a charging station for charging energy storage devices of motor vehicles designed to store electrical energy, with at least one charging port, wherein the charging station has at least one temperature control device for temperature control of the energy storage device.

[0013] DE 10 2017 113 845 A1 discloses a battery charging station for charging a battery installed in a vehicle, which includes at least one user unit for charging a battery installed in a vehicle and has an energy storage device. Furthermore, the battery charging station has a first energy transfer device for providing heat transfer between the battery and the energy storage device, and a second energy transfer device for providing heat transfer between the energy storage device and an energy absorption device.

[0014] US patent 2015 / 0306974 A1 discloses a method for thermally conditioning a vehicle's energy storage system during the charging process.

[0015] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution by which electric vehicles can be heated and charged particularly efficiently.

[0016] This problem is solved by a charging station for an electric vehicle and by an electric vehicle designed for connection to such a charging station, comprising the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0017] The charging station according to the invention for an electric vehicle comprises a charging plug for charging the electric vehicle and a media plug connectable to the electric vehicle for dissipating heat from a vehicle-side temperature control circuit of the electric vehicle by means of a cooling medium that can be supplied and removed via the media plug. The charging station according to the invention is characterized in that heat can also be supplied to the electric vehicle via the media plug by means of a heating medium that can be supplied and removed via the media plug. The charging plug can generally be understood as an interface through which electrical energy can be supplied to the electric vehicle. The media plug can generally be understood as an interface through which media can be supplied to and removed from the electric vehicle.

[0018] The charging station according to the invention thus extends the thermal management of an electric vehicle to include heating and cooling of respective vehicle systems, which are thermally coupled to the aforementioned temperature control circuit of the electric vehicle. Preferably, the charging station has at least one interface for connecting the charging station to at least one heat source and one interface for connecting the charging station to at least one cooling source. For example, in winter, additional heating can be provided via external heat sources to maintain or bring the traction battery of the electric vehicle within an optimal temperature range. It is equally possible, of course, to supply the cooling medium via the media connector to dissipate excess heat from the battery of the electric vehicle during a charging process.

[0019] The electrical connection capacity of the charging station can either be reduced or fully utilized for charging the electric vehicle's battery, as the vehicle's temperature control is achieved solely through the supply and removal of the cooling or heating medium via the media connector. Furthermore, the charging station enables sophisticated thermal management of the electric vehicle, heating or cooling the vehicle and its components as needed.

[0020] In particular, targeted heating or cooling of the electric vehicle can potentially reduce the required charging time. Consequently, the charging station's occupancy time can also be reduced.

[0021] In particular, the invention is based on the understanding that generating heat or cold with alternative technologies is considerably more economical than with electricity and also typically has a better energy balance. One example of this is combined heat, power, and cooling (CHP), commonly abbreviated as CHP. Here, the heat generated by a combined heat and power plant, a solar thermal system, or a geothermal system is used to operate an adsorption chiller for air conditioning. Furthermore, there are several methods of generating cold, such as cooling with thermal systems and cooling with thermomechanical systems.

[0022] According to the invention, the charging station is also designed to remove heat from or add heat to the temperature control circuit, depending on the ambient temperature and the temperature of at least one component of the electric vehicle that is thermally coupled to the circuit. For this purpose, the charging station can, for example, have a control unit that is coupled to a wide variety of vehicle-side and external sensors. Depending on corresponding sensor data regarding the ambient temperature and the temperature of various components of the electric vehicle, the charging station's control unit can supply or remove a heating or cooling medium as needed to precisely control the temperature of the various components of the electric vehicle.Without any action required from the user of the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle, in particular its battery or interior, can be optimally temperature-controlled before, during and / or after a charging process.

[0023] The charging station preferably has the aforementioned interfaces for connecting it to a heat supply and a cooling supply. In principle, the charging station can be connected to a wide variety of cooling or heating sources, so that the cooling medium or heating medium can be supplied to and removed from the electric vehicle to maintain its temperature.

[0024] For example, the charging station could be a private charging station located in a private parking space or garage. By connecting the media connector to the electric vehicle, the vehicle can be preheated in winter, for instance, independently of a power supply. This allows the vehicle's interior and battery to be optimally heated without consuming any electricity. Of course, this approach is also possible with commercial charging stations in public spaces.

[0025] According to the invention, the charging station is provided with a payment interface for paying for the heat supplied and dissipated. This allows commercial operators of the charging station to easily bill for the heat supplied and dissipated. For example, it is possible to bill and pay for the supplied and dissipated heat directly at the charging station using a credit card, debit card, PayPal, or any other payment method.

[0026] An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the charging station is configured to dissipate heat from or supply heat to the temperature control circuit independently of whether the electric vehicle is being charged. Charging the electric vehicle's battery can therefore be completely decoupled from the vehicle's temperature control. Even when the electric vehicle is not being charged via the charging station, it is possible to dissipate heat from or supply heat to the vehicle's temperature control circuit via the media connector plugged into the electric vehicle. For example, after a charging process is complete, it is possible to maintain the temperature of the electric vehicle's interior – for instance, in particularly low ambient temperatures – or to keep it at a pre-tempered temperature without consuming any electricity.For example, if the charging station has multiple charging plugs, the entire charging capacity of the charging station can be used to charge another electric vehicle, while the previously charged electric vehicle continues to be kept at temperature.

[0027] The unclaimed electric vehicle is designed for connection to the charging station according to the invention or an advantageous embodiment of the charging station according to the invention, wherein the electric vehicle has a charging interface for the charging plug of the charging station, at least one temperature control circuit and a media interface for the media plug of the charging station for removing heat from the temperature control circuit of the electric vehicle and for supplying heat to the temperature control circuit of the electric vehicle.

[0028] Furthermore, the electric vehicle is designed to have a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the vehicle's temperature control circuit and the cooling and heating media, which can be supplied and discharged via the media connector. This allows heat to be added to or removed from the temperature control circuit in a particularly simple manner. The heat exchanger is designed as a recuperator, meaning it has separate compartments for the temperature control circuit fluid and for the cooling and heating media that can be supplied and discharged via the media connector. Therefore, a fluid from the temperature control circuit never comes into contact with the supplied or discharged cooling or heating media. This is particularly advantageous if the vehicle's temperature control circuit uses a different fluid than the cooling and heating media.

[0029] Finally, another advantageous embodiment of the electric vehicle provides that the temperature control circuit has an inlet for supplying the cooling and heating media and an outlet for discharging the cooling and heating media. In particular, in this case, the aforementioned heat exchanger can be omitted, allowing the cooling and heating media to be supplied directly to and discharged from the electric vehicle's temperature control circuit. This results in a particularly simple design for controlling the temperature of the electric vehicle's temperature control circuit and thus the temperature of the relevant components of the electric vehicle.

[0030] Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment and from the drawing. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those shown below in the figure description and / or in the figure itself, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0031] The drawing shows, in a highly schematic representation, an electric vehicle connected to a charging station, with a charging plug for charging the electric vehicle and a media plug for temperature control of the electric vehicle connected on the one hand.

[0032] In the figures, functionally identical elements are each provided with the same reference symbols.

[0033] A charging station 1, to which an electric vehicle 2 is connected, is shown in a highly schematic representation in the single figure. The charging station 1 has a charging plug 3 for charging the electric vehicle 2. Furthermore, the charging station 1 also has a media plug 4, via which the electric vehicle 2 can be temperature-controlled. The media plug 4 allows heat to be removed from a vehicle-side temperature control circuit 5 and also allows heat to be supplied to the temperature control circuit 5 of the electric vehicle 2. Thus, the media plug 4 makes it possible to both cool and heat the electric vehicle 2.

[0034] The vehicle's temperature control circuit 5 incorporates a heat exchanger 6 and at least one component 7. Component 7 could, for example, be a battery of the electric vehicle 2, which is thermally coupled to the temperature control circuit 5 and can be charged by plugging in the charging connector 3. Contrary to this highly schematic representation, it is of course also possible that a multitude of other components are coupled to the temperature control circuit 5.

[0035] Charging station 1 preferably has several interfaces for connecting it to different heat suppliers 8 and cooling suppliers 9. For example, charging station 1 can be coupled to a combined heat, power, and cooling (CHP) system. It can also be connected to a local or district heating network. Similarly, charging station 1 can be connected to a local or district cooling network. It is also possible for charging station 1 to be coupled to an air conditioning system in a single-family or multi-family home. Charging station 1 can also be connected to an air conditioning system in a public building.

[0036] The electric vehicle 2 is designed for connection to the charging station 1 and includes, in particular, a charging interface (not shown in detail here) for receiving the charging plug 3 and a media interface (also not shown in detail) for receiving the media plug 4. Contrary to the present illustration, it is also possible that the charging plug 3 and the media plug 4 are designed as a single plug in which the respective media and power connections are integrated. In this case, only a single plug needs to be inserted into the electric vehicle 2, both to charge the electric vehicle 2 and to extract heat from or supply heat to the electric vehicle 2.

[0037] Charging station 1 is specifically designed to remove heat from or supply heat to the temperature control circuit 5, independent of any charging process of the electric vehicle 2. For example, it is possible to preheat the battery of the electric vehicle 2 to a particularly favorable temperature before the actual charging process by supplying heat, i.e., by supplying a heating medium via the inserted media connector 4, at which the battery can be charged particularly quickly and without damage.

[0038] During the actual battery charging process, a cooling medium can be supplied via the media connector 4, for example, to dissipate excess heat from the battery, preventing it from overheating. Alternatively or additionally, particularly at low ambient temperatures, the waste heat from the charging process can also be used, to the extent necessary, to heat the interior of the electric vehicle 2. Only when the vehicle interior has reached a sufficient temperature is excess heat from the battery dissipated via the charging station 1 to a corresponding heating or cooling system 8, 9.

[0039] After the charging process is complete, it is also possible, especially at low outside temperatures, to continue supplying a suitable heating medium via the inserted media connector 4 in order to keep the interior of the electric vehicle 2 warm via the vehicle's temperature control circuit 5 without requiring any electricity.

[0040] Of course, at particularly high ambient temperatures, it is also possible to regulate the temperature of the electric vehicle 2's interior by supplying a cooling medium via media connector 4, independent of any actual charging process. Regardless of whether the electric vehicle 2 is cooled or heated via media connector 4, the temperature regulation via the respective fluids—i.e., the corresponding cooling or heating media—ensures that the charging capacity of charging station 1 is not affected by the temperature regulation of the electric vehicle 2. This is because the temperature regulation of the electric vehicle 2 occurs independently of any power supply to the vehicle, so that the entire available charging capacity of charging station 1 can be used for the actual charging of the electric vehicle 2's battery.

[0041] Charging station 1 may also feature a payment interface (not shown in detail here) for paying for the heat supplied and dissipated. For example, charging station 1 may have a card reader for credit cards or debit cards. Furthermore, payment can also be made via near-field communication (NFC) using a smartphone. In principle, any payment method is possible at charging station 1 to bill for the heat supplied and dissipated.

[0042] The aforementioned interfaces for connecting the charging station 1 to the respective heat suppliers 8 and cold suppliers 9, as well as the media connector 4, can also be designed as a retrofit module, which can be retrofitted to conventional charging stations as an assembly or kit.

[0043] Furthermore, it is also possible that the aforementioned interfaces and the media connector 4 are integrated into the corresponding charging stations 1 from the outset during their manufacture.

Claims

[1] Charging station (1) for an electric vehicle (2), comprising - a charging plug (4) for charging the electric vehicle (2); - a media connector (3) connectable to the electric vehicle (2) for dissipating heat from a vehicle-side temperature control circuit (5) of the electric vehicle (2) by means of a cooling medium which can be supplied and discharged via the media connector (3); wherein heat can also be supplied to the electric vehicle (2) via the media connector (3) by means of a heating medium which can be supplied and discharged via the media connector (3); wherein the charging station (1) has a control unit which is coupled with various vehicle-side and vehicle-external sensors, and the control unit is configured to remove heat from the temperature control circuit (5) or to supply heat to the temperature control circuit (5) depending on corresponding sensor data regarding an outside temperature and a temperature of at least one component (7) of the electric vehicle (2) which is thermally coupled to the temperature control circuit (5). characterized by , that the charging station (1) has a payment interface for paying for the heat supplied and discharged. [2] Charging station (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the charging station (1) has at least one interface for connecting the charging station (1) to a heat supplier (8). [3] Charging station (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the charging station (1) has at least one interface for connecting the charging station (1) to a cooling supplier (9). [4] Charging station (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the charging station (1) is designed to remove heat from the temperature control circuit (5) or to supply heat to the temperature control circuit (5), regardless of whether the electric vehicle (2) is charging.

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