Method for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station, wherein the charging station is designed so that several rail vehicles can be charged at it in parallel. The method is characterized in that at least one current state of charge of the energy storage device is determined by the rail vehicle, at least information regarding identification and the determined state of charge is transmitted by the rail vehicle to a central charging planning device assigned to the charging station, a vehicle-specific charging plan is determined by the charging planning device and transmitted to the rail vehicle, depending at least on a maximum total charging capacity of the charging station, a scheduling plan assigned to the rail vehicle, and a target state of charge, and the energy storage device is charged by the rail vehicle at the charging station depending on the received charging plan.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station, a rail vehicle and a charging planning device.

[0002] As a fleet operator's fleet increasingly replaces rail vehicles powered by internal combustion engines with those equipped with at least one electrical energy storage device, such as a traction battery, there is a corresponding need to be able to charge these energy storage devices with electrical energy at specific locations on the route network used by the fleet. This can be achieved, in particular, while the rail vehicles are traveling on electrified route sections. In addition, however, special charging stations are often required where the rail vehicles can be charged during stops or storage. Such charging stations are typically provided at terminal stops and / or depots on the route network where, for example, several rail vehicles are parked overnight.This usually long shutdown period is used to charge the energy storage units.

[0003] The capacity of a charging station and / or the energy supply infrastructure connected to it is often insufficient to charge several or all of the rail vehicles connected to it at the maximum charging power in parallel. Therefore, it is necessary to distribute the available maximum total charging power among the rail vehicles in such a way that the charging station or the infrastructure supplying it is not overloaded.

[0004] Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a method that enables a suitable distribution of the total charging power of a charging station among several rail vehicles connected to it. This object is achieved by the respective features of the independent patent claims. Further developments are specified in the dependent patent claims.

[0005] The method according to the invention for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station, wherein the charging station is designed such that several rail vehicles can be charged in parallel at it, is characterized in that at least one current state of charge of the energy storage device is determined by the rail vehicle, at least information relating to an identification and the determined state of charge is transmitted from the rail vehicle to a central charging planning device assigned to the charging station, a vehicle-specific charging plan is determined by the charging planning device at least depending on a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a circulation plan assigned to the rail vehicle and a target state of charge and is transmitted to the rail vehicle, and the energy storage device is charged by the rail vehicle at the charging station depending on the received charging plan.

[0006] Each rail vehicle, or at least the rail vehicles in the fleet whose energy storage devices are to be charged using the charging station, are communicatively connected to the central charging planning device according to the invention for the exchange of information and the charging plan. The communication connection is established, for example, via a radio interface, with both the rail vehicles and the charging planning device having or being connected to corresponding transmitting and receiving devices.

[0007] The charging planning device can be assigned to a single charging station, but preferably it is assigned to several charging stations located along the route network. The charging planning device can be configured as a separate device connected to other devices of a fleet management system of the fleet operator, or alternatively as a further function of such a management system.

[0008] The charging station converts electrical energy provided by the energy supply infrastructure, for example, into a voltage suitable for charging the energy storage devices, but preferably into a typical voltage of an electrified rail network. Such a typical voltage is a single-phase alternating voltage of 25 kV, 50 Hz, or 15 kV, 16.7 Hz, or a direct voltage of 3 kV or 1.5 kV. The rail vehicles usually already have converters adapted or adaptable to at least one of these voltages, so that the energy storage devices can be charged at the charging station in the same way as when traveling on an electrified section of track. The charging station further comprises a plurality of charging lines or charging rails, which are designed to correspond to an overhead line section or conductor rail section. These charging lines orCharging rails are arranged, for example, along sidings so that rail vehicles can connect electrically to them during storage. The charging station itself does not allocate charging power to specific charging lines or charging rails; rather, the charging station serves exclusively to provide electrical energy.

[0009] The charging planning system, which is superordinate to the rail vehicles, enables cross-vehicle or fleet- or sub-fleet-specific planning of the charging power distribution, thus advantageously preventing, in particular, the potential exceedance of the maximum total charging power of the charging station, which can be detrimental to rail vehicles during otherwise unplanned charging. The vehicle-specific charging plan determined by the charging planning system serves to implement this planning by the rail vehicles.

[0010] The determination of the vehicle-specific charging plan is based in particular on the information provided by the rail vehicle to the charging planning device. This information includes at least an identification of the rail vehicle, for example a unique vehicle number or identifier, as well as, if necessary, additional information regarding the vehicle type, such as the series. Using the identification information, the charging planning device can determine a current schedule for the identified rail vehicle, for example in conjunction with another device of the fleet management system. Such a schedule shows, in particular, the time at which the rail vehicle will be put back into operation, from which the charging planning device can in turn derive the time at which the rail vehicle's energy storage device must have a specified target charge level or at least the target charge level.Based on the information about the current charge level of the energy storage system and the target charge level, the charging planning device determines the amount of energy that must be charged to the rail vehicle within the available time. The vehicle schedule can, for example, include temporary changes to timetables relevant to the rail vehicle, which can be taken into account by the charging planning device when determining the charging plan.

[0011] According to a further development, the charging planning device uses the charging plan to determine at least one period of time and a maximum charging power permitted during the period.

[0012] The vehicle-specific charging plan thus defines at least a period of time during which the receiving rail vehicle can charge its energy storage device at the charging station with a specific maximum charging power. The period can be defined by specifying a start time and a duration of the period, or alternatively by specifying start and end times. Determining vehicle-specific periods serves, for example, to distribute the limited charging power provided by the charging station across multiple rail vehicles at different times, taking the respective schedule into account.For example, the time periods for several rail vehicles connected to the charging station can be determined such that only one of the several rail vehicles charges its energy storage device with the specified maximum charging power, while the other rail vehicles are only allowed to draw a lower charging power from the charging station, which is sufficient, for example, to operate the rail vehicle's auxiliary systems. This lower charging power can also be additionally defined in the charging plan. The charging planning device can determine the order of the time periods depending on the respective current state of charge of the rail vehicles, with the rail vehicle with the highest current state of charge being assigned a first time period, the rail vehicle with the next lowest state of charge being assigned a subsequent second time period, and so on.One goal of temporally disjoint charging can be to charge the energy storage devices of all rail vehicles connected to the charging station to a specific minimum charge level within a specific period of time. This level can, for example, be sufficient for the respective rail vehicle to start or continue operation according to the schedule.

[0013] According to a further development, a current position is additionally determined by the rail vehicle and information regarding the determined current position is transmitted to the charging planning device, and the rail vehicle and / or the charging planning device determines, using the current position, whether the rail vehicle is located in a geographical area of ​​the charging station.

[0014] The charging planning device therefore determines the charging plan based on whether the rail vehicle is at the charging station or not. For this purpose, the charging station can be assigned to a specific geographical area, for example. As soon as the rail vehicle determines that it is at or within the range of the charging station by comparing its current position with this area, which can be stored in a data storage device of the rail vehicle, for example, it transmits the identification and charge status information to the charging planning device. Alternatively or additionally, the charging planning device can also use the information regarding the current position to verify whether the rail vehicle is at or within the range of the charging station.The current position of the rail vehicle can be determined, for example, using one or more known satellite-based positioning systems. Alternatively or additionally, this can be done using special signaling devices. Such signaling devices, such as a beacon located in the track or special radio transmitters located in the vicinity of the track, are located, for example, at the boundary of the area or geographical area of ​​the charging station, so that the rail vehicle detects entry into this area upon crossing the beacon or receiving special radio signals.

[0015] After further training, the charging planning facility determines the vehicle-specific charging plan, additionally depending on time-dependent energy charges for the charging station.

[0016] Information regarding time-dependent energy charges or charges applicable at specific times for the purchase of electrical energy from the energy supply infrastructure connected to the charging station can be transmitted to the charging planning facility, for example, by another facility in the fleet management system or by the operator of the energy supply infrastructure itself. Taking this information into account enables, for example, the planning of charging schedules with the goal of at least predominantly charging during periods of low charges, which can advantageously reduce the operating costs of the rail vehicles associated with charging.

[0017] The rail vehicle according to the invention, which comprises at least one drive system, an energy storage device, a communication device and a control device, is characterized in that the control device is designed to determine a current state of charge of the energy storage device, the communication device is designed to transmit at least information relating to an identification and the determined state of charge to a central charging planning device assigned to a charging station and to receive a charging plan from the charging planning device, which was determined by the charging planning device at least as a function of a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a circulation plan assigned to the rail vehicle and a target state of charge, and in that the control device is further designed to control the charging of the energy storage device at the charging station as a function of the received charging plan.

[0018] The charging planning device according to the invention for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station assigned to the charging planning device, wherein the charging station is designed such that a plurality of rail vehicles can be charged in parallel at it, is characterized in that the charging planning device is designed to receive from a rail vehicle at least information relating to an identification and a specific current state of charge, to determine a vehicle-specific charging plan at least as a function of a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a circulation plan assigned to the rail vehicle and a target state of charge, and to transmit the determined charging plan to the rail vehicle.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, a rail vehicle determines, in particular periodically, its current position and the current charge level of the energy storage device, in particular of the one or more traction batteries that serve to supply at least one drive system of the rail vehicle. The rail vehicle transmits the determined position, the determined charge level, and an identification code, also periodically, to a central charging planning device or to a central fleet management system connected to it.

[0020] The charging planning device processes the received information and, in particular, checks whether the rail vehicle is within the range of the charging station or a charging station. If the charging planning device confirms this, it determines a charging plan for all rail vehicles confirmed within the range of the charging station or connected to it and transmits this plan to the rail vehicles. The received charging plan is implemented accordingly on the rail vehicle side. For example, a control device on the rail vehicle controls a charging device so that it charges the energy storage device according to the charging plan.

[0021] The charging plans define a specific period of time for each rail vehicle during which it can charge the battery storage with a also defined maximum charging power, as well as a reduced charging power at which the battery storage can be charged or the rail vehicle can be operated during the remaining time.

[0022] The respective time period can be determined according to a prioritization of the rail vehicles. For example, the rail vehicle with the highest state of charge is assigned a first time period, the rail vehicle with the next lowest state of charge a subsequent second time period, and so on. This ensures that a number of rail vehicles are ready for operation within a limited period of time, at least with regard to the state of charge of the battery storage units. The time periods can also be dimensioned such that the energy storage units of all rail vehicles connected to the charging station are each charged to a specific minimum state of charge within these time periods. This minimum state of charge is dimensioned, for example, such that the respective rail vehicle can already begin or continue operation according to its schedule with this level.If there is still time left after this minimum charge level has been reached until one or more rail vehicles start operating, the charging power of the charging station can, for example, be distributed evenly among the connected rail vehicles by the charging planning device, which in turn is transmitted to the rail vehicles by means of corresponding charging plans.

[0023] When selecting the time periods, a tariff structure of the energy supply infrastructure supplying the charging station can also be taken into account, with the charging planning facility, for example, preferentially selecting periods with low charges.

[0024] The maximum charging power defined in the charging plans is calculated by the charging planning facility, for example, in such a way that the maximum total charging power that can be provided by the charging station is not exceeded, taking into account the reduced charging power of the other rail vehicles.

Claims

[1] Method for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station, wherein the charging station is designed such that several rail vehicles can be charged in parallel, characterized by , that - at least one current charge level of the energy storage device is determined by the rail vehicle, - at least information regarding identification and the determined charging status is transmitted from the rail vehicle to a central charging planning facility assigned to the charging station, - a vehicle-specific charging plan is determined by the charging planning device and transmitted to the rail vehicle, at least depending on a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a vehicle schedule assigned to the rail vehicle and a target charging state, and - the rail vehicle's energy storage device is charged at the charging station depending on the charging plan received. [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the charging planning device uses the charging plan to determine at least one period of time and a maximum charging power permitted during the period. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that a current position is additionally determined by the rail vehicle and information regarding the determined current position is transmitted to the load planning device, and the rail vehicle and / or the charging planning device uses the current position to determine whether the rail vehicle is located within a geographical area of ​​the charging station. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the charging planning device determines the vehicle-specific charging plan in addition to time-dependent energy charges for the charging station. [5] Rail vehicle comprising at least one drive system, an energy storage device, a communication device and a control device, characterized by , that - the control device is designed to determine a current state of charge of the energy storage device, - the communication device is designed to transmit at least information relating to an identification and the determined state of charge to a central charging planning device assigned to a charging station and to receive from the charging planning device a charging plan which has been determined by the charging planning device at least as a function of a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a circulation plan assigned to the rail vehicle and a target state of charge, and - the control device is further designed to control the charging of the energy storage device depending on the received charging plan at the charging station. [6] Charging planning device for controlling the charging of electrical energy storage devices of rail vehicles at a charging station assigned to the charging planning device, wherein the charging station is designed such that several rail vehicles can be charged in parallel, characterized by that the charging planning device is designed to receive from a rail vehicle at least information relating to an identification and a specific current charging state, to determine a vehicle-specific charging plan at least depending on a maximum total charging power of the charging station, a circulation plan assigned to the rail vehicle and a target charging state, and to transmit the determined charging plan to the rail vehicle.