BATTERY CHARGING DEVICE FOR AREA CONVEYORS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a battery charging device of an intralogistics system in which logistical material and goods flows are handled within a company premises, wherein the battery charging device is designed to charge at least one fast-charging traction battery of at least one industrial truck, wherein the battery charging device can be connected to a power supply network via a power grid connection and has at least one high-performance charger to which the traction battery of the industrial truck can be connected for charging.

[0002] EP 2 538 518 A1 discloses a rapid charging device for charging a battery in an electric vehicle. The rapid charging device comprises a large-capacity battery, a first battery for quick charging, and a second battery for quick charging. To charge the vehicle battery with power from the three batteries of the rapid charging device, the rapid charging device comprises a DC / DC converter, a buffering resistor, and a direct charging path, with a switch allowing switching between these three charging paths.

[0003] EP 2 707 936 A0 discloses a mobile energy storage device designed as a trailer or as an attachment device, which has a plurality of batteries and can charge the battery of an electric vehicle at high voltage. According to Figure 10, the mobile energy storage device has the batteries and an inverter which converts DC power from the batteries into AC power at an AC output, and a variable energy control device which is connected on the input side to an AC input and a DC input and on the output side to a DC output and is connected to the batteries.

[0004] A solar-powered electric charging station for electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles is known from US 2012 / 0313568 A1.

[0005] US 2016 / 121735 A1 discloses a fast charging power supply system for vehicles.

[0006] An intralogistics system is a system in which the logistical flow of materials and goods is handled within a company's premises. Intralogistics systems include, in particular, storage and conveyor technology equipment, lifting equipment, industrial trucks, order-picking equipment, palletizing equipment, packaging equipment, as well as warehouse-specific facilities such as automatic gates, and higher-level data processing systems such as goods management systems or warehouse management systems. All of these devices and facilities constitute the technical process participants of the intralogistics system.

[0007] In such intralogistics systems, battery-powered industrial trucks with integrated, fixed, and therefore non-replaceable, fast-charging traction batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, are increasingly being used. To ensure high availability of the industrial trucks in the intralogistics system, these traction batteries must be charged very quickly. This requires a very high charging power. Battery replacement is not possible or should not be carried out in these industrial trucks, as particularly stringent safety requirements apply, especially in the case of lithium-ion batteries as traction batteries, due to the risk of enormous energy releases.

[0008] However, high charging capacity is often offset by the low connected load of the logistics operator's local electrical infrastructure. To avoid overloading the local power grid, the local electrical infrastructure must be expanded at considerable investment to accommodate high charging capacity for fast-charging traction batteries. Furthermore, peak power loads can result in high electricity costs for the operator.

[0009] The present invention is based on the object of designing a battery charging device of the type mentioned above in such a way that overloading of the local power grid and expensive power load peaks for the logistics operator can be avoided.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the battery charging device comprises at least one buffer storage for electrical energy which is interposed between the at least one high-performance charger and the power grid connection, and in that the battery charging device comprising the at least one buffer storage and the at least one high-performance charger is mounted on a movable platform.

[0011] To avoid overloading the local power grid and costly peak power loads for the logistics operator, the invention installs a buffer storage unit for electrical energy between the high-performance charger and the power grid connection. The battery charging device according to the invention thus combines a buffer storage unit for electrical energy, which has a power grid connection and is connected to the power grid, with at least one high-performance charger. The buffer storage unit is connected to a power grid on the input side via the power grid connection. On the output side, the buffer storage unit is electrically connected to the at least one high-performance charger. Existing buffer storage units can be used for energy buffering of power supply network nodes or isolated grids.

[0012] A conventional charger with a high charging capacity suitable for charging fast-charging traction batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, can be used as a high-performance charger. The high-performance charger is preferably designed so that, for example, a lithium-ion forklift battery with a battery capacity of 750 Ah can be charged to 50% of its capacity within 30 minutes.

[0013] The buffer storage unit preferably has a low-power grid connection, ensuring consistent utilization of the local power grid. This allows for low-power electrical energy to be absorbed and stored cost-effectively and released at high power when needed to charge at least one traction battery.

[0014] The buffer storage is conveniently designed as a lithium-ion battery.

[0015] The buffer storage preferably has a nominal energy content of approximately 80 to approximately 200 kWh, in particular approximately 100 to approximately 150 kWh.

[0016] If the logistics operator has a local power generation facility (solar power, combined heat and power plant, etc.), this energy can also be fed into the electrical buffer storage and used. For this purpose, the buffer storage is advantageously configured so that it can be connected to a local power generation facility, in particular a solar power generation facility or a combined heat and power plant.

[0017] A further embodiment provides for the buffer storage to be designed as a bidirectional buffer storage that can feed energy into the power grid. This allows, for example, local grid fluctuations (peak shaving, frequency stabilization) to be compensated.

[0018] In addition, by using a standard charging plug to charge the traction battery and / or by installing an additional standard charging plug, the batteries of battery-electric passenger cars and / or trucks can also be charged with the same battery charging device.

[0019] According to the invention, the battery charging device is mounted on a movable platform to ensure flexible use within the logistics operator's logistics environment. For this purpose, the battery charging device can, for example, be designed as a container with one or more container elements containing the buffer storage and the high-performance charging devices. The container elements can, for example, be mounted on a steel foundation.

[0020] The platform preferably has a collision protection device for the battery charging device. This is particularly important when the buffer storage is designed as a lithium-ion battery, since, for example, a collision between an industrial truck and the buffer storage, which is designed as a lithium-ion battery, can release enormous amounts of energy, increasing the risk of fire.

[0021] The collision protection device can, for example, include vertical steel beams at the corners of the platform, which protect the buffer storage from collisions and / or impacts.

[0022] The platform is conveniently equipped with a suspension device that allows it to be lifted and relocated using a crane. For this purpose, for example, eyelets on the vertical steel girders can be provided for attaching crane ropes. This allows the platform to be lifted using a crane or other suitable lifting device and transported to another location within the logistics area. This ensures flexible use within the logistics operator's logistics environment.

[0023] The invention offers a whole range of advantages: The logistics operator can use one or more high-performance chargers to charge fast-charging traction batteries of industrial trucks without having to expand their grid infrastructure and generate expensive peak loads for the energy supplier. Thanks to its relocatable and therefore mobile design, the battery charging device can be individually integrated into the logistics operator's logistics process. If the logistics operator has local energy generation (solar energy, combined heat and power plant, etc.), this energy can also be fed into the electrical buffer storage and used.

[0024] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic figures. Figure 1 in the upper part a schematic diagram of a battery charging device and in the lower part a perspective view of a battery charging device with industrial truck, and Figure 2 a perspective view of a platform with a battery charging device according to the invention.

[0025] In the lower part of the Figure 1 An industrial truck 1 is shown, which in the present embodiment is a battery-electric drive truck 1. In the industrial truck 1, a Figure 1 A fast-charging traction battery, not shown in detail, designed as a lithium-ion battery is installed, which, for safety reasons, is not removed from the industrial truck 1 for charging, but remains in the industrial truck 1. The traction battery, designed as a lithium-ion battery, is advantageously integrated into the industrial truck 1 and is thus permanently and non-replaceably installed in the industrial truck 1.

[0026] To charge the traction battery, the industrial truck 1 is driven to a battery charging device 2. The battery charging device 2 comprises a buffer storage unit 3 and at least one high-performance charger 4, which are housed in a shared container 5. The traction battery of the industrial truck 1 can be charged via at least one charging cable 6 with a charging plug 7.

[0027] To charge the traction battery with a storage capacity of 750 Ah to 50% of the charging capacity, at least one high-performance charger 4 requires only 30 minutes.

[0028] A lithium-ion battery with an energy content of, for example, 120 kWh serves as buffer storage 3.

[0029] The buffer storage unit 3 is connected to a public power grid via a local network infrastructure. For this purpose, the buffer storage unit 3 has a low-power grid connection 8, ensuring consistent grid utilization. At least one high-performance charger 4 is connected to the input side of the buffer storage unit 3. This allows low-power electrical energy to be drawn from the grid and stored in the buffer storage unit 3. When needed, the high-performance charger 4 can be used to charge the fast-charging traction battery of the industrial truck 1 at high power.

[0030] In the upper part of the Figure 1A schematic diagram of the battery charging device 2 is shown. It illustrates that the buffer storage 3 is interposed between the power grid connection 8 and the at least one high-performance charger 4 and is electrically arranged between the power grid connection 8 and the at least one high-performance charger 4.

[0031] The Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a platform 9 with a battery charging device 2 according to the invention. Figure 2 the buffer storage 3 and at least one high-performance charger 4 are housed in separate containers 5a and 5b, which are located on the platform 9.

[0032] The platform 9 comprises a steel foundation 10, which stands on feet 11 on the ground. Collision protection devices 12, designed as vertical steel beams 12, are attached to the corners of the steel foundation 10. These protect the buffer storage unit 3 against collisions, for example, from industrial trucks. In the upper area of ​​the steel beams 12, there are suspension devices 13 designed as eyelets 13, to which crane cables 14 can be attached. Using the crane cables 14, the platform 9 can be lifted, for example, with a crane, and transported to another location, e.g., within a warehouse.

Claims

1. Battery charging device (2) of an intralogistics system, in which logistical material flows and goods flows are handled on company premises, wherein the battery charging device (2) is designed to charge at least one fast-charging traction battery of at least one industrial truck (1), wherein the battery charging device (2) can be connected to a power supply grid via a power grid connection (8) and has at least one high-performance charger (4) to which the traction battery of the industrial truck (1) can be connected for charging, characterized in that the battery charging device (2) comprises at least one buffer store (3) for electrical energy, which buffer store is connected between the at least one high-performance charger (4) and the power grid connection (8), and in that battery charging device (2) comprising the at least one buffer store (3) and the at least one high-performance charger (4) is mounted on a movable platform (9).

2. Battery charging device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the buffer store (3) is in the form of a lithium-ion battery.

3. Battery charging device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the buffer store (3) has a nominal energy content of approximately 80 to approximately 200 kWh, in particular approximately 100 to approximately 150 kWh.

4. Battery charging device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the buffer store (3) can be connected to a local power generation system, in particular a solar power generation system or a block-type power plant.

5. Battery charging device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the buffer store (3) is in the form of a bidirectional buffer store (3), which can feed energy into the power supply grid.

6. Battery charging device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the platform (9) has a collision protection device (12) for the battery charging device (2).

7. Battery charging device according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the platform (9) has a suspension apparatus (13), which enables the platform (9) to be lifted and moved by means of a crane apparatus.