Central electrical device for operating an electric driving and / or recuperation axle of a trailer or semitrailer of a utility vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a central electrical device (1) for operating an electric driving and / or recuperation axle (16) of a trailer or semitrailer (2) of a utility vehicle (5), comprising at least two electrical and / or electronic components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) which are arranged in a common housing (6) and are interconnected inside the housing (6) in such a way that the components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38), which operate at the same voltage level, are guided to a common interface (14, 15), formed on the housing, for connection to the electric driving and / or recuperation axle (16) of the trailer or semitrailer (2) of the utility vehicle (5).

Description

[0001] Central electrical device for operating an electric drive and / or recuperation axle of a trailer or semi-trailer of a commercial vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a central electrical device for operating an electric drive and / or recuperation axle of a trailer or semi-trailer of a commercial vehicle. The electric drive and / or recuperation axle is preferably designed as an e-drive axle. The trailer or semi-trailer can be designed as a tipper, center-axle trailer, or semi-trailer.

[0003] E-drive axles are known to be used in trailers or semi-trailers of commercial vehicles and are characterized by the integration of an electric drive motor into the axle. Such a trailer or semi-trailer can be attached to any truck or tractor unit, transforming it into a hybrid vehicle. The additional self-propulsion of the trailer or semi-trailer influences the traction and acceleration of the entire vehicle.

[0004] All known electric trailer systems utilize diverse component arrangements containing the electrical and / or electronic components necessary for power supply and propulsion. These component arrangements are distributed throughout the entire trailer or semi-trailer, making installation at a single trailer or semi-trailer manufacturing location or on a regular production line difficult.

[0005] It is an object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to provide a central electrical device that can be assembled at only one location or on a regular production line.

[0006] This object is achieved by a central electrical device according to claim 1. According to this, the central electrical device for operating an electric drive and / or recuperation axle of a trailer or semi-trailer of a commercial vehicle comprises at least two electrical and / or electronic components which are arranged in a common housing and are interconnected within the housing such that the components operating at the same voltage level are routed to a common interface formed on the housing for connection to the electric drive and / or recuperation axle of the trailer or semi-trailer of the commercial vehicle. Such a central electrical device has a reduced number of interfaces connecting the central electrical device to the trailer or semi-trailer and can be delivered pre-assembled to the manufacturer of the trailer or semi-trailer.The trailer or semi-trailer manufacturer can eliminate the need for subsequent manual assembly, as only a few interfaces need to be connected to the trailer or semi-trailer. This shortens assembly time and eliminates assembly steps. The use of trained production personnel and highly specialized employees, who, for example, have knowledge of high-voltage components and circuits, can also be largely eliminated. Design changes to the trailer or semi-trailer are not necessary. The central electrical system can be produced in large quantities.

[0007] The trailer or semi-trailer manufacturer simply needs to replace a conventional axle with an e-Drive axle. The e-Drive axle is an electric motor-driven axle, with the electric motor positioned on the axle. This enables electric trailer functionality, which includes the recovery of kinetic energy from mechanical energy (known as recuperation) and the provision of drive power from electrical energy to assist the tractor in overcoming driving resistance (known as traction).

[0008] In the simplest variant, the components operating at the same voltage level are interconnected within the housing via a distribution unit corresponding to the voltage level. The distribution unit may, in particular, include a fuse unit. Such a distribution unit, connected to a voltage source, supplies the individual electrical components with the appropriate voltages. If the distribution unit is supplemented by a fuse unit comprising fuses and / or relays, the lines to the electrical and / or electronic components are protected separately from one another if a line overload occurs. This largely prevents the central electrical system from malfunctioning.

[0009] The electrical components operating at a high-voltage level are connected to a high-voltage source located in the housing via a high-voltage distribution unit or a high-voltage distribution and protection unit and routed to a common high-voltage interface for operating a drive component of the drive and / or recuperation axle. All electrical components within the central electrical system are supplied with power from a single high-voltage source via the high-voltage distribution and protection unit. At the same time, the high-voltage source supplies the electric drive and recuperation axles with power via a single high-voltage interface.

[0010] In one embodiment, the electrical and / or electronic components are routed via a low-voltage module, which preferably has a low-voltage distribution and / or protection unit, to a common low-voltage interface for supplying power to and / or controlling at least one low-voltage component positioned in the drive and / or recuperation axle. In this case, too, the low-voltage lines are interconnected within the central electrical system and consolidated in the low-voltage module, which also has fuses and relays to protect the individual low-voltage lines.The low-voltage module leads to a single low-voltage interface, which is designed to forward the data and / or voltages transmitted via the low-voltage lines to a control unit of the drive and / or recuperation axle, which can be located on the drive and / or recuperation axle. The low-voltage interface is advantageously designed as a wiring harness.

[0011] The low-voltage module can be directly connected to a low-voltage power source located within the housing of the central electrical system. This provides low-voltage power to both the low-voltage components located within the housing and the control unit located externally on the drive and / or recuperation axle.

[0012] In a particularly simple design, the high-voltage interface connected to the high-voltage source via an inverter is designed as an AC interface for directly supplying power to an electric motor driving the drive and / or recuperation axle. This requires only one high-voltage interface on the housing, preferably designed as a plug with a large cross-section. However, this high-voltage interface not only transfers electrical energy to the drive and / or recuperation axle to drive the electric motor.In the opposite direction, during recuperation operation of the drive and / or recuperation axle, in which the electric motor operates as a generator and is driven by the mechanical energy of the wheels, electrical energy can be generated from the mechanical energy, which is fed back via the same high-voltage interface of the central electrical device to charge the high-voltage battery.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment, the high-voltage voltage source of the high-voltage interface, designed as a direct current interface, is designed to supply voltage to an inverter positioned on the drive and / or recuperation axle, and the low-voltage interface is designed to supply and control a control unit of the electric motor mounted on the drive and / or recuperation axle. This thus represents the simplest variant of the central electrical device, requiring only one high-voltage interface and one low-voltage interface for coupling to the trailer or semi-trailer.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, a cooling system for the electric drive and / or recuperation axle is arranged in the housing, wherein the cooling system is guided via a cooling line inside the housing to a coolant interface formed on the housing for cooling the electric drive and / or recuperation axle. The coolant interface is preferably designed as a coupling which connects the cooling line inside the housing to a cooling line of the drive and / or recuperation axle. The coupling can be installed in just a few simple steps. This significantly simplifies the coupling process between the central electrical device and the drive and / or recuperation axle. Inside the housing, in addition to the high-voltage battery, other electrical components can also be cooled by connecting the corresponding cooling lines from the cooling system to these additional components.

[0015] In a further preferred embodiment, a control unit of the trailer or semi-trailer, which is external to the housing and connected to a data and / or power line of the commercial vehicle via an electronic gateway, is routed from the outside to the low-voltage module via a control unit interface of the housing and outputs control signals to the control unit of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle via the low-voltage interface of the housing. With this convenient design, external commercial vehicle control units can also be connected to the central electrical system. This has the advantage that the drive conditions of the tractor and the trailer or semi-trailer can be coordinated.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the housing-external control unit is designed as the brake control unit of the trailer or semi-trailer. This makes it possible for the brake control unit to receive, for example, a deceleration or acceleration request from the tractor unit and its inclination via the standardized interface. From this, the brake control unit can draw conclusions about the driving dynamics and provide data that is sent via the low-voltage interface to the control unit of the drive and / or recuperation axle, thereby controlling the electric motor in such a way that the driving dynamics of the entire commercial vehicle are improved.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the control unit is connected to a telematics unit of the commercial vehicle to improve driving dynamics and / or efficiency and / or vehicle monitoring of the commercial vehicle. Alternatively, the telematics unit can also be connected directly to the low-voltage interface. For this purpose, an additional data line is connected to the connection between the low-voltage interface and the control unit. The telematics unit determines distance data from the commercial vehicle to the destination. This can be used to draw conclusions as to whether the charge level of the high-voltage battery is sufficient to reach the destination. From the surface profiles of the area surrounding the route to be traveled, it can be determined when it is advantageous to put the drive and / or recuperation axle into recuperation mode in order to charge the high-voltage battery while the commercial vehicle is traveling and thus balance the energy balance.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment, an electrical power interface is arranged in the housing, which can be connected to an auxiliary unit of the trailer or semi-trailer via another electrical power interface of the housing. This electrical power interface has a wide range of applications. For example, it can be used to operate a refrigeration compressor for cargo cooling in the trailer or semi-trailer. It is also conceivable that a forklift attached to the trailer or semi-trailer could be supplied with power via this power interface. Since the power interface can also be designed as a separate island network, a separate high-voltage battery for supplying the auxiliary units of the trailer or semi-trailer is no longer required.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment, the trailer's or semi-trailer's auxiliary unit is designed as a refrigeration unit. Eliminating the need for a diesel compressor in the refrigeration unit improves the trailer's or semi-trailer's noise level. At the same time, space in the trailer or semi-trailer is saved. The energy required to supply the refrigeration unit can also be compensated for by the recuperation operation of the drive and / or recuperation axle.

[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, a battery charger is arranged in the housing, which is connected to another high-voltage interface of the housing for external energy transfer to and / or from the high-voltage battery. If the energy consumption in the central electrical device is too high or the charge level of the high-voltage battery is too low, the high-voltage battery can be charged externally at any time.

[0021] In a further preferred embodiment, a mechanical interface for attachment to a chassis of the trailer or semi-trailer of the commercial vehicle is formed on the housing. The prefabricated central electrical device can be easily mounted on the trailer or semi-trailer by the manufacturer of the trailer or semi-trailer via this mechanical interface. Depending on the type of trailer or semi-trailer, the central electrical device can be attached to a side surface or floor or on or to a roof surface of the trailer or semi-trailer. For semi-trailers, it is advisable to position the central electrical device in the area of ​​the pallet box provided for pallets. For tipper vehicles, it is recommended that the central electrical device be arranged on the ladder frame.

[0022] Further features, advantages and characteristics of the invention will be explained by the description of preferred embodiments with reference to the figures, which show:

[0023] Fig. 1: a schematic representation of an embodiment of the central electrical device according to the invention on a semi-trailer of a commercial vehicle,

[0024] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment of an electrical circuit of the central electrical device of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle according to the invention,

[0025] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a second embodiment of an electrical circuit of the central electrical device of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle according to the invention.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment of the arrangement of the central electrical device according to the invention on a semitrailer is shown in Fig. 1a. The central electrical device 1, designed as a box, is attached to a narrow side of a semitrailer 2 via a mechanical interface 3 (Fig. 1b). After the central electrical device 1 has been attached, the semitrailer 2 is transported by the manufacturer to the manufacturer of the tractor 4, onto which the semitrailer 2 is mounted, thus forming the commercial vehicle 5 together with the tractor 4.

[0027] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first exemplary embodiment of an electrical connection of the central electrical device 1 according to the invention with the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16. The central electrical device 1 comprises a housing 6 in which a high-voltage network 7 and a low-voltage network 8 are formed. A high-voltage battery 9, which provides a voltage between 650 and 800 volts, supplies various high-voltage components arranged in the housing 6 with voltage via a high-voltage distribution and protection unit 10. These components include an inverter 19, an electrical power interface 11 for supplying auxiliary units of the trailer 2, and a battery charger 12, which are simultaneously connected to a low-voltage module 38 via the low-voltage network 8 for data transmission. A low-voltage distribution and protection unit 39 is integrated into this low-voltage module 38.The high-voltage battery 9 is connected via the high-voltage distribution and protection unit 10 to a DC / DC converter 13, which converts the DC voltage provided by the high-voltage battery 9 into a low-voltage DC voltage for supplying the low-voltage module 38. This connects the high-voltage battery 9 to the low-voltage power grid and provides low voltages for the low-voltage module 38 and a battery management system 42 connected to the low-voltage module 38.

[0028] The inverter 19, supplied by the high-voltage battery 9, generates high-voltage alternating voltage from high-voltage direct voltage, which is routed via a high-voltage line 45 directly to the single high-voltage interface 14 formed on the housing 6 as an alternating current interface, while the low-voltage module 38 is routed to a low-voltage interface 15, which is also formed on the housing 6. The high-voltage interface 14 is formed by a plug with a large cross-section, while the low-voltage interface 15 is designed as a cable harness.

[0029] The high-voltage interface 14 and the low-voltage interface 15 each form an interface to the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16 (e-Drive axle) of the semi-trailer 2, supplying it with voltage and exchanging data or control signals with it. To drive the mechanical axle 17, an electric motor 18 supplied with alternating voltage is positioned thereon. This motor is controlled by a control unit 20, also attached to the axle 17, based on the signals provided by the low-voltage module 38. In traction mode, the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16 operates as a drive axle for driving the wheels 21 of the semi-trailer 2 attached to the mechanical axle 17.However, the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16 can also be operated in recuperation mode, in which electrical energy is generated from the mechanical energy generated by the wheels by the electric motor 18 acting as a generator. This electrical energy is fed into the high-voltage network 7 via the high-voltage interface 14 and can be used there to recharge the high-voltage battery 9 or to supply the electrical power interface 11 with energy. Recuperation mode is deactivated when the commercial vehicle 5 travels downhill.

[0030] In addition to the described electrical components, the housing 6 contains a cooling system 22 for the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16. This cooling system 22 is connected to a housing-internal cooling line 23, which leads to a cooling interface 24 formed on the housing 6, for example in the form of a coupling. The cooling system 22 is connected via a second housing-internal cooling line 25 to the high-voltage battery 9 and other internal components for their cooling. Furthermore, the cooling system 22 is controlled by the low-voltage module 38, which activates the cooling system 22 depending on signals from the control unit 20 attached to the mechanical axle 17.

[0031] Corresponding counterparts 26, 27, 28, which are formed on the chassis of the semi-trailer 2, engage in the high-voltage interface 14, the low-voltage interface 15, and the cooling interface 24 when the central electrical device 1 is mechanically coupled to the semi-trailer 2. Corresponding connections 29, 30, 31 run from the chassis to the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16, which is shown in simplified form in Fig. 2 for the sake of clarity. These lines 29, 30, 31 can advantageously be laid within the frame of the semi-trailer 2. The power interface 11, designed as an electric cooler interface, and the battery charger 12, as well as the cooling system 22, can be optional components that do not necessarily have to be part of the basic equipment of the central electrical device 1. The cooler interface 11 is connected to a cooling unit 33 of the semi-trailer 2 via an additional interface 32.The battery charger 12 can be connected via a further interface 34 to an external local network 35 for charging the high-voltage battery 9.

[0032] The semi-trailer 2 has its own brake control unit 36, which is connected to the ABS and ESP system of the tractor unit 4 via a cable 41 with a standardized connector 40, for example, ISO 7638. This provides the brake control unit 36 ​​of the semi-trailer 2 with all information about the driving and braking behavior of the tractor unit 4. The external connection of the brake control unit 36 ​​to the low-voltage module 38, which is established via a control unit interface 43 of the housing 6, enables a bidirectional data and energy exchange via the cable 44 between the brake control unit 36 ​​and the control unit 20 of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16 via the existing low-voltage interface 15. Since the brake control unit 36 ​​recognizes the intentions of the driver of the tractor unit 4 in addition to the above-mentioned information, the driving dynamics and efficiency of the entire commercial vehicle 5 are improved.At the same time, recuperation operation of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle 16 and its effects on the driving dynamics of the entire commercial vehicle 5 are taken into account.

[0033] To further improve driving dynamics, a telematics unit 37 of the commercial vehicle 5 is connected to the brake control unit 36, which also communicates with the control unit 20 of the drive and recuperation axle 16 via the low-voltage interface 15. This ensures that route optimizations and terrain conditions, such as winding roads, significant elevation changes, and even major detours from the originally planned route, are proactively taken into account when coordinating the driving dynamics between the tractor unit 4 and the semi-trailer 2. This ensures that the electric drive and recuperation axle 16 always assumes an operating mode such that the tractor unit is always supported by the semi-trailer 2 during ferry operation. This is particularly important for autonomous ferry operation of the commercial vehicle 5.

[0034] A second exemplary embodiment of an electrical circuit for the central electrical device of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle according to the invention is shown in Fig. 3. In contrast to Fig. 2, the high-voltage battery 10 is directly connected to a high-voltage direct current interface 46 of the housing 6, which leads via line 29 to the inverter 19, which is arranged in the drive and recuperation axle 16 and supplies the electric motor 18 with alternating current. The control unit 20 of the drive and recuperation axle 16 is coupled to the inverter 19. The telematics unit 37 is decoupled from the brake control unit 36 ​​and leads directly via a telematics interface 47 of the housing 6 to the low-voltage module 38 in order to exchange signals with the control unit 20 of the drive and recuperation axle 16.

[0035] The solution described is applicable to all trucks and tractors, regardless of whether they have a conventional drive, an electric drive or a fuel cell drive.

[0036] Reference symbol (part of the description)

[0037] 1 central electrical unit

[0038] 2 trailers

[0039] 3 mechanical interface

[0040] 4 tractor

[0041] 5 commercial vehicles

[0042] 6 housings

[0043] 7 High-voltage network

[0044] 8 Low-voltage network

[0045] 9 High-voltage battery

[0046] 10 High-voltage distribution and protection unit

[0047] 11 electrical cooling interface

[0048] 12 Battery charger

[0049] 13 DC / DC converters

[0050] 14 High-voltage interface for alternating current

[0051] 15 Low-voltage interface

[0052] 16 electrically driven axles

[0053] 17 mechanical axis

[0054] 18 electric motor

[0055] 19 inverters

[0056] 20 Control unit of the electrically driven axle

[0057] 21 wheels

[0058] 22 Cooling system

[0059] 23 internal cooling line

[0060] 24 electrical interface

[0061] 25 internal cooling line

[0062] 26 Counterpart of the high-voltage interface

[0063] 27 Counterpart of the low-voltage interface

[0064] 28 Counterpart of the cooling interface

[0065] 29 High-voltage connection

[0066] 30 Low-voltage connection

[0067] 31 Cooling line

[0068] 32 Power interface for the trailer's refrigeration unit

[0069] Battery charger interface local voltage network

[0070] brake control unit

[0071] Telematics unit

[0072] Low-voltage module

[0073] Low-voltage distribution and protection unit standardized interface between tractor and trailer

[0074] Data and / or power line

[0075] Battery management system

[0076] Control unit interface

[0077] Data and power lines

[0078] High-voltage line for alternating current

[0079] High-voltage interface for direct current

[0080] T elematics interface

Claims

Patent claims 1. Central electrical device (1) for operating an electric drive and / or recuperation axle (16) of a trailer or semi-trailer (2) of a commercial vehicle (5), comprising at least two electrical and / or electronic components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) which are arranged in a common housing (6) and are interconnected within the housing (6) in such a way that the components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) which operate at the same voltage level are led to a common interface (14, 15, 46) formed on the housing for connection to the electric drive and / or recuperation axle (16) of the trailer or semi-trailer (2) of the commercial vehicle (5).

2. Central electrical device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing-internal interconnection of the components (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 38) operating at the same voltage level is carried out via a distribution unit (10, 38) corresponding to the voltage level, wherein the distribution unit (10, 38) preferably has a fuse unit (39).

3. Central electrical device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrical components (9, 10, 11, 12) operating at a high-voltage level are connected via a high-voltage distribution and protection unit (10) to a high-voltage voltage source (9) positioned in the housing (6) and are guided to a common high-voltage interface (14, 46) for operating a drive component (18) of the drive and / or recuperation axle (16).

4. Central electrical device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the electrical and / or electronic components are guided via a low-voltage module (38), which preferably has a low-voltage distribution and protection unit (39), to a common low-voltage interface (15) for controlling at least one low-voltage component (20) positioned on the drive and / or recuperation axle (16).

5. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the low-voltage module (38) is directly connected to a low-voltage voltage source (13).

6. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-voltage interface (14) connected to the high-voltage source (9) via an inverter (19) is designed as an alternating current interface for the direct voltage supply of an electric motor (18) driving the drive and recuperation axle (16).

7. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the high-voltage voltage source (9) is designed via the high-voltage interface (46) designed as a direct current interface for supplying voltage to an inverter (19) positioned on the drive and / or recuperation axle (16) and the low-voltage interface (15) is designed to supply and control a control unit (20) of the electric motor (18) mounted on the drive and recuperation axle (16).

8. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cooling system (22) for the electric drive and / or recuperation axle (16) is arranged in the housing (6), wherein the cooling system (22) is guided via a cooling line (23) inside the housing to a coolant interface (24) formed on the housing (6) for cooling the electric drive and / or recuperation axle (16).

9. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a housing-external control unit (36) of the trailer or semi-trailer (2), which is connected to a data and power line (41) of the commercial vehicle (5) via a standardized interface (40) between the tractor (4) and the semi-trailer (2), is guided from the outside via a control unit interface (43) of the housing (6) to the low-voltage module (38) and outputs control signals to the control unit (20) of the electric drive and / or recuperation axle (16) via the low-voltage interface (15) of the housing (6).

10. Central electrical device according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing-external control unit is designed as a brake control unit (36).

11. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (36) is connected to a telematics unit (37) of the commercial vehicle (5) for improving the driving dynamics and / or the efficiency and / or the vehicle monitoring of the commercial vehicle (5).

12. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electrical power interface (11) is arranged in the housing (6), which can be connected via at least one power interface (32) of the housing (6) to an auxiliary unit (33) of the trailer or semi-trailer (2) for its operation.

13. Central electrical device according to claim 12, characterized in that the auxiliary unit of the trailer or semi-trailer is designed as a cooling unit (33).

14. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a battery charger (12) is arranged in the housing (6), which is connected to a further high-voltage interface (34) of the housing (6) for external energy transport into and / or out of the high-voltage battery (9) in at least one direction.

15. Central electrical device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a mechanical interface (3) for fastening to a chassis of the trailer or semi-trailer (2) of the commercial vehicle (5) is formed on the housing (6).

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