Charging system for electrically charging construction machines, electric vehicles and similar consumers

Abstract

The present invention comprises a charging system (1) for electrically charging construction machines and / or electric vehicles (2), comprising a charging station (4) having a network terminal (5) for connection to an electricity network and / or storage means (6) for storing the electrical energy required for charging and having one or more supply terminals (7) for charging and / or supplying power to a consumer that is to be charged, and comprising at least one mobile charging satellite (8) which can be connected to the charging station via an electrical connection (13), which can be moved into different positions in mobile fashion relative to the charging station, which has one or more supply terminals (9) for charging and / or supplying one or more consumers and which comprises a charging control module (14) for controlling the charging processes at the one or more supply terminals, wherein a power electronics system (10) comprising one or more power controllers is provided for converting and / or transforming the current provided at the consumer terminals, wherein the power electronics system is provided at the charging station and the at least one charging satellite is not formed with its own power electronics system.

Description

[0001] Charging system for electrical charging of construction machinery, electric vehicles and similar consumers

[0002] The present invention relates to a charging system for electrically charging construction machinery, electric vehicles and similar consumers, comprising a charging station and at least one mobile charging satellite that can be connected thereto.

[0003] Such a charging station typically includes one or more supply connections for charging and / or supplying a consumer to be charged with power, as well as a grid connection for connecting to a power grid and / or storage means for storing the electrical energy required for charging. The charging satellite also includes one or more supply connections for charging and / or supplying one or more consumers and can be moved into various positions relative to the charging station. Such a satellite allows for greater flexibility and a larger operating radius when positioning a consumer to be charged, or allows multiple or additional consumers to be connected and charged from the charging station.In this case, the power supplied to the consumer connections is converted and / or transformed via power electronics, which may include one or more current controllers, to suit the respective consumer. In order to operate construction sites locally with zero emissions, the electrification of construction machinery has recently been promoted. The increase in electrified construction machinery such as excavators, crawlers, concrete mixers, plastering machines, earth drills, and cranes is resulting in a significantly higher electrical energy demand on the respective construction site, which, for example, cannot always be provided by an external grid connection in inner-city areas, at least not without expanding the supply grid.

[0004] The problem of meeting temporarily increased energy demand arises not only on inner-city construction sites, but also on all types of large and small construction sites, especially in remote areas without access to a power supply, such as construction sites in non-urban areas, cable car construction, tunnel construction, new construction on greenfield sites, or the construction of residential farms. Similarly, temporary support of the power grid is currently required for event arenas, or emergency power supplies are desired for critical infrastructure such as IT server systems or underground / overground mining operations.

[0005] Depending on the design of the construction machinery, the temporarily increased energy demand can arise in various ways. If construction machinery is operated "on the grid," i.e., supplied with power from an external source via a supply cable during operation, peak loads can occur during certain work processes, such as the lifting of very heavy loads by a crane, or the simultaneous operation of several construction machines at full load, which could overload the existing grid. On the other hand, construction machinery is increasingly being equipped with its own batteries so that it can operate independently of a power cable. This significantly simplifies the use on construction sites of self-propelled construction machinery such as excavators, crawlers, or wheel loaders.The same applies to construction machinery where transport and thus the driving function are the primary focus, such as concrete mixers, which, like electric vehicles, can operate locally emission-free thanks to their own battery storage. The charging power required to charge the batteries of such electric construction machinery and vehicles also results in a considerable cumulative power requirement, as charging often has to take place within a limited time window overnight.

[0006] To meet such peak loads without overtaxing the existing power grid, or even in locations without a power grid at all, charging stations have recently been introduced. These stations have larger electrical energy storage units and multiple supply connections to which construction machinery or electric vehicles can be connected for charging. Unlike traditional diesel generators, such charging stations operate locally with zero emissions and are at least virtually noiseless.

[0007] For example, one such power supply station from Liebherr is known under the product name Liduro Power Port. It is available in various power classes between 65 and 130 kW / h and is equipped with various power connections ranging from 16 A at 230 V to 125 A at 400 V. Lithium-ion batteries serve as energy storage units, which feed the power connections. This Liduro Power Port from Liebherr offers a mobile power supply for construction sites with limited or no mains power and can be operated as a grid backup or as an isolated solution, depending on the application.

[0008] Furthermore, the company Bredenoord has developed a container unit called the “Big Battery Box” that is equipped with lithium-ion batteries, power electronics and battery management to store electricity from photovoltaic and wind power systems, for example, and to make it available for supply.

[0009] Further charging systems are also known from the documents DE 10 2021 130 244 A1 , US 11 ,667,208 B1 , US 2017 / 0036560 A1 , US 2020 / 0307408 A1 , EP 3 508 371 A1 and US 2010 / 0060016 A1.

[0010] Even if such energy supply stations have multiple supply connections, it is still difficult to connect a large number of consumers to them and charge them overnight, for example, because construction machinery and electric vehicles are considerable in size and do not have charging cables of any length. Construction sites in particular are often very cramped, so the battery container or charging station is set up at the edge of the construction site, for example, next to a construction fence. This makes access from all sides unlikely, so that for large construction machinery, the charging cables would be too long and the available space would not be sufficient to park more than four vehicles or construction machinery at the charging station for charging. In addition, direct access to the charging station may be impossible on some construction sites. To make matters worse, specifications for the standardized charging of electric vehicles limit the length of the charging unit.

[0011] Based on this, the invention seeks to create an improved charging system of the type mentioned above that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and advantageously develops them further. In particular, even on confined construction sites or in environments with variable obstacles or restricted access, such as a storage area, several construction machines or electric vehicles should be able to be connected for charging simultaneously, for example, overnight through clever charging management.

[0012] According to the invention, the stated object is achieved by a charging system according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0013] It is therefore proposed to use, in addition to the actual charging station, at least one mobile charging satellite, which, so to speak, brings the charging station to the consumer. The components required for supplying energy or charging various consumers are cleverly distributed between the charging station and the charging satellite. This ensures, on the one hand, that the charging satellite has a sufficiently intelligent charging control system for controlling the charging processes, while, on the other hand, that the charging station is small and lightweight, allowing it to be easily and quickly relocated to different locations. According to one aspect of the proposed charging system, the power electronics, including one or more current controllers for converting or transforming the current provided at the consumer connections, are provided at the charging station, while the at least one charging satellite is designed without its own power electronics.The power electronics, which are usually heavy and also not insignificant in terms of their size, also provide the power that is provided at the consumer connections of the charging satellite for the consumers connected there, but remain at the charging station so that the charging satellite can be designed to be light and compact, which considerably simplifies the relocation of the charging satellite.

[0014] In particular, the charging satellite can be designed so that it can be moved manually, for example, by one or two people. For this purpose, the charging satellite can advantageously have handles that can be grasped by a human hand to lift the charging satellite from the ground and move it to a new desired position. Such portability is particularly helpful on construction sites, which often have no paved paths and require relocation over difficult terrain. Furthermore, it is often sufficient to move the charging satellite just a few meters to connect an additional vehicle or piece of construction equipment.

[0015] Nevertheless, the loading satellite can also be designed to be mobile and have a chassis with castors or wheels so that it can be easily moved on sites with paved paths or, in this case, moved to the new desired location.

[0016] In a further development of the invention, the power electronics provided at the charging station are configured to convert and / or transform the current for charging a consumer connected to one of the supply connections of the charging satellite, depending on charging or power requirement information transmitted to the charging station by the charging satellite and / or the consumer connected to it, or to adapt it to the respective consumer. For this purpose, the power electronics can comprise frequency converters, rectifiers, inverters, DC-DC converters, and similar current controllers or converters. Although the consumer is not connected to the charging station itself but to the charging satellite, information for controlling the power electronics can be transmitted from the consumer or the charging satellite to the charging station, and taken into account by the latter.

[0017] In particular, the charging satellite can have a communications module for transmitting information to the charging station or receiving information from the charging station. For example, information can be provided to the said communications module automatically or by query by the respective consumer when connecting it to one of the charging satellite's supply connections, or can be entered by the user, for example, via a touchscreen or other input device. The information can then be transmitted from the communications module to the charging station in order to control the said power electronics or influence other control functions at the charging station.

[0018] In order to simplify the communication connection, the communication module mentioned can be designed to operate wirelessly, for example by establishing a WLAN connection and / or a radio connection between the charging satellite and the charging station.

[0019] In order to easily make information relevant to the energy supply or charging process of the connected consumer readily available, the charging satellite can also include a communications module for receiving information from the connected consumer and / or transmitting it to the connected consumer, preferably automatically. For example, the construction machine or the corresponding electric vehicle connected to the charging satellite, or generally a consumer connected to it, can transmit "its" charging capacity and / or "its" current charging level and / or its permissible charging speed to the charging satellite. This information relevant to the energy supply or charging of the connected consumer can be used by the charging control device of the charging satellite to control the charging process.Alternatively or additionally, the charging satellite can also transmit the above-mentioned information or part of it to the charging station so that the charging station can take the above-mentioned information into account for charging control or the provision of energy.

[0020] For example, the consumer connected to the charging satellite can also transmit relevant time information that can influence the charging process to the charging satellite or can be queried by the charging satellite, for example a desired operating time at which the connected consumer should be fully charged or have reached a certain charge level in order to be able to carry out the upcoming work task.

[0021] In an advantageous development of the invention, the charging satellite can have a charging sequence control module which determines the charging sequence of the consumers connected to the charging satellite depending on transmitted charging target times and transmitted charging requirement information.

[0022] For example, a charging target of 100% can be specified for an excavator connected to the charging satellite by Monday 7 a.m., and a charging target of 80% can be specified for a wheel loader connected to the same charging satellite by Monday 8:30 a.m. The charging sequence control device of the charging satellite can then process this, for example, by first supplying the excavator with a sufficiently high charging current to be 100% charged by Monday 8 a.m. The charging control device can, for example, initially start the charging process for the wheel loader with a reduced charging power while the excavator is still being charged in parallel, and then complete it with an increased charging power once the excavator's charging target has been reached.Alternatively, the charging sequence control device can also start charging the consumer whose charging time will take the longest due to charging capacity and / or limited charging speed, regardless of any later charging target. As an alternative to parallel or overlapping charging of multiple consumers connected to a charging satellite, the charging control device of the charging satellite can also provide purely sequential charging of the multiple consumers connected to the charging satellite, for example, in such a way that the full charging power is only applied to one connected consumer at a time, and the sequence is determined such that a consumer that must be charged to operational capacity first is charged with full charging power first. Depending on the charging targets and connected consumers, the charging control device can also specify other charging strategies.

[0023] In order to distribute the power received from the charging station to the various supply connections of the charging satellite, a distribution control device is advantageously provided on the charging satellite, which controls the distribution of the electrical power received from the charging station to the multiple supply connections of the charging satellite. Said distribution control device can, for example, comprise electrical switches and power distributors to distribute the power received from the charging station to the supply connections of the charging satellite.

[0024] Depending on the intelligence of the connected consumer, the aforementioned communication device of the charging satellite can be configured differently. If the connected consumer supports this, the connected consumer can transmit changing parameters to the charging satellite during the charging process, or such parameters can be queried from the charging satellite. This could, for example, be the current charge level of the connected consumer or, if applicable, temperature information. The charging satellite's charging control system can adapt the charging process based on this feedback, for example, by reducing the charging power.

[0025] In order to obtain at least some relevant charging or energy consumption information even for less intelligent consumers connected to the charging satellite, the charging station can have an identification module for identifying the respective connected consumer, for example in the form of an RFID module that can read an RFID chip on the connected consumer and then control relevant charging parameters based on the consumer identification. For example, the charging satellite can have a memory in which relevant information for each connectable consumer can be stored, so that relevant information can be read from the memory based on the read consumer ID. Alternatively, or in addition to a memory, such information can also be retrieved from an external memory via the aforementioned communication module, for example via the charging station.

[0026] In an advantageous development of the invention, several charging satellites can be provided, which can preferably be connected to one another in a cascade, so that a first charging satellite can be connected to the charging station and a second charging satellite can be connected to one of the supply connections of the first charging satellite. A third charging satellite can then, for example, be connected to a supply connection of the second charging satellite or to another supply connection of the aforementioned first charging satellite. Preferably, the charging satellites can also be optionally connected directly to the supply connections of the charging station.

[0027] Preferably, the charging satellites each have an electrical connection with a connector plug configured to be connected selectively to one of the supply connections of another charging satellite or to the at least one supply connection of the charging station. This allows the multiple charging satellites to be variably interconnected and connected to the charging station in various configurations, allowing a charging network to be flexibly configured and easily reconfigured.

[0028] To ensure flexible use in various environments, the charging station can be equipped with an electrical energy storage unit of sufficient capacity to not only prevent overloading an existing power grid, but also to be used as an isolated solution without a power grid if necessary, for example, on construction sites in remote areas without a power grid. For example, the charging station can be equipped with lithium-ion batteries as energy storage.

[0029] To enable easy charging of the energy storage device, the charging station can have its own charging device, for example, a grid connection with a charging controller for charging the energy storage device. The control device of the charging station can preferably be configured to simultaneously control the discharging of the energy storage device, i.e., the supply of energy to the consumers directly connected to the charging station and / or to the charging satellites, and to allow or control the charging of the energy storage device, for example, via the grid connection. The option of simultaneous charging and discharging ensures high availability of the charging station, even with limited energy storage capacity.

[0030] The charging satellites themselves can be designed without energy storage in order to be as lightweight as possible and to allow for easy relocation.

[0031] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0032] Fig. 1: a charging system with a charging station designed as a container and several charging satellites connected to it, with various construction machines being connected partly directly to the charging station and partly to the charging satellites, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention,

[0033] Fig. 2: a charging system similar to Fig. 1, comprising a charging station in the form of a container and several charging satellites connected to the charging station in a cascade manner, to which several electric vehicles are connected for charging, Fig. 3: a circuit diagram of a charging station and several charging satellites connected to it for AC charging of construction machinery and electric vehicles, and

[0034] Fig. 4: a circuit diagram similar to Fig. 3, of a charging station and several connected charging satellites for direct current charging of construction machinery and electric vehicles.

[0035] As Figure 1 shows, the loading system 1 comprises a loading station 4, which can be designed, for example, as a container, for example in the form of a movable trailer that is supported on the ground by a chassis and can be attached, for example, via a drawbar to a towing device of a towing vehicle in order to be able to be moved from construction site to construction site or from deployment site to deployment site.

[0036] The charging station 4 comprises an electrical energy storage device or storage means 6 for storing the electrical energy to be supplied to the connected loads 2, 3. Said storage means 6 can, for example, comprise several battery blocks, for example in the form of lithium-ion batteries.

[0037] In addition, the charging station 4 can have a mains connection 5 in order to be able to draw power from an existing mains, which can be used to charge the storage means 6 and / or can also be supplied directly to the connected consumers 2, 3, bypassing the storage means. A control device in the charging station 4 can control the power consumption via the mains connection 5 and / or the charging and discharging of the storage means 6 and / or the feeding of the supply connections 7 of the charging station 4 from the storage means 6 and / or the mains connection 5. The charging station 4 can have a plurality of supply connections 7, which can be of the same or different types, wherein, for example, different supply connections can be configured to provide different voltage levels and / or different charging currents.

[0038] As Figure 1 shows, the charging system 1 further comprises a plurality of charging satellites 8, each of which is connected via an electrical connection 13 to one of the supply connections 7 of the charging station 4 or to one of the supply connections 9 of another charging satellite 8. The connector plugs 19 of the electrical connections of the charging satellites 8 are advantageously configured to be selectively plugged into one of the supply connections 9 of another charging satellite 8 or one of the supply connections 7 of the charging station, so that the charging system 1 can be variably and temporarily easily reconfigured by connecting a respective charging satellite 8 either directly to the charging station 4 or in a cascade via another charging satellite 8.It is also possible to plug two charging satellites 8 into another charging satellite 8 or to connect another charging satellite 8 to a charging satellite 8 that is already connected to another charging satellite 8.

[0039] As Figure 1 shows, some construction machines 2 can be connected with their charging equipment directly to supply connections 7 of the charging station 4, for example, while other construction machines 2 can be connected individually or in groups to one of the charging satellites 8. It is also possible, for example, to connect one or two construction machines 2 to a charging satellite 8 and also to connect another charging satellite 8, see Figure 1.

[0040] Preferably, each charging satellite 8 comprises two or three or four or more than four supply connections 9 in order to be able to connect a corresponding number of consumers 2, 3 or even further charging satellites 8.

[0041] The charging satellites 8 can be moved into different positions relative to the charging station 4, wherein the charging satellites 8 are preferably designed to be portable, for example by two people, wherein carrying handles can preferably be attached to the charging satellites 8 in order to be able to be grasped, lifted and moved by human hands.

[0042] As Figure 2 shows, the charging system 1 can be used not only on construction sites for charging construction machinery 2, but also in other environments, for example, for charging electric vehicles in a parking lot or storage area. In the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 2, several charging satellites 8 are also connected to one another in a cascade and connected to the charging station 4, so that a total of 16 electric vehicles 3 can be connected to the charging station 4 via two supply connections 7. For example, four electric vehicles 3 can be connected to each charging satellite 8, and another charging satellite can be connected to the charging satellite 8 directly connected to the charging station 4.

[0043] The charging satellites 8 are advantageously designed without their own power electronics. The power provided at the supply connections 9 of the charging satellites 8 is provided or directed by the power electronics 10 located at the charging station 4. This allows the charging satellites 8 to be lightweight and thus easily relocatable. Preferably, the charging satellites 8 also do not include their own energy storage devices, so that the power delivered from the supply connections 9 of the charging satellites 8 to the loads 2, 3 is provided entirely by the charging station 4, in particular by its storage means 6 and, if applicable, the grid connection 5.

[0044] Nevertheless, it would also be possible to connect a charging satellite 8 directly to a power grid, for example a public AC grid, if the consumers to be charged can be charged via such an AC current from the public grid.

[0045] However, the charging satellites 8 have an intelligent charging control device 14 to control the charging processes for the connected consumers 2, 3. In a further development of the invention, the charging satellite 8 can have a communication module 15 for transmitting and / or receiving information to / from the charging station 4, wherein said communication module 15 is preferably designed to establish a wireless communication connection, in particular a WLAN connection and / or radio connection.

[0046] Furthermore, it can be provided that the charging satellite 8 has a communication module 16 for querying and / or receiving charging and / or power requirement information from a consumer connected to the charging satellite 8, wherein said communication module 16 is preferably designed to establish a wireless communication connection, in particular WLAN and / or radio connection, with the connected consumer.

[0047] Advantageously, it can further be provided that the loading satellite 8 is designed to be portable and is provided with carrying handles for carrying by human hands.

[0048] Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the loading satellite 8 is designed to be movable and is provided with transport rollers.

[0049] In a further development of the invention, it can be provided that the charging control module 14 of the charging satellite 8 has a sequence control module for determining the order in which a plurality of consumers 2, 3 connected to the charging satellite 8 are charged, depending on charging information transmitted to the charging satellite 8 by the connected consumers 2, 3 and / or the connected charging station 4.

[0050] The charging sequence control module 17 can be designed to determine the charging sequence depending on transmitted charging target times and transmitted charging requirement information.

[0051] Preferably, the charging control module 14 of the charging satellite 8 is configured to determine the charging power required by a consumer 2, 3 connected to the charging satellite 8 and / or to transmit it to the charging station 4. In a further development of the invention, the charging satellite 8 may have a distribution control device 18 for controlling the power received from the charging station 4 to the multiple supply connections 9 of the charging satellite 8.

[0052] In particular, the distribution control device can be configured to distribute the power received from the charging station 4 sequentially to one of the multiple supply connections of the charging satellite 8, depending on the charging sequence determined by the charging sequence control module 17. Alternatively, a temporally overlapping distribution to multiple supply connections is possible, provided the power demand profiles of several consumers to be charged in parallel permit this.

[0053] The aforementioned plurality of charging satellites 8 can advantageously be designed to be connected to one another in a chain-like or cascade-like manner and to be connected to the charging station 4 via one of the plurality of charging satellites 8, wherein each charging satellite 8 has an electrical connection 13 with a connection plug 16 which is configured to be connected selectively to one of the supply connections 9 of another charging satellite 8 or to the at least one supply connection 7 of the charging station 4.

[0054] The charging satellites 8 are designed without their own power electronics. The power electronics 10 is centrally located in the charging station 4 and can, in particular, comprise DC / AC converters 12 to supply the loads 2, 3 with alternating current from the energy storage device 6 (see Fig. 3). Alternatively or additionally, the central power electronics 10 in the charging station 4 can also comprise one or more DC / DC converters 11 to supply the loads 2, 3 with direct current from the energy storage device 6 (see Fig. 4).

Claims

Claims 1. Charging system for the electrical charging of construction machinery (2) and / or electric vehicles (3), comprising a charging station (4) which has a mains connection (5) for connection to a power grid and / or storage means (6) for storing the electrical energy required for charging and one or more supply connections (7) for charging and / or supplying a consumer to be charged with electricity, as well as at least one mobile charging satellite (8) which can be connected to the charging station (4) via an electrical connection (13), can be moved into various positions relative to the charging station (4), has one or more supply connections (9) for charging and / or supplying one or more consumers, and comprises a charging control module (14) for controlling the charging processes at the one or more supply connections (9), wherein a power electronics system (10) comprising one or more current controllers (11,12) for converting and / or transforming the power supplied to the consumer terminals (9), provided current, characterized in that the power electronics (10) are provided at the charging station (4) and the at least one charging satellite (8) is designed without its own power electronics.

2. Charging system according to the preceding claim, wherein the power electronics (10) at the charging station (4) are configured to convert and / or transform the current for charging a consumer (2, 3) connected to one of the supply connections of the charging satellite (8) as a function of current demand information transmitted to the charging station (4) by the charging satellite (8) and / or the consumer (2, 3) connected thereto.

3. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging satellite (8) has a communication module (15) for transmitting and / or receiving information to / from the charging station (4), wherein said communication module (15) is preferably designed to establish a wireless communication connection, in particular a WLAN connection and / or radio connection.

4. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging satellite (8) has a communication module (16) for querying and / or receiving charging and / or power requirement information from a consumer connected to the charging satellite (8), wherein said communication module (16) is preferably designed to establish a wireless communication connection, in particular WLAN and / or radio connection, with the connected consumer.

5. Loading system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading satellite (8) is designed to be portable and is provided with carrying handles for carrying by human hands.

6. Loading system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading satellite (8) is designed to be movable and is provided with transport rollers.

7. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging control module (14) of the charging satellite (8) has a sequence control module for determining the order in which a plurality of consumers (2, 3) connected to the charging satellite (8) are charged, depending on charging information transmitted to the charging satellite (8) by the connected consumers (2, 3) and / or the connected charging station (4).

8. Charging system according to the preceding claim, wherein the charging sequence control module (17) is designed to determine the charging sequence as a function of transmitted charging target times and transmitted charging requirement information.

9. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging control module (14) of the charging satellite (8) is designed to determine the charging power required by a consumer (2, 3) connected to the charging satellite (8) and / or to transmit it to the charging station (4).

10. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging satellite (8) has a distribution control device (18) for controlling the power received from the charging station (4) to the plurality of supply terminals (9) of the charging satellite (8).

11. Charging system according to the preceding claim in conjunction with claim 8, wherein the distribution control device is designed to distribute the power received from the charging station (4) sequentially to one of the plurality of supply connections of the charging satellite (8) in each case depending on the charging sequence determined by the charging sequence control module (17).

12. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of charging satellites (8) are provided and are designed to be connected to one another in a chain-like or cascade-like manner and to be connected to the charging station (4) via one of the plurality of charging satellites (8), wherein each charging satellite (8) has an electrical connection (13) with a connection plug (16) which is configured to be selectively inserted into one of the supply locks (9) of another charging satellite (8) or the at least one supply connection (7) of the charging station (4).

13. Loading system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the loading station (4) is designed in the form of a movable container.

14. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging station (4) has one or more batteries, in particular replaceable lithium-ion batteries, as storage means (6).

15. Charging system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging satellite (8) is designed without its own energy storage device.

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