Vehicle electrical energy storage unit charging equipment

Abstract

Equipment (1) for charging electrical energy storage units (4) of vehicles, the equipment (1) comprising an enclosure (2) defining compartments (3), each compartment (3) being capable of receiving at least one electrical energy storage unit (4), the equipment comprising a power supply circuit (5) for the electrical energy storage units (4), this power supply circuit (5) comprising: - a control unit (7), - a primary sub-circuit (8), capable of being connected to a voltage network, and - a plurality of secondary sub-circuits (10), each capable of being connected to one or more electrical energy storage units (4), the primary sub-circuit (8) and the secondary sub-circuits (10) being configured so as to exchange electrical energy without contact by inductive coupling for charging the electrical energy storage units (4). Abbreviated figure: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Charging equipment for vehicle electrical energy storage units

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging equipment for electrical energy storage units of vehicles.

[0002] These electrical energy storage units are, for example, batteries used for the electric propulsion of these vehicles. The vehicles are, for example, vehicles classified as "small mobility vehicles," such as electric bicycles, electric tricycles, electric scooters, or electric motorcycles. More generally, the invention applies to any form of electric mobility, whether it be a vehicle traveling on land with four, three, two, or any other number of wheels, or a vehicle moving in the air or on water whose electrical energy storage unit can be removed from the vehicle for recharging.

[0003] The invention applies in particular to electrical energy storage units whose nominal voltage is between 12V and 60V, this nominal voltage being for example equal to 12V, 24V or 48V.

[0004] It is known to provide equipment enabling the simultaneous charging of several electrical energy storage units. Such equipment is, for example, placed in transit areas and allows users to charge their vehicle's electrical energy storage unit between trips. It is known to use a wired circuit from the grid to the energy storage unit to perform the charging, which raises issues of installation cost and ease of use.

[0005] The invention aims to further improve equipment enabling the simultaneous charging of several vehicle electrical energy storage units and achieves this, according to one of its aspects, by means of vehicle electrical energy storage unit charging equipment, the equipment comprising an enclosure defining compartments, each compartment being capable of receiving at least one electrical energy storage unit, the equipment comprising an electrical power supply circuit for the electrical energy storage units, this electrical power supply circuit comprising:

[0006] - a control unit,

[0007] - a primary sub-circuit, suitable for connection to a voltage network, and

[0008] - a plurality of secondary sub-circuits, each capable of being connected to one or several electrical energy storage units,

[0009] the primary sub-circuit and the secondary sub-circuits being configured so as to exchange electrical energy without contact by inductive coupling for the load of the electrical energy storage units.

[0010] By providing inductive coupling for charging electrical energy storage units, the invention simplifies electrical wiring and reduces its cost compared to purely wired solutions. The invention also offers the advantage of improved electrical insulation between the different electrical energy storage units, since they are not connected by wires but separated by galvanic isolation. The use of contactless electrical energy exchange also allows for simple modulation of the number of secondary sub-circuits, unlike wired solutions where the number of secondary sub-circuits must be defined during the design phase, often leading to sizing based on the maximum number of secondary sub-circuits, whether or not this maximum number is actually achieved.

[0011] Each secondary sub-circuit can be suitable for being connected to a single electrical energy storage unit.

[0012] Each housing in the enclosure may be suitable for receiving only one electrical energy storage unit.

[0013] Each secondary sub-circuit is, for example, associated with only one housing in the enclosure, being, for example, located in that housing and / or on or within all or part of the walls delimiting that housing. The secondary sub-circuit is, for example, integrated in whole or in part within one or more walls delimiting the housing, or it is, for example, fixed in whole or in part to one or more of these walls.

[0014] Each unit has, for example, a door, and is then called a "locker".

[0015] In all the foregoing, the primary sub-circuit may include:

[0016] - a first connector suitable for being connected to the electrical network,

[0017] - a voltage converter, in particular configured to raise the frequency of the electrical grid voltage, and

[0018] - a first inductive cell interacting with the second inductive cells of secondary sub-circuits to which the electrical energy storage units are connected for contactless electrical energy exchange by inductive coupling.

[0019] The electrical network provides, for example, a nominal effective voltage of 230V with a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The electrical network is, for example, single-phase or three-phase.

[0020] The invention is not limited to a network carrying an alternating voltage, which can alternatively carry a direct voltage, for example of several hundred V.

[0021] The electrical network is, for example, a regional or national electrical network. Alternatively, it may be an independent local network, comprising, for example, one or more batteries powered by energy sources such as wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cells or hydroelectric generators.

[0022] The voltage converter comprises, for example, a first rectifier stage and an inverter stage in series, the first rectifier stage being located in the primary sub-circuit in series between the first connector and the inverter stage. The first rectifier stage rectifies the mains voltage. It uses, for example, controllable switches such as transistors or thyristors. The first rectifier stage may, for example, have two parallel arms per phase of the mains supply. This first rectifier stage can perform a power factor correction function. Such correction ensures, in a known manner, that the current drawn from the mains supply is as close as possible to a perfect sine wave at the mains frequency. This reduces reactive current and subharmonics, which increase energy losses during conduction.

[0023] Alternatively, the first rectifier stage does not perform the power factor correction, a power factor correction stage being interposed between the first rectifier stage and the inverter stage.

[0024] The inverter stage, for example, implements controllable switches such as transistors or thyristors. This inverter stage is, for example, a phase-shifted full bridge. The inverter stage has a switching frequency that can be between the mains frequency and any value higher than it, for example, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, or 1 MHz. If applicable, the output frequency of the inverter stage is higher than the mains frequency, which makes it possible to reduce the size and therefore the cost of the components of the first inductive cell. The inverter stage has, for example, two arms in parallel.

[0025] As an alternative to what has just been described, the voltage converter does not include a first rectifier stage in series with an inverter stage, but a frequency step-up stage as disclosed in application WO2020260032.

[0026] The first inductive cell may comprise in series: a coil allowing the generation of magnetic energy, and a capacitor, thus forming a resonant cell.

[0027] In all the foregoing, each secondary subcircuit may include:

[0028] - a second inductive cell interacting with the first inductive cell of the primary sub-circuit for contactless electrical energy exchange via inductive coupling,

[0029] - a second connector to which a connector of the energy storage unit electrical is suitable for plugging in, and

[0030] - a second rectifier stage configured to convert the alternating voltage from from the second inductive cell into a direct voltage to the connector.

[0031] The second inductive cell may comprise in series: a coil allowing to The magnetic energy from the first inductive cell is recovered, along with a capacitor, thus forming a resonant cell. If necessary, these coils and capacitors are chosen so that the first and second inductive cells have the same resonant frequency.

[0032] If necessary, a wired connection may exist between the various sub-circuits of the power supply circuit for information transmission. Alternatively, no wired connection exists between the primary sub-circuit and the secondary sub-circuits. The control unit can then command the injection of a high-frequency AM or FM signal superimposed on the power signal according to a CAN / LIN or other type serial protocol.

[0033] so as to transmit information in real time via the magnetic link between the first and second cells by frequency modulation.

[0034] All secondary sub-circuits can be identical.

[0035] The control unit can be configured to control each rectifier stage of a secondary subcircuit to which a connector of an electrical energy storage unit is connected so that this rectifier stage performs an impedance matching of the impedance of the electrical energy storage unit.

[0036] The second rectifier stage includes, for example, two arms for rectifying the alternating voltage. In such a case of a two-arm second rectifier stage, to achieve the aforementioned impedance matching, one of the two arms can switch at the frequency of the energy transmitted magnetically and with a duty cycle of 50%, and the other arm can switch at a frequency higher than that of the energy transmitted magnetically and with a duty cycle modulated according to the measured alternating current and the voltage of the electrical energy storage unit to be charged.

[0037] In all the foregoing, the dwellings may extend within the enclosure in a row between two ends for the row of these dwellings. Each dwelling may, for example, have the same dimensions or not, along the row and / or according to the dimension(s) perpendicular to this row.

[0038] The first inductive cell can be physically distributed between these two ends. In other words, the housings are physically arranged between the parts of the first inductive cell, in particular between the parts of the coil of this inductive cell. The first inductive cell comprises, for example, a coil part whose turns are arranged at one end of the row and another coil part whose turns are arranged at the other end of the row. These two coil parts can be connected in series or in parallel. The coil of this first inductive cell extends, for example, partly into the wall defining one end of the row and partly into the wall defining the second end of the row, opposite the first end. Alternatively, the coil of the The first inductive cell extends partly over the wall defining the first end of the row and partly over the wall defining the second end of the row.

[0039] The control unit includes, for example, a control module for the primary sub-circuit which can be located near one of the walls defining an end, for example, fixed to or integrated into one of these walls. This module includes, for example, one or more microcontrollers.

[0040] From one housing to the next in the row, the second inductive cell can have the same physical position within the housing, for all or part of the housings in the row. Again, the coil of this second inductive cell can extend into a wall of the housing or be fixed to that wall of the housing. In one example, each housing comprises its own inductive cell, and these inductive cells have the same positioning from one housing to the next.

[0041] The control unit may include one control module per secondary sub-circuit. Each of these control modules may then be arranged in a housing where there is one secondary sub-circuit per housing. Similar to what was mentioned above, each control module of a secondary sub-circuit may be arranged in or fixed to a wall of the housing, for example, the same wall as that for the second inductive cell.

[0042] When there is a secondary sub-circuit per housing, a secondary sub-circuit connector may be provided in each housing for connection to a connector of an electrical energy storage unit. These secondary sub-circuit connectors may be of the same type throughout all housings.

[0043] Where appropriate, the enclosure defines several rows of stacked housings, for example two or three rows, and these rows may or may not contain the same number of housings. In such a case, each row has a secondary sub-circuit for each housing.

[0044] In all the above, the enclosure may have an armature made of a magnetically conductive material, such as iron, nickel, a ferrite according to a nickel-zinc alloy, a ferrite according to a manganese-zinc alloy, steel, a permalloy alloy.

[0045] The invention also relates, according to another aspect, to the use of the equipment as defined above, several secondary sub-circuits being respectively connected to an electrical energy storage unit, a use in which the following are regulated according to the number of electrical energy storage units:

[0046] - the power supplied by the electrical network, and / or

[0047] - the distribution of the power supplied by the electrical network between the different electrical energy storage units.

[0048] The number and type of energy storage units may enable the control unit to determine the total power to be supplied by the electrical network and / or the distribution of this power to be ensured between these different electrical energy storage units.

[0049] The regulation of the power supplied by the electrical network can then be achieved by acting at least:

[0050] -on the first rectifier stage to regulate the DC voltage upstream of the inverter stage of this primary sub-circuit,

[0051] -on the inverter stage of the primary sub-circuit by regulating its switching frequency and / or its offset angle when it is a full bridge controlled by phase shift,

[0052] - on each second rectifier stage of a secondary sub-circuit to which is connected an electrical energy storage unit to regulate the equivalent impedance of all these energy storage units as seen from the primary sub-circuit.

[0053] The distribution of the power supplied by the electrical network between the different electrical energy storage units can be carried out by acting on each second rectifier stage of a secondary sub-circuit to which an electrical energy storage unit is connected in order to regulate the equivalent impedance of these electrical energy storage units with respect to each other.

[0054] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of a non-limiting example of its implementation and upon examination of the accompanying drawing in which:

[0055] [Fig-1] schematically represents equipment for charging electrical energy storage units for vehicles according to an example of an implementation of the invention,

[0056] [Fig.2] schematically represents the electrical power supply circuit of the equipment of [Fig.1]

[0057] [Fig.3] represents in block diagram form a secondary sub-circuit of the circuit power supply of the [Fig.2], and

[0058] [Fig.4] illustrates with an electrical diagram similar to that of [Fig.2] the different parameters that can be acted upon to regulate the power supplied by the electrical network, and / or to regulate the distribution of the power supplied by the electrical network between the different electrical energy storage units.

[0059] Figure 1 shows a vehicle electrical energy storage unit charging equipment 1, the equipment 1 comprising an enclosure 2 defining compartments 3, each compartment 3 being capable of receiving at least one electrical energy storage unit 4. The electrical energy storage unit 4, not re The battery shown in [Fig. 1] is, for example, a vehicle battery, such as an electric bicycle or electric scooter battery. This battery has, for example, a nominal voltage of 12V or 48V. In the example considered, the enclosure 2 is considered to be an armature made of magnetically conductive metal, for example, iron. In the example described, each housing 3 contains a single electrical energy storage unit 4.

[0060] It can be seen in [Fig.1] that the enclosure 1 defines here two rows of superimposed housings, each row containing here five housings 3. However, the invention is not limited to a particular number of housings 3 per row, to a number of rows, and even to a positioning per row.

[0061] Each housing unit can be closed off by a door, thus forming a locker.

[0062] It can also be seen in [Fig. 1] that all the housings 3 can have the same size, in height, width and depth, relative to [Fig. 1]. In variants not shown, several sizes are possible for the housings 3 of the equipment 1 relative to each other.

[0063] As can be seen in [Fig.1], the equipment 1 includes a power supply circuit 5 for the electrical storage units 4 which will now be described with reference to [Fig.2].

[0064] This power supply circuit 5 comprises:

[0065] - a control unit 7,

[0066] - a primary sub-circuit 8, suitable for connection to a voltage network 9, and

[0067] - a plurality of secondary sub-circuits 10, each capable of being connected to a electrical energy storage unit 4 in the example described.

[0068] The power supply circuit 5 implements a contactless exchange of electrical energy by inductive coupling between the primary sub-circuit 8 and the secondary sub-circuits 10, for charging the electrical energy storage units.

[0069] In the example of [Fig.2], the primary subcircuit 8 comprises:

[0070] - a first connector 12 suitable for being connected to the electrical network,

[0071] - a voltage converter 13, in particular configured to raise the frequency of the electrical grid voltage, and

[0072] - a first inductive cell 14 whose role will be described below.

[0073] The electrical network provides, for example, a nominal effective voltage of 230V with a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz. The electrical network is, for example, single-phase or three-phase, respectively, in which case the first connector 12 is single-phase or three-phase, respectively.

[0074] The voltage converter 13 in the example considered comprises in series a first rectifier stage 15 and an inverter stage 16, the first rectifier stage 15 being in series between the first connector 12 and the inverter stage 16.

[0075] The first rectifier stage 15 rectifies the mains voltage. In the example described, it comprises two arms per phase of the mains, each arm containing two controllable switches 20 connected in series, such as MOS, IGBT, or bipolar transistors, or thyristors. In the example described, this first rectifier stage 15 also performs a power factor correction function. This first rectifier stage 15 is, for example, of the "Totem POLE dual Boost PFC rectifier" type known in the electronics literature.

[0076] Between this first rectifier stage 15 and the inverter stage 16 is a DC bus 18 having a capacitor 19. The latter has, for example, a capacitance of 1 OpF.

[0077] The inverter stage 16 in the described example comprises two arms, each arm containing two controllable switches 20 connected in series, such as MOS, IGBT, or bipolar transistors, or thyristors. This inverter stage 16 is, in the described example, a phase-shifted full bridge. The inverter stage 16 operates here at a switching frequency that can be between the mains frequency and any value higher than it, for example, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, or 1 MHz.

[0078] In the example described, the AC output of the inverter stage 16 is directly connected to the first inductive cell 14. This cell comprises, in series: a coil 19 for generating magnetic energy, and a capacitor 20, thus forming a resonant cell. The coil 19 has, for example, an inductance of 20 mH and the capacitor 20 has a capacitance of 10 pF.

[0079] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], the coil 19 of the first inductive cell 14 has a part fixed on one of the end walls 22 of the armature for the rows of housings 3, and another part fixed on the other end wall 22 of the armature 2.

[0080] The housings 3 thus extend between the coil parts 19. Each part of the coil 19 includes, for example, turns which extend perpendicularly to the plane of the [Fig.1].

[0081] It can also be seen in [Fig.1] that the control unit 7 has a control module 23 which is located near one of the end walls 22 of the frame.

[0082] We will now describe, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, an example of secondary sub-circuits 10. In the example considered in [Fig.2], only one secondary circuit is represented, although in this example there are as many secondary sub-circuits 10 as there are housings 3. All these secondary sub-circuits 10 are structurally identical here.

[0083] Each secondary subcircuit 10 here comprises:

[0084] - a second inductive cell 25 interacting with the first inductive cell 14 for contactless electrical energy exchange by inductive coupling,

[0085] - a second connector 27 to which a connector of the energy storage unit Electrical outlet 4 is suitable for connection, and

[0086] - a second rectifier stage 26 configured to convert the alternating voltage from the second inductive cell 25 into a direct voltage to the second connector 27.

[0087] As can be seen in [Fig. 2], the second inductive cell 25 comprises, in series: a coil 29 for recovering the magnetic energy from the first inductive cell 14, and a capacitor 30, thus forming a resonant cell. In the example considered, the coil 29 has an inductance of 10 mH and the capacitor 30 has a capacitance of 20 pF. The coil 29 comprises, for example, turns extending perpendicularly to the plane of [Fig. 1].

[0088] The second rectifier stage 26 in the described example comprises two arms, each arm containing two controllable switches 20 mounted in series, such as MOS, IGBT or bipolar transistors, or thyristors.

[0089] The second connector 27 is accessible from the housing, as can be seen in [Fig. 1]. This second connector 27 is connected via a connector to a cable 35 allowing connection to the electrical energy storage unit 4.

[0090] As shown in [Fig. 1], each secondary sub-circuit 10 is associated here with only one housing 3 of the enclosure 2. Here, the coil 29 of a secondary sub-circuit 10 is fixed to a wall 38 of the housing to which this secondary sub-circuit 10 is associated. It can be seen in [Fig. 1] that, from one housing 3 to the next, the coils 29 can occupy the same location, namely fixed to a wall 38 delimiting this housing 3 from a neighboring housing, with the exception of one housing 3 for which this location is already occupied by a part of the coil 19 fixed to an end wall 22.

[0091] As can be seen in [Fig.1], each secondary sub-circuit 10 is associated with a control module 40 of that secondary sub-circuit 10. In the example considered, each control module 40 is fixed on a wall 38, adjacent to the coil 29.

[0092] Although no power wired link exists according to the invention between the primary sub-circuit 8 and the secondary sub-circuits 9, it is possible to use a wired link between the different modules 23 and 40 of the control unit 7. Alternatively, communication between modules 23 and 40 can also be carried out through magnetic coupling between cells 14 and 25, by frequency modulation.

[0093] We can see on [Fig.1], for each row of housing 3, the path of the magnetic field, represented in dotted lines.

[0094] The equipment 1 just described can be used to load simultaneously several electrical energy storage units 4.

[0095] During operation, the control unit 7 can determine the number of dwellings to which an electrical energy storage unit 4 is connected. The control unit 7 can use the number and type of electrical energy storage units 4 to determine the total power to be supplied by the electrical grid and the distribution of this power among these different electrical energy storage units 4.

[0096] To regulate the power supplied by the electrical grid, the control unit 7 can then:

[0097] - via the control module 23, act on the first rectifier stage 15 to regulate the DC voltage VDC ref on the DC bus 18, upstream of the inverter stage 16 of this primary sub-circuit 8,

[0098] - still via this control module 23 act on the inverter stage 16 by regulating its switching frequency and / or its offset angle q>,

[0099] - via each control module 40 act on each second rectifier stage 26 of a secondary sub-circuit 10 to which an electrical energy storage unit 4 is connected to regulate the equivalent impedance of all these energy storage units 4 seen from the primary sub-circuit 10.

[0100] To distribute the power supplied by the electrical network among the different electrical energy storage units 4, the control unit 7 can, via each control module, act on each second rectifier stage 26 of a secondary sub-circuit 40 to which an electrical energy storage unit 4 is connected, in order to regulate the equivalent load impedance (RLi,... RLN) at the input of these second stages relative to each other. In [Fig. 4], and unlike [Fig. 2], the copper losses and the alternating magnetic losses in the corresponding sub-circuits are represented by resistors RPP and RPSi.

[0101] The invention is not limited to the example just described.

Claims

Demands

1. Equipment (1) for charging vehicle electrical energy storage units (4), the equipment (1) comprising an enclosure (2) defining housings (3), each housing (3) being capable of receiving at least one electrical energy storage unit (4), the equipment comprising an electrical supply circuit (5) for the electrical energy storage units (4), this electrical supply circuit (5) comprising: - a control unit (7), - a primary sub-circuit (8), capable of being connected to a voltage network, and - a plurality of secondary sub-circuits (10), each capable of being connected to one or more electrical energy storage units (4), the primary sub-circuit (8) and the secondary sub-circuits (10) being configured so as to exchange electrical energy without contact by inductive coupling for the charging of the electrical energy storage units (4).

2. Equipment according to claim 1, each secondary subcircuit (10) being able to be connected to a single electrical energy storage unit (4).

3. Equipment according to claim 1 or 2, each housing (3) of the enclosure (2) being suitable for receiving only one electrical energy storage unit (4).

4. Equipment according to claims 2 and 3, each secondary sub-circuit (10) being associated with only one housing (3) of the enclosure, being in particular disposed in this housing (3) and / or on or in all or part of the walls (38) delimiting this housing (3).

5. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, the primary subcircuit (8) comprising: - a first connector (12) suitable for connection to the electrical network, - a voltage converter (13), in particular configured to raise the frequency of the electrical network voltage, and - a first inductive cell (14) interacting with second inductive cells (25) of subcircuits se- secondary (10) to which the electrical energy storage units (4) are connected for contactless electrical energy exchange by inductive coupling.

6. Equipment according to claim 7, the voltage converter (13) comprising in series a first rectifier stage (15) and an inverter stage (16), the first rectifier stage (15) being arranged in the primary sub-circuit (8) in series between the first connector (12) and the inverter stage (16).

7. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, each secondary subcircuit (10) comprising: - a second inductive cell (25) interacting with the first inductive cell (14) of the primary subcircuit (8) for the contactless exchange of electrical energy by inductive coupling, - a second connector (27) to which a connector of the electrical energy storage unit (4) is suitable for being plugged in, and - a second rectifier stage (26) configured to convert the alternating voltage from the second inductive cell (25) into a direct voltage to the second connector (27).

8. Equipment according to claim 7, the control unit (7) being configured to control each second rectifier stage (26) of a secondary subcircuit (10) to which a connector of an electrical energy storage unit (4) is connected so that this second rectifier stage (26) performs impedance matching of the impedance of the electrical energy storage unit (4).

9. Equipment according to one of claims 5 or 6 and according to one of claims 7 or 8, the first inductive cell (14) and the second inductive cell (25) having the same resonant frequency.

10. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, the housings (3) extending in the enclosure (2) in a row between two ends for the row of these housings, the first inductive cell (14) being physically distributed between these two ends (22).

11. Equipment according to claim 10, from one housing (3) to the other in the row, the second inductive cell (25) having physically the same positioning in the dwelling (3), for all or part of these dwellings (3).

12. Use of equipment (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein several secondary sub-circuits (10) are respectively connected to an electrical energy storage unit (4) and in which the following are regulated according to the number of electrical energy storage units (4): - the power supplied by the electrical network, and / or - the distribution of the power supplied by the electrical network between the different electrical energy storage units (4).

13. Use according to claim 12, the primary sub-circuit (8) being according to claim 6 and each secondary sub-circuit (10) being according to claim 7, wherein the regulation of the power supplied by the electrical network is carried out by acting at least: - on the first rectifier stage (15) to regulate the DC voltage upstream of the inverter stage (16) of this primary sub-circuit (8), - on the inverter stage (16) of this primary sub-circuit (8) by regulating its switching frequency and / or its offset angle,- on each second rectifier stage (26) of a secondary sub-circuit (10) to which an electrical energy storage unit is connected, to regulate the equivalent impedance of all these energy storage units as seen from the primary sub-circuit, and / or in which the distribution of the power supplied by the electrical network between the different electrical energy storage units (4) is carried out by acting on each second rectifier stage (26) of a secondary sub-circuit to which an electrical energy storage unit is connected, to regulate the equivalent impedance of these electrical energy storage units with respect to each other.

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