Underground power supply facilities

Abstract

To provide underground power supply facilities for supplying power to a power receiving device of a moving body moving on a traveling path from underground in a non-contact manner in a state of being efficiently and inexpensively installed underground.SOLUTION: Underground power supply facilities 4 for supplying power to a moving body 2 moving on a traveling road G from underground in a non-contact manner includes a power supply device 7 for supplying power to a power receiving device 3 provided in the moving body 2 from underground in a non-contact manner. The power supply device 7 is attached to a protective member 6a for an underground pipe buried in the traveling road G so as to be positioned immediately above an underground pipe 5, and is buried in the ground of the traveling path G together with the protective member 6a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an underground power supply facility that is buried in a travel path so as to supply power from underground in a contactless manner to a power receiving device provided on a mobile object that travels on the travel path. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, there is an in-motion power supply system that includes a power receiving device mounted on an electric vehicle and an underground power supply facility (power supply device) buried in the asphalt pavement of a road, and in which power is supplied from the underground power supply facility to the power receiving device mounted on the electric vehicle in a contactless manner from underground. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-166786 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] To ensure the driving distance of electric vehicles, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the batteries installed in the electric vehicles or to access underground power feeding facilities more frequently. Attempts are being made to increase the capacity of batteries, and research is underway into underground power feeding facilities that enable more frequent charging. However, since increasing the size of batteries is costly, particularly for large vehicles such as buses, it is being considered to ensure driving distance by the number of times they are charged. Although research and development into power feeding systems that supply power contactlessly is progressing, in order to reduce costs and enable rapid introduction, it is necessary to install underground power feeding facilities efficiently and inexpensively underground beneath the roads.

[0005] The present invention provides an underground power supply facility that can be installed underground beneath a travel path efficiently and inexpensively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an underground power supply facility that is buried in a travel path so as to supply power from underground in a contactless manner to a power receiving device provided on a moving object that travels on the travel path, a protective member for the underground pipe buried in the travel path, positioned directly above the underground pipe buried in the travel path; a power supply device attached to the protective member and buried in the travel path together with the protective member to supply power to the power receiving device from underground in a wireless manner; is provided.

[0007] As part of the work to bury the underground pipes, a protective member is buried directly above the underground pipes, and when excavation is performed later, the excavation tool comes into contact with the protective member, making the excavation tool aware of the presence of the underground pipes and providing protection to prevent damage to the underground pipes. With this configuration, when the work to bury the protective member is performed, the power supply device is buried in the travelway together with the protective member, so special burying work for installing the underground power supply equipment underground can be omitted. In other words, the underground power supply equipment can be installed underground in the travelway efficiently and inexpensively without special burying work for burying the underground power supply equipment.

[0008] In the present invention, It is preferable that the power supply device is embedded inside the protective member.

[0009] According to this configuration, the power supply device can be protected at low cost by utilizing a protective member as a cover member for the power supply device.

[0010] In the present invention, The protective member is preferably made of resin.

[0011] According to this configuration, the protective member can be easily provided with elasticity, and therefore the protective member can be easily used as a protective cover for the power supply device.

[0012] In the present invention, It is preferable that the protective member is plate-shaped, and the power supply device is attached to the underside of the protective member.

[0013] According to this configuration, the power supply device is covered from above by the plate-shaped protective member, so that the protective member can be easily used as a protective cover for the power supply device.

[0014] In the present invention, It is preferable that the protective member is plate-shaped, and the power supply device is attached to the upper surface side of the protective member.

[0015] According to this configuration, the power feeding device feeds power to the power receiving device on the upper surface side of the plate-shaped protective member, so that the power feeding device can efficiently feed power to the power receiving device.

[0016] In the present invention, The underground pipe is preferably a gas pipe.

[0017] According to this configuration, the underground power supply equipment can be installed by burying the protective material for the gas pipe as part of the work of burying the gas pipe, so the underground power supply equipment can be installed underground in the running path efficiently and inexpensively.

[0018] In the present invention, The underground pipe is preferably a water pipe.

[0019] According to this configuration, the underground power supply equipment can be installed by burying the water pipe protective member as part of the work of burying the water pipe, so the underground power supply equipment can be installed underground in the running path efficiently and inexpensively. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a moving electric power supply system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of an underground power supply facility buried underground in a travel path. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the results of research and development on contactless power supply. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the results of research and development on contactless power supply. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an underground power feeding facility according to a first alternative embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an underground power feeding facility according to a second alternative embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an in-motion power supply system. The in-motion power supply system 1 includes a power receiving device 3 provided on a mobile object 2 that travels using power from an electric motor, and an underground power supply facility 4 buried in a travel path G. The underground power supply facility 4 is located directly above an underground pipe 5 buried in the travel path G. The mobile object 2 is a passenger car, bus, truck, or the like. The travel path G is a roadway or ground provided on a public road, a highway, a parking lot, a factory site, or the like. The underground pipe 5 may be near an intersection or a bus or truck stop where there is a high need for power supply. In this embodiment, the underground pipe 5 is a polyethylene gas pipe. The underground pipe 5 is not limited to a polyethylene gas pipe, but may also be a carbon steel gas pipe. Furthermore, the underground pipe 5 is not limited to a gas pipe, but may also be a water pipe, an electrical pipe through which underground electric wires are inserted, or the like.

[0022] In the in-motion power supply system 1, underground power supply equipment 4 supplies power contactlessly from underground to a power receiving device 3 of a moving object 2 located in a portion of a travel path G that is set as a charging point.

[0023] [Underground power supply equipment] 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the underground power supply equipment buried in the ground of the travel track. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the underground power supply equipment 4 includes a protective member 6 buried in the travel track G and a power supply device 7 attached to the protective member 6.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the protective member 6 is buried in the travel path G, positioned directly above the underground pipe 5 buried in the travel path G, and extending along the underground pipe 5 in the direction of extension of the underground pipe 5. The width W of the protective member 6 is set larger than the diameter of the underground pipe 5. When the travel path G in which the underground pipe 5 is buried is excavated, the protective member 6 alerts the excavator to the presence of the underground pipe 5 by touching the protective member 6, thereby protecting the underground pipe 5 from damage. Generally, gas pipes are buried to a depth D1 from the road surface 8 to the top end of the gas pipe, which is 600 mm or more. The protective member 6 is buried to a depth D2 from the road surface 8 to the top surface of the protective member 6, which is 300 mm or more. In this embodiment, the protective member 6 is fabricated in a plate shape. The protective member 6 is not limited to a plate-shaped protective member, but a sheet-shaped protective member can also be used.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the protective member 6 is configured to be separable into a first protective member 6a that is a protective member for a charging point located below a portion of the traveling path G that is set as a charging point, and a second protective member 6b that is a protective member for a non-charging point located at a non-charging point on the traveling path G. The power supply device 7 is attached to the first protective member 6a of the protective members 6 so that it is buried in the traveling path G together with the first protective member 6a. In this embodiment, the first protective member 6a is formed in a plate shape.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply device 7 includes a power supply coil 7a, a resonant capacitor 7b, and a coil case 7c. The power supply coil 7a is connected to the resonant capacitor 7b. The power supply coil 7a and the resonant capacitor 7b are housed in the coil case 7c. The coil case 7c is made of a resin material, such as polycarbonate, polypropylene, or hard rubber. The elastic resin of the coil case 7c provides effective protection for the power supply coil 7a and the resonant capacitor 7b.

[0027] In this embodiment, the power supply device 7 is attached to the first protective member 6a by embedding the power supply device 7 inside the first protective member 6a. The embedding of the power supply device 7 in the first protective member 6a is achieved by forming the first protective member 6a from a resin material in a state in which the power supply coil 7a, resonance capacitor 7b, and coil case 7c of the power supply device 7 are embedded in the material forming the first protective member 6a. The first protective member 6a is a plate-shaped resin member in which the power supply device 7 is embedded. The first protective member 6a is made of polyethylene or the like.

[0028] 1, in the underground power supply equipment 4, the first protective member 6a is buried in the runway G, positioned directly above the underground pipe 5, as part of the construction work to bury the underground pipe 5 in the runway G, and when the first protective member 6a is buried in the runway G, the power supply device 7 is attached to the first protective member 6a and is therefore buried in the runway G together with the first protective member 6a. The underground power supply equipment 4 is installed underground in the runway G without any special burying work for burying it.

[0029] In the underground power feeding facility 4 buried in the travel path G, the power feeding coil 7a of the power feeding device 7 is connected to a resonance capacitor 7b to form a resonance circuit. In the moving object 2, the power receiving coil (not shown) of the power receiving device 3 is connected to a resonance capacitor (not shown) to form a resonance circuit. As a result, the power receiving coil and the power feeding coil 7a are magnetically coupled by magnetic field resonance, and high-frequency power is transmitted from the power feeding device 7 of the underground power feeding facility 4 to the power receiving device 3 of the moving object 2, thereby charging the moving object 2. In the power feeding device 7 of this embodiment, power is fed by a magnetic field resonance method.

[0030] The results of research and development into contactless power supply to mobile objects are shown in Figures 3 and 4. The transmission distance L1 shown in Figures 3 and 4 is the transmission distance from power supply device 10 to road surface 8 when contactless power supply from power supply device 10 is performed by an electromagnetic induction method (a method that uses an induced magnetic flux generated between the power transmitting side and the power receiving side). The transmission distance L2 is the transmission distance from power supply device 10 to road surface 8 when contactless power supply from power supply device 10 is performed by a magnetic resonance method. The power supply efficiency K1 shown in Figure 4 is the power supply efficiency when contactless power supply is performed by the electromagnetic induction method, and the power supply efficiency K2 is the power supply efficiency when contactless power supply is performed by the magnetic resonance method. That is, the magnetic field resonance method allows the underground power feeding equipment 4 to be buried deeper than the electromagnetic induction method. Unlike passenger cars, buses and trucks have large tire diameters and the power receiving device 3 is located higher above the road surface 8, so for underground power feeding equipment 4 equipped with the first protective member 6a, it is preferable to employ the magnetic field resonance method, which has a longer transmission distance.

[0031] [Another embodiment] (1) Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a first alternative embodiment of an underground power supply facility 11. In the first alternative embodiment of the underground power supply facility 11, the first protective member 6a is fabricated in a plate shape, and the power supply device 7 is attached to the underside of the first protective member 6a.

[0032] (2) Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a second alternative embodiment of an underground power supply facility 12. In the second alternative embodiment of the underground power supply facility 12, the first protective member 6a is fabricated in a plate shape, and the power supply device 7 is attached to the upper surface of the first protective member 6a.

[0033] (3) In the above embodiment, one underground power feeding facility 12 is configured by combining one first protection member 6a and one power feeding device 7, and one underground power feeding facility 12 is buried in the ground at one set charging location. However, this is not limited to this. One underground power feeding facility 12 may be configured by combining one first protection member 6a and multiple power feeding devices 7. Furthermore, multiple underground power feeding facilities 12 may be buried in the ground at one set charging location.

[0034] (4) In the above embodiment, the first protection member 6a is made of resin, but the material is not limited to this and may be made of metal.

[0035] (5) In the above embodiment, the first protection member 6a is plate-shaped, but it is not limited to this and may be sheet-shaped.

[0036] (6) In the above embodiment, the underground pipe 5 is a gas pipe or a water pipe, but this is not limited thereto. The underground pipe may be any type of pipe, such as an electrical pipe that houses electric wires.

[0037] (7) In the above embodiment, the power supply device 7 is used, which supplies power by a magnetic field resonance method. However, the power supply device may be one that uses an electromagnetic induction method.

[0038] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] The present invention can be applied to underground power feeding equipment that feeds power to a power receiving device of a moving body from underground under a travel path in a non-contact manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 2. Mobile 3 Power receiving device 5 Underground piping 6a Protective member (first protective member) 7 Power supply equipment

Claims

1. An underground power supply facility that is buried in a travel path so as to supply power from underground in a contactless manner to a power receiving device provided on a moving object that travels on the travel path, a protective member for the underground pipe buried in the travel path, positioned directly above the underground pipe buried in the travel path; a power supply device attached to the protective member and buried in the travel path together with the protective member to supply power to the power receiving device from underground in a wireless manner; An underground power supply facility equipped with:

2. The underground power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply device is embedded inside the protective member.

3. The underground power supply facility according to claim 2 , wherein the protective member is made of resin.

4. The protective member is plate-shaped, The underground power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply device is attached to a lower surface side of the protective member.

5. The protective member is plate-shaped, The underground power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply device is attached to an upper surface side of the protective member.

6. 3. The underground power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the underground pipe is a gas pipe.

7. 3. The underground power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the underground pipe is a water pipe.

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