Rational quick charging station for electric automobiles

Abstract

To address a problem that a large-scale quick charging station has been required with spread of EVs so that a quick charging station where multiple quick charging devices can be available anywhere of multiple charging vehicle rooms has been required.SOLUTION: Outputs of multiple quick charging devices are collected to one cubicle, and quick charging can be realized in an arbitrary charging vehicle room using a charging management device and a distribution board.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the configuration of a quick charging station for electric vehicles (EVs and PHVs). [Background technology]

[0002] Electric vehicles, which are fuel-efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly, are rapidly becoming more popular. Battery capacity is increasing every year, and everyday use of EVs means that there is little risk of running out of battery power. However, when driving long distances, charging is required along the way to your destination, which means that quick charging stations are needed along major roads.

[0003] In such a quick charging station, it is desirable to install multiple quick chargers to enable efficient charging. However, in conventional quick charging stations where multiple quick chargers are installed, each quick charger can only charge vehicles parked in the compartment it covers, and cannot charge vehicles parked in compartments covered by other quick chargers. This drawback becomes more pronounced as the number of quick chargers increases. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention more effectively embodies the invention of a previously filed application (Patent Application No. 2023-212436), which first outputs the output from each rapid charging device to a bus line, and then enables charging of a vehicle parked in any compartment through that bus line. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides a distribution board that temporarily collects output busbars from multiple quick chargers in a cubicle and enables the busbars in the cubicle to be selectively connected to one of multiple charging cables to charging compartments by operating a selection switch, and a quick charge management device that operates the selection switch on the distribution board. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, a plurality of quick chargers can be fully utilized, and users can receive charging services rationally based on the order of arrival, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] shows an example of the circuit configuration of a quick charging station of the present invention, in which the outputs of two quick charging devices CG1 and CG2 are first output to respective buses BUS1 and BUS2, and by selectively turning on selection switches 1A to 2D, charging can be performed from either of the two quick charging devices anywhere in four charging compartments A to D. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of a charging circuit control system equipped with a rapid charge management device CPU that controls the opening and closing of selection switches of the charging circuit for charging from two rapid chargers via their respective bus bars. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of a cubicle of a quick charging station according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of a distribution board for selecting a charging circuit in which a charging circuit selection switch of the present invention is arranged. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the charging circuit selection switch in response to entry into and exit from the charging compartment. [Figure 6] 1 is an example showing the layout of a quick charging device, a cubicle, and a charging compartment of a quick charging station of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a more preferable arrangement of the quick charging device of the charging station of this configuration, the cubicle of the present invention, and the charging compartment. [Figure 8] shows an example of an operation and display stand installed in each charging compartment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0008] Figure 1 shows a circuit configuration that allows the output of two quick chargers CG1 and CG2 to charge any of the EVs in four compartments A to D. For example, if quick charger CG2 is charging EVs in compartments A and D and compartments B and C are open, and a new EV enters compartment C, charging will begin from quick charger CG1 by turning on switch 1C. In this way, by turning switches 1A to 1D on and off, EVs can be quick charged using either of the two quick chargers CG1 or CG2 no matter where they are parked in the four compartments.

[0009] Previous rapid charging devices, even those capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously, were limited to supplying power to two vehicle compartments. By contrast, the circuit configuration shown in Figure 1 offers the significant advantage of being able to supply charging power to three or more vehicle compartments. The basic principle of this circuit configuration has already been applied for (Patent Application No. 2023-212436).

[0010] Figure 2 shows the basic configuration of the charging circuit control system for the quick charging station of the present invention. When a vehicle detection device or other device detects that an EV has entered one of the charging compartments, a signal is sent to the quick charging management unit CPU via the vehicle detection device's signal line. The quick charging management unit CPU then determines the optimal quick charging device for charging using a unique algorithm described below.

[0011] Based on this decision, the selection switch control device CNT closes a selection switch (one of 1A to 2D) that connects the bus connected to the quick charger and the connection cable that supplies power to the EV in the charging compartment through the selection switch activation signal line. This starts quick charging from the quick charger selected by the quick charge management device. The method for automatically determining which quick charger to use in this case is described in detail in a previous application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-212436).

[0012] As described above, the basis of the present invention is that a vehicle can be charged from any of multiple quick chargers regardless of where it is parked in the charging compartment. However, when adding more charging devices, extending the bus lines from those devices to all charging compartments creates a problem: the length and number of bus lines, such as BUS1 and BUS2, become longer. The present invention proposes a rational quick charging station configuration that solves this problem.

[0013] Figure 3 shows the rational configuration of the quick charging station of the present invention. Specifically, busbars connecting multiple quick chargers are all installed in a single cubicle, and switches for supplying power from the busbar to one of multiple charging compartments are installed on a distribution panel. The output side of the selection switch for the compartment to be powered is connected to the charging cable that supplies charging power to each charging compartment. Furthermore, a quick power supply management CPU, which determines which charging compartment to send charging power to, is also installed in the same cubicle.

[0014] With the above configuration, it is advantageous to install the quick charger near the cubicle rather than near the vehicle compartment. This means that the busbars connected to each quick charger only need to be short distances to the cubicle and short busbars within the cubicle, and only the charging cable needs to be long enough to reach all vehicle compartments. Another advantage is that the selection switches for supplying charging power from each busbar to the charging compartments can be centrally located on the distribution panel, eliminating the need to place them in each charging compartment, which would be far away.

[0015] Figure 4 shows the circuit configuration of the distribution board installed in the cubicle of the present invention, taking as an example a charging station in which three quick chargers charge EVs in six charging compartments. On the back of the board are three bus lines BUS1, BUS2, and BUS3 (shown by dotted lines) connected to each quick charger.

[0016] On the front side of the board, there are 18 selection switches, numbered 1A to 3F, for selecting each charging compartment, and the input side (upper side in the figure) of each selection switch is connected to each bus bar on the back side.

[0017] The output sides of these selection switches (the lower side in the figure) are connected to six output lines on the back of the board that are insulated from the bus. Six charging cables that supply charging power to each charging compartment are then connected to these output lines. This configuration means that only one charging cable needs to be output from the cubicle to each charging compartment. This has the great advantage of eliminating the need to install a bus from the quick charger in every charging compartment, as seen in the circuit configuration of Figure 1.

[0018] The above explanation is for a case where there are three quick chargers and six charging compartments, but even if there are seven or more compartments, it is only necessary to increase the number of charging cables as output lines and the number of selection switches.The present invention has the advantage that it can be more effective in larger charging stations with more quick chargers and charging compartments.

[0019] A rapid charge management device is also installed in the cubicle of the present invention, which houses the busbars, selection switches, and output charging cables. Based on EV entry information (such as vehicle detection device output) received from each charging compartment, the rapid charge management device uses an on-board program to determine the charging order and opens and closes the selection switches for the compartments to be charged according to that order. Details of the algorithm are explained in a previously filed patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-212436), but a brief explanation will be provided here in the form of a flowchart.

[0020] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the algorithm by which the rapid charge management device operates the charging selection switch. Entering or completing charging is considered an event, and when such an event occurs, the rapid charge management device determines the charging priority, assigns the most suitable rapid charger, and opens or closes the selection switch. To do this, the rapid charge management device constantly monitors the current situation.

[0021] To give a more concrete example, suppose another event occurs. If the vehicle enters a charging compartment for charging, a vehicle detection device or the like detects the compartment and notifies the quick charge management device of the entry via communication. The quick charge management device determines the charging priority for the event. If the priority is less than the number of charging compartments, it selects an available quick charger and turns on the bus connected to that quick charger and the selection switch for that charging compartment. If the user has connected a charging cable to their EV, charging begins as soon as the switch is turned on. If the charging cable is not connected, the selection switch is turned on and charging begins after detecting that the charging cable is connected.

[0022] If all available quick chargers are in use, the charging priority will be greater than the number of quick chargers at this charging station, and the vehicle will be placed on standby for charging. If charging is completed in a charging compartment and the charging priority is raised, the selection switch will be turned on so that the EV in that charging compartment can be charged.

[0023] If the event is charging completion, the user disconnects the charging cable and performs procedures such as paying the charging parking fee at an operation display stand provided in each charging compartment, which will be described later. When the quick charge management device detects this information via communication, the charging priority assigned to users who are charging or waiting to charge in each compartment is simultaneously raised by one. As a result of this process, when the charging priority of users who were waiting to charge becomes equal to the number of charging compartments, the quick charge management device turns on the selection switch so that charging can begin in that compartment.

[0024] Figure 6 shows a simplified configuration of multiple quick chargers, the selection switch, a cubicle including busbars, and a charging compartment. The outputs of the multiple quick chargers are collected in a cubicle including the quick charge management device of the present invention and a distribution board, and charging cables extend from the cubicle to multiple charging compartments. Each charging compartment is equipped with an operation and display stand containing an interface for paying charging parking fees, a charging cable, and an operation panel, and the operation and display stand and quick charge management device are connected to the quick charge management device via a communication line along with signals from the vehicle detection device.

[0025] Figure 7 shows an effective layout of quick chargers, cubicles, and charging compartments when three or more quick chargers are installed. Its distinctive feature is that the quick chargers are placed near the cubicle of the present invention, and the charging compartments are arranged to surround the cubicle. This layout minimizes the length of the busbars output from the quick chargers to the cubicle, and also shortens the length of the charging cable output from the cubicle to the charging compartment, resulting in a compact charging station configuration. Furthermore, the quick charge management device and the distribution panel including the selection switch can be integrated into a single cubicle, resulting in significant benefits in terms of charging station management and maintenance, as well as cost reduction.

[0026] Next, Figure 8 shows an example of an operation display stand provided in each charging compartment in the present invention. At conventional quick charging stations where a quick charger and a charging compartment are combined, users face the quick charger they are using directly to pay the fee and perform operations such as starting and stopping charging. However, in the case of the present invention, users do not know which quick charger is supplying charging power from which they are receiving charging power, so they do not operate the quick charger that is receiving power by facing it. Instead, each charging compartment needs the above-mentioned operation display stand to perform various operations between the quick charger and the quick charge management device.

[0027] The operation and display stand in Figure 8 is composed of a display panel and operation buttons for fee payment and charging operation. The minimum necessary information is that it can display information such as which quick charger is receiving power, its position in the charging order and whether it is charging immediately or waiting to be charged, and if it is waiting to be charged, its position, the amount of charging energy, charging and parking fees, and the estimated time or estimated time when charging will end. This information is connected to the quick charge management device via a communication line that also includes signals from the vehicle detection device. Of course, the operation and display stand is also equipped with a charging cable, which is an output line coming from the cubicle.

[0028] The present invention has been explained above, but its main feature is that the quick charge management device allows for 100% effective use of the installed quick chargers, and the greater the number of quick chargers, the greater the effect of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0029] The present invention dramatically improves the rapid charging infrastructure for EVs, which are expected to increase in number, and is clearly of great industrial value.

Claims

1. A quick charging station comprising a plurality of quick charging devices, charging compartments equal to or greater than the number of the quick charging devices, a bus output from each of the plurality of quick charging devices, a selection switch for supplying charging power from the output bus to one of the charging compartments, a charge management device for controlling the operation of the selection switch, and a charging cable for supplying the output of the selection switch to the plurality of charging compartments, wherein the output bus, the selection switch, the charge management device, and the charging cable output to each charging compartment are all housed together in a single cubicle.

2. 2. The quick charging station according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of busbars introduced from each quick charging device into the cubicle and a plurality of selection switches for selectively connecting the plurality of busbars to charging cables capable of supplying power to all charging compartments are integrally arranged as a distribution board.

3. The quick charging station of claim 1, wherein an operation and display stand is provided in each charging compartment, and a terminal of the charging cable coming out of the cubicle is installed in a state connectable to an electric vehicle, and the display unit of the operation and display stand can display information such as a charging start button, the quick charging device receiving power, the charging order, the power during charging, the parking charging fee after charging is completed, and payment of the fee, by communicating with the charging management device, so that a user can start charging after connecting the charging cable to the electric vehicle.

4. 4. The quick charging station according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein a plurality of quick charging devices are arranged in the vicinity of the cubicle so as to surround it, and charging cables output from the cubicle are extended to each of the vehicle compartments for charging.

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