Charging station for electric bus and charging method using them

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric bus charging station and a charging method using the same. The electric bus charging station of the present invention comprises a power rail extending along an axial direction above a garage where a plurality of electric buses are parked, a pantograph positioned below the power rail that moves horizontally along the axial direction and extends in the direction of gravity above the electric buses to make electrical contact with the electric buses, and a control unit that calculates a charging order for a plurality of electric buses based on position information of the plurality of electric buses. The control unit controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric buses according to the charging order to supply power applied from an external power grid through the power rail to the electric buses through the pantograph.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging station for charging a plurality of electric buses parked in a garage and a charging method using the same. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, driven by stricter environmental regulations and the trend of reducing energy costs, interest in and demand for eco-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) have been increasing explosively. Countries around the world are seeking to resolve environmental issues, such as air pollution, through regulations on automobile exhaust emissions, and as part of this effort, the adoption of eco-friendly electric vehicles is becoming mandatory.

[0003] In line with this trend, interest in and research on electric vehicles are actively underway as part of low-carbon green growth. To expand the adoption of these electric vehicles, the establishment of charging infrastructure capable of charging their power batteries is crucial.

[0004] Recently, the difficulty of establishing charging stations has been considered a major obstacle to the expansion of electric buses. Most electric buses currently in service use a 'Plug-In Type' charging method; however, with the Plug-In Type, the charger is located on the ground and requires a thick, long cable for charging, making it difficult to install them sufficiently in the limited space of a bus depot.

[0005] Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop charging stations that can efficiently charge multiple electric buses parked for a long time in confined spaces such as bus depots without moving them. The problem to be solved

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an electric bus charging station and a charging method using the same, wherein a pantograph moves over a plurality of electric buses along a power rail to sequentially charge a plurality of electric buses even when a plurality of electric buses are densely parked in a narrow space.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an electric bus charging station and a charging method using the same, which provides a pantograph down method in which a pantograph that moves above the electric bus along a power rail descends to contact a contact bar installed on the upper side of the electric bus and then charges the electric bus. means of solving the problem

[0008] An electric bus charging station according to one feature of the present invention comprises a power rail extending along an axial direction above a garage where a plurality of electric buses are parked, a pantograph positioned below the power rail that moves horizontally along the axial direction and extends in the direction of gravity above the electric buses to make electrical contact with the electric buses, and a control unit that calculates a charging order of the plurality of electric buses based on position information of the plurality of electric buses, wherein the control unit controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric buses according to the charging order to supply power applied from an external power grid through the power rail to the electric buses through the pantograph.

[0009] The electric bus charging station further includes a bus infrared sensor positioned at a predetermined position on the loop of the electric bus and an infrared sensor positioned at a predetermined position on the pantograph facing the bus infrared sensor, and the control unit can correct the position of the pantograph so that the infrared rays emitted from each of the bus infrared sensor and the infrared sensor match.

[0010] The electric bus charging station may further include a communication unit that communicates with the electric bus to receive location information of the plurality of electric buses, and a GPS sensor that receives location information of the pantograph from a satellite.

[0011] The control unit can calculate the shortest travel path of the pantograph based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses and the location information of the pantograph, and calculate the charging order of the plurality of electric buses according to the calculated shortest travel path.

[0012] The control unit can control the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric buses so that the plurality of electric buses parked along the axis direction are charged sequentially.

[0013] The power rail is arranged to move horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axis direction, and the control unit can control the power rail to move horizontally according to the charging order when the charging of the plurality of electric buses parked along the axis direction is completed.

[0014] The above pantographs are arranged in a plurality of units corresponding to the number of electric buses parked in the garage along the axis direction, and the control unit can control electrical contact between each of the plurality of electric buses and the plurality of pantographs to supply power applied from the external power grid to the plurality of electric buses through the plurality of pantographs.

[0015] An electric bus charging method according to another feature of the present invention is a method for charging an electric bus using an electric bus charging station comprising a power rail extending along an axial direction above a garage where a plurality of electric buses are parked, and a pantograph disposed below the power rail that moves horizontally along the axial direction and extends in the direction of gravity above the electric bus to make electrical contact with the electric bus, the method comprising the steps of: communicating with the plurality of electric buses to receive location information of the plurality of electric buses; calculating a charging order of the plurality of electric buses based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses; and controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric bus according to the calculated charging order to supply power applied from an external power grid through the power rail to the electric bus through the pantograph.

[0016] The step of supplying the power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph includes: determining whether horizontal movement of the power rail is required in a direction perpendicular to the axis direction; controlling the horizontal movement of the power rail according to the determination result; determining whether horizontal movement of the pantograph is required along the axis direction; controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph according to the determination result; controlling the pantograph to extend in the direction of gravity so as to make electrical contact with the electric bus; and supplying the power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph.

[0017] The electric bus charging method described above may further include, prior to the step of controlling to make electrical contact with the electric bus, a step of correcting the position of the pantograph so that the infrared rays emitted from each of the bus infrared sensor placed on the loop of the electric bus and the infrared sensor placed at a predetermined position of the pantograph match.

[0018] The step of calculating the charging order of the plurality of electric buses can calculate the shortest travel path of the pantograph based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses and the location information of the pantograph, and calculate the charging order of the plurality of electric buses according to the calculated shortest travel path.

[0019] The electric bus charging method described above may further include, after the step of supplying the power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph, a step of determining whether there is an electric bus among the plurality of electric buses that requires charging, and if there is a result of the determination, a step of specifying the next electric bus to be charged based on the charging order. Effects of the invention

[0020] The present invention has the effect of being able to sequentially charge multiple electric buses without additional movement or turning of the electric buses for charging, even when multiple electric buses are densely parked in a narrow space.

[0021] The present invention provides a pantograph down method that moves horizontally over a plurality of electric buses and then extends downward from above the electric buses to be charged to make contact with the electric buses, thereby providing effects such as cost reduction and reduced load on the electric buses compared to a pantograph up method in which a pantograph mounted on the roof of the electric bus is raised to make contact with a charging station. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electric bus charging system according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a drawing illustrating a front view of the electric bus of Figure 1 connected to a charging station. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the electric bus of Figure 1 connected to a charging station. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the movement of power rails and pantographs while a plurality of electric buses are parked in a depot according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an example in which a single pantograph and a plurality of pantographs are arranged on a power rail according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the horizontal movement of the power rail, the horizontal movement of the pantograph, and the movement in the direction of gravity when a single pantograph is placed on the power rail of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an electric bus charging method according to one embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram that explains in detail the electric bus charging steps of Figure 7. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components are assigned identical or similar reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and / or "part" for components used in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably solely for the ease of drafting the specification and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art could obscure the essence of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, such detailed description will be omitted. Additionally, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification; the technical concept disclosed in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the invention.

[0024] Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components are not limited by said terms. These terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

[0025] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "in contact" with another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or in contact with that other component, there may also be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "in direct contact" with another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0026] In this application, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electric bus charging system according to one embodiment.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1, the electric bus charging system (1) includes a charging station (10) and an electric bus (20).

[0030] The charging station (10) includes a power converter (11), a power rail (12), a pantograph (13), a GPS sensor (14), an infrared sensor (15), a communication unit (16), and a control unit (17). Additionally, the charging station (10) may include related facilities provided for charging an electric bus (20).

[0031] The power conversion unit (11) receives commercial AC power from an external power grid (2), rectifies it into DC power, and then increases or decreases the rectified DC power to generate power for charging the electric bus (20).

[0032] Commercial AC power may be single-phase AC power that can be used for household or commercial purposes. In South Korea, the commercial voltage is generally single-phase AC 220V, and while the voltage may vary depending on the country, it is within the range of 85 to 265V. Additionally, the frequency is generally 60Hz, but it may be 50Hz. Commercial AC power is generated by an external power grid (2), and power of, for example, about 3 to 6kW may be supplied to the battery (22).

[0033] The power rail (12) is a power supply rail that transmits power supplied from the power conversion unit (11) to the pantograph (13). For example, when the control unit (17) detects that the pantograph (13) and the electric bus (20) are in contact and transmits a charging control signal to the power conversion unit (11), power can be supplied to the electric bus (20) through the pantograph (13) connected to the power rail (12). According to an embodiment, one side of the power rail (12) is connected to an external power grid (2), and the other side can be formed to extend along the axial direction above a garage where a plurality of electric buses (20) are parked.

[0034] The pantograph (13) can collect power flowing through the power rail (12) and supply it to the electric bus (20). Conventional pantographs have been used as power collection devices to supply power to electric railway vehicles that do not rely on batteries. The pantograph (13) according to one embodiment can supply power to charge the battery (22) of the electric bus (20) parked during nighttime hours.

[0035] The pantograph (13) may be called a pantograph, pantograph, etc., or abbreviated as panto, panter, or panda. For example, the pantograph (13) may have a single-arm or double-arm structure. The double-arm type is a rhombus-shaped link structure. It is often modified and referred to as a diamond shape, etc. The double-arm type is a form in which the movable part between the contact surface and the vehicle body is composed of two links. The single-arm type has a single joint structure that looks like a leg. It is also called a half-panto because it is shaped like a double-arm type cut in half, a Z-panto because it is shaped like a Z, or a leg-shaped pantograph. The single-arm type is a form in which only one link structure is installed between the contact surface and the vehicle body.

[0036] In the case of the Pantograph Up method, a pantograph can be provided on the electric bus (20). In this case, the pantograph is located on the roof of the electric bus (20) in a folded state while the electric bus (20) is in operation, and when charging begins, it unfolds upward to contact the charging station (10) to receive power. In this case, since a pantograph must be provided for each of the multiple electric buses (20), costs increase, and the load of the pantograph may be imposed on the electric bus (20). Additionally, there is a problem that the pantograph located on the roof of the electric bus (20) cannot enter low-height tunnels, underground parking lots, etc.

[0037] In the case of the Pantograph Down method, a pantograph (13) may be provided in the charging station (10). According to an embodiment, the pantograph (13) is located at the bottom of the power rail (12) in a folded state during a idle mode when the electric bus (20) is not being charged. When the charging mode for charging the electric bus (20) is entered, the pantograph (13) can be unfolded downward to contact the electric bus (20) and supply power. According to an embodiment, the charging station (10) is implemented in a pantograph Down method, thereby overcoming the disadvantages of the pantograph Up method.

[0038] The GPS sensor (14) can measure the current position of the pantograph (13) in real time, at predetermined intervals, or upon a request from the control unit (17). The GPS sensor (14) can receive current position information of the pantograph (13) from multiple GPS satellites and can transmit information regarding the measured position (hereinafter, position information) to the control unit (17). For example, the control unit (17) can receive the current position information of the pantograph (13) in real time from the GPS sensor (14) to move the pantograph (13) over the electric bus (20) to be charged.

[0039] The infrared sensor (15) can precisely measure or correct the current position of the pantograph (13) using infrared rays. For example, the infrared sensor (15) may include a light-emitting part that emits infrared rays and a light-receiving part that receives infrared rays.

[0040] The communication unit (16) can communicate with the electric bus (20) to receive GPS location information and a ready signal from the electric bus (20) and transmit them to the control unit (17). Additionally, the communication unit (16) can transmit a charging start control signal and a charging end control signal transmitted from the control unit (17) to the electric bus (20). For example, the communication unit (16) can communicate with the electric bus (20) by including at least one module among a short-range wireless communication module, a network connection module, a mobile communication module, and a wireless internet module.

[0041] The short-range wireless communication module is connected to the electric bus (20) via Bluetooth to enable data communication, and information required for the connection can be stored in memory. The network connection module is connected to the electric bus (20) via WiFi to enable data communication, and information required for the connection can be stored in memory. The mobile communication module can transmit and receive wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server in a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various forms of data such as voice call signals, video call call signals, and text / multimedia message transmission and reception. The wireless internet module can be embedded in or externally installed in the communication unit (16) as a module for wireless internet access. For example, the wireless internet module can perform WiFi-based wireless communication or WiFi Direct-based wireless communication.

[0042] The control unit (17) analyzes the location information of a plurality of electric buses (20) parked in a garage to calculate the shortest travel path and charging sequence of the pantograph (13) and controls the charging sequence of the plurality of electric buses (20). At this time, the garage is not limited to a bus garage and may include a charging location where a battery charging station for a mobile device that runs using charging energy, such as an electric vehicle, is installed.

[0043] The electric bus (20) may include a contact bar (21), a battery (22), a bus GPS sensor (23), a bus infrared sensor (24), a bus communication unit (25), and a bus control unit (26). At this time, the electric bus (20) may include a pure electric bus, a pure electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid, or a vehicle that drives using charging energy.

[0044] The contact bar (21) can receive power by contacting the pantograph (13), which is located on the roof of the electric bus (20) and extends downward in charging mode.

[0045] The battery (22) serves as a power source for the electric bus (20) and can be implemented as a secondary battery capable of repeatedly charging and discharging electrical energy, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The battery (22) is configured with cells stacked in series inside it and has a high voltage in the range of approximately 240 to 413 V depending on the charge state. Below, the phrase "charging the electric bus (20)" corresponds to the phrase "charging the battery of the electric bus (20)."

[0046] The bus GPS sensor (23) can measure the current location of the electric bus (20) in real time, at predetermined intervals, or upon request from the bus control unit (26). The bus GPS sensor (23) can receive current location information of the electric bus (20) from multiple GPS satellites and transmit the measured location information to the bus control unit (26).

[0047] The bus infrared sensor (24) may be located on the roof of the electric bus (20) facing the infrared sensor (15) located on a predetermined surface of the pantograph (13).

[0048] The bus communication unit (25) can communicate with the charging station (10) to transmit GPS location information and a ready signal of the electric bus (20), or receive a charging start control signal and a charging end control signal and transmit them to the bus control unit (26). For example, the bus communication unit (25) can communicate with the charging station (10) by including at least one module among a short-range wireless communication module, a network connection module, a mobile communication module, and a wireless internet module.

[0049] The bus control unit (26) can control the battery (22) to be charged with power supplied from the charging station (10). For example, when the electric bus (20) is parked at a predetermined location within the depot and the battery (22) enters a state where it can be charged, the bus control unit (26) can control the battery (22) to be charged with power supplied from the charging station (10) by transmitting GPS location information and a ready signal of the electric bus (20) to the charging station (10) through the bus communication unit (25).

[0051] Figure 2 is a drawing illustrating a front view of the electric bus of Figure 1 connected to a charging station.

[0052] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the electric bus of Figure 1 connected to a charging station.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the pantograph (13) may include a moving device (131) that moves the pantograph (13) in the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12). The moving device (131) may be movably coupled to the lower end of the other side of the power rail (12) and fixedly coupled to the upper end of the pantograph (13). For example, the pantograph (13) may move horizontally along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) through the moving device (131).

[0054] The infrared sensor (15) may be positioned at a predetermined point on the moving device (131) so as to face at least one bus infrared sensor (24). For example, they may be positioned so that the infrared rays emitted from the infrared sensor (15) and the bus infrared sensor (24) respectively match each other when electrical contact between the pantograph (13) and the contact bar (21) is successful. That is, the infrared rays emitted from the infrared sensor (15) and the bus infrared sensor (24) respectively can guide electrical contact between the pantograph (13) and the contact bar (21).

[0055] The control unit (17) can control the pantograph (13) to enter a charging mode for charging the battery (22) of the electric bus (20) when the infrared rays emitted from the infrared sensor (15) and the bus infrared sensor (24) match, respectively. The communication unit (16) can communicate with the bus communication unit (250) of the electric bus (20) to receive GPS location information and a ready signal of the electric bus (20) and transmit them to the control unit (17). Additionally, the communication unit (16) can transmit the charging start control signal and the charging end control signal transmitted from the control unit (17) to the bus communication unit (250) of the electric bus (20).

[0056] When the pantograph (13) enters a charging mode, it extends downward under the control of the control unit (17), and the lower end can be electrically connected by contacting the contact bar (21) of the electric bus (20). In FIG. 3, a single-arm type pantograph (13) having a single joint structure is shown, but it is not limited thereto, and the pantograph (13) may include various structures such as a double-arm type.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the movement of power rails and pantographs while a plurality of electric buses are parked in a depot according to one embodiment.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an example in which a single pantograph and a plurality of pantographs are arranged on a power rail according to one embodiment.

[0060] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the horizontal movement of the power rail, the horizontal movement of the pantograph, and the movement in the direction of gravity when a single pantograph is placed on the power rail of FIG. 5.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of electric buses (20) can be parked in a line along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) in a garage. When the charging of the plurality of electric buses (20) parked at the first position (12a) is completed, the power rail (12) can be moved horizontally to a second position (12b) under the control of the control unit (17). At this time, the movement from the first position (12a) to the second position (12b) may be in a direction (Y-axis) perpendicular to the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12).

[0062] In FIG. 4, a number of pantographs (13) corresponding to the number of electric buses (20) that can be parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12), for example, five pantographs (13), are arranged, but this is not limited thereto, and a number of pantographs (13), two pantographs (13), or a number smaller than the number of parked electric buses (20) may also be arranged.

[0063] FIG. 5 (A) illustrates an example in which five electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of a power rail (12) are sequentially charged by a single pantograph (13). The electric buses (20) at positions (a) and (b) have already been fully charged, and the electric bus (20) at position (c) is currently being charged. Subsequently, the pantograph (13) can move sequentially along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) to charge the electric buses (20) at positions (d) and (e). That is, the electric buses (20) at positions (d) and (e) may be in a standby state before charging.

[0064] FIG. 5 (B) illustrates another example in which five electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) are simultaneously charged by five pantographs (13). In this case, although the cost of providing the pantographs (13) increases, the time required to charge multiple electric buses (20) can be reduced.

[0065] FIG. 6 (a) describes the process in which the power rail (12) moves horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (X-axis) (Y-axis), and then the pantograph (13) extends in the direction of gravity (Z-axis) above the electric bus (20). FIG. 6 (b) describes the pantograph (13) moving horizontally along the axial direction (X-axis) to sequentially charge a plurality of electric buses (20) parked along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12).

[0067] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an electric bus charging method according to one embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the electric bus charging steps of FIG. 7 in detail.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 7, first, the control unit (17) communicates with a plurality of electric buses (20) through the communication unit (16) and receives location information of the plurality of electric buses (20) (S110).

[0069] The electric bus (20) may include a bus GPS sensor (23) that receives location data from multiple GPS satellites in real time or at predetermined intervals. For example, when the electric bus (20) is resting at a depot or parked late at night after operation has ended, it may transmit the current GPS location information collected through the GPS sensor (23) to a charging station (10).

[0070] Next, the control unit (17) can calculate the charging order of the plurality of electric buses (20) based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses (20) (S120).

[0071] The control unit (17) can calculate the shortest travel path of the pantograph (13) based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses (20) and the location information of the pantograph (13), and calculate the charging order of the plurality of electric buses (20) according to the calculated shortest travel path. For example, the control unit (17) can receive the current location information of the pantograph (13) from the GPS sensor (14) in real time or at predetermined intervals to calculate the charging order or to move the pantograph (13) to the airspace of the electric bus (20) to be charged according to the charging order.

[0072] Next, the control unit (17) can charge the electric bus (20) by supplying power applied from an external power grid (2) to the electric bus (20) through the pantograph (13) (S130).

[0073] The control unit (17) can sequentially charge multiple electric buses (20) parked in the garage by controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) and electrical contact with the electric bus (20) according to the calculated charging order.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 8, at step S130, the control unit (17) can determine whether the power rail (12) needs to move horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (X-axis) (S131).

[0075] According to one embodiment, fewer pantographs (13) than the number of electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) may be placed on the power rail (12). At this time, the control unit (17) can sequentially charge the electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) by controlling the horizontal movement of the pantographs (13) along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) and their extension in the direction of gravity (Y-axis).

[0076] Referring to (A) in FIGS. 4 and 5, when all of the multiple electric buses (20) parked in a row along the first line (12a) along the axial direction (X-axis) are fully charged, the control unit (17) can control the horizontal movement of the power rail (12) so that the power rail (12) located in the first line (12a) is positioned above the multiple electric buses (20) parked in a row along the second line (12b). For example, if there is an uncharged electric bus (20) among the multiple electric buses (20) parked in the first line (12a), the control unit (17) can sequentially charge the uncharged electric bus (20) in the first line (12a) by controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) and its extension in the direction of gravity (Y-axis) above the uncharged electric bus (20) without controlling the horizontal movement of the power rail (12). In FIG. 4, a number of pantographs (13) corresponding to the number of electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) is shown, but is not limited thereto and may include a case where fewer pantographs (13) than the number of parked electric buses (20) are arranged.

[0077] According to another embodiment, a plurality of pantographs (13) corresponding to the number of electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) may be arranged on the power rail (12). At this time, the control unit (17) can simultaneously charge the electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) by controlling the horizontal movement of the power rail (12) and the extension of the pantographs (13) in the direction of gravity (Y-axis).

[0078] Referring to (B) of FIGS. 4 and 5, when electric buses (20) parked in a row along the axial direction (X-axis) are simultaneously charged and charging is completed, the control unit (17) can control the horizontal movement of the power rail (12) so that it is positioned above a plurality of electric buses (20) parked in a row on the next line. For example, when charging of a plurality of electric buses (20) parked along the first line (12a) is completed simultaneously, the control unit (17) can move the power rail (12) horizontally to move it to the second line (12b).

[0079] In step S130, if horizontal movement of the power rail (12) is required (S131, Yes), the control unit (17) controls the horizontal movement of the power rail (12) (S132).

[0080] In step S130, if horizontal movement of the power rail (12) is not required (S131, No) or if horizontal movement is completed (S132), the control unit (17) determines whether horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) is required along the axial direction (X-axis) of the power rail (12) (S133).

[0081] In step S130, if horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) is required (S133, Yes), the control unit (17) controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) (S134).

[0082] Referring to (A) of FIGS. 4 and 5, if there is an uncharged electric bus (20) among the plurality of electric buses (20) parked on the first line (12a), the control unit (17) can control the pantograph (13) to move over the uncharged electric bus (20). That is, if there is an electric bus (20) waiting to be charged among the plurality of electric buses (20) parked along the axis direction (X) of the power rail (12) at the current position of the power rail (12) and not all of them are charged, the control unit (17) can control the horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) to charge the electric bus (20) waiting to be charged.

[0083] In step S130, if horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) is not required (S133, No) or if horizontal movement is completed (S134), the control unit (17) can correct the position of the pantograph (13) to extend the pantograph (13) and make accurate contact with the contact bar (21) of the electric bus (20) (S135).

[0084] The control unit (17) can correct the position of the pantograph (13) so that the infrared rays emitted from each of the bus infrared sensor (24) placed in the loop of the electric bus (20) and the infrared sensor (15) placed at a predetermined position of the pantograph (13) match.

[0085] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the infrared sensor (15) may be positioned at a predetermined point on the moving device (131) so as to face at least one bus infrared sensor (24). If the infrared rays do not match, the control unit (17) may correct the position by moving the pantograph (13) horizontally a predetermined distance so that the infrared rays match.

[0086] In step S130, the control unit (17) can control the pantograph (13) to extend in the direction of gravity and make electrical contact with the electric bus (20) (S136). That is, the control unit (17) can control the pantograph (13) to extend in the direction of gravity from the corrected position when the position of the pantograph (13) is corrected by the infrared rays.

[0087] In step S130, the control unit (17) charges the electric bus (20) with power supplied from an external power grid (2) through the pantograph (13) (S137).

[0088] The control unit (17) can transmit a charging start control signal and a charging end control signal to the bus communication unit (250) of the electric bus (20) through the communication unit (16) during the charging mode.

[0089] Next, the control unit (17) can determine whether there is an electric bus (20) that needs charging among the plurality of electric buses (20).

[0090] Next, if there is an electric bus (20) that needs charging, the control unit (17) identifies the electric bus (20) to be charged and then repeats from step S130 (S150).

[0091] For example, when a total of 20 electric buses (20) are parked in a garage for charging, and the charging of the 12th electric bus (20) is completed, the control unit (17) can check the location of the 13th electric bus (20). The control unit (17) can set a path of movement from the current location of the pantograph (13) to the location of the 13th electric bus (20) and control the power rail (12) and / or the pantograph (13) according to whether horizontal movement of the power rail (12) is required or horizontal movement of the pantograph (13) is required.

[0092] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modified and improved forms by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 The system includes a power rail extending along an axial direction above a depot where multiple electric buses are parked, a pantograph positioned below the power rail that moves horizontally along the axial direction and extends in the direction of gravity above the electric buses to make electrical contact with the electric buses, and a control unit that calculates a charging sequence of the multiple electric buses based on location information of the multiple electric buses, wherein the control unit controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric buses according to the charging sequence to supply power applied from an external power grid through the power rail to the electric buses through the pantograph, determines whether horizontal movement of the power rail is required in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and controls the horizontal movement of the power rail according to the determination result, determines whether horizontal movement of the pantograph is required along the axial direction and controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph according to the determination result, controls the pantograph to extend in the direction of gravity and make electrical contact with the electric buses, and from the external power grid An electric bus charging station that supplies the authorized power to the electric bus through the pantograph. Claim 2 An electric bus charging station according to claim 1, further comprising a bus infrared sensor positioned at a predetermined position on the loop of the electric bus and an infrared sensor positioned at a predetermined position on the pantograph facing the bus infrared sensor, wherein the control unit corrects the position of the pantograph so as to match the infrared rays emitted from each of the bus infrared sensor and the infrared sensor. Claim 3 An electric bus charging station according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit that communicates with the electric bus to receive location information of the plurality of electric buses, and a GPS sensor that receives location information of the pantograph from a satellite. Claim 4 An electric bus charging station according to paragraph 3, wherein the control unit calculates the shortest travel path of the pantograph based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses and the location information of the pantograph, and calculates the charging order of the plurality of electric buses according to the calculated shortest travel path. Claim 5 In paragraph 4, the control unit controls the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric buses so that the plurality of electric buses parked along the axial direction are charged sequentially, in an electric bus charging station. Claim 6 An electric bus charging station according to claim 5, wherein the power rail is arranged to move horizontally in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the control unit controls the power rail to move horizontally according to the charging sequence when charging for the plurality of electric buses parked along the axial direction is completed. Claim 7 An electric bus charging station according to claim 1, wherein the pantographs are arranged in a plurality of numbers corresponding to the number of electric buses parked in the garage along the axial direction, and the control unit controls electrical contact between each of the plurality of electric buses and the plurality of pantographs to supply power applied from the external power grid to the plurality of electric buses through the plurality of pantographs. Claim 8 A method for charging an electric bus using an electric bus charging station comprising: a power rail extending along an axial direction above a garage where a plurality of electric buses are parked; and a pantograph disposed below the power rail, moving horizontally along the axial direction, extending in the direction of gravity above the electric bus, and making electrical contact with the electric bus, wherein the method comprises the steps of: communicating with the plurality of electric buses to receive location information of the plurality of electric buses; calculating a charging order of the plurality of electric buses based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses; and controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph and electrical contact with the electric bus according to the calculated charging order to supply power applied from an external power grid through the power rail to the electric bus through the pantograph, wherein the step of supplying power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph comprises: a step of determining whether horizontal movement of the power rail is required in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; and a step of controlling the horizontal movement of the power rail according to the determination result. An electric bus charging method comprising: a step of determining whether horizontal movement along the axis direction of the pantograph is required; a step of controlling the horizontal movement of the pantograph according to the determination result; a step of controlling the pantograph to extend in the direction of gravity so as to make electrical contact with the electric bus; and a step of supplying power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 An electric bus charging method according to claim 8, further comprising, prior to the step of controlling to make electrical contact with the electric bus, the step of correcting the position of the pantograph so that infrared rays emitted from each of the bus infrared sensor placed on the loop of the electric bus and the infrared sensor placed at a predetermined position of the pantograph match. Claim 11 In claim 8, the step of calculating the charging order of the plurality of electric buses comprises calculating the shortest travel path of the pantograph based on the location information of the plurality of electric buses and the location information of the pantograph, and calculating the charging order of the plurality of electric buses according to the calculated shortest travel path. Claim 12 An electric bus charging method according to claim 8, further comprising, after the step of supplying the power applied from the external power grid to the electric bus through the pantograph, a step of determining whether there is an electric bus among the plurality of electric buses that requires charging, and if there is a result of the determination, a step of specifying the next electric bus to be charged based on the charging order.

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