A battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment

Abstract

The battery (1) charge and discharge control system for handling equipment comprises at least one handling equipment battery charger (2) and at least one handling equipment battery (1) electrically connected to the charger (2). The system further comprises at least one inverter (3) for converting electrical energy parameters, which is electrically and communicatively connected to the charger (2), wherein the inverter (3) is simultaneously electrically connected to the electrical distribution system (4). The system further comprises a server (5) for controlling the operation of the system, which is communicatively connected to the inverter (3), wherein the server (5) is provided with a data storage on which a database of electricity prices, a database of work shifts of the handling equipment and a control software module are stored.

Description

[0001] A battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment for the purpose of economic benefit.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Electrically powered handling equipment is currently recognised, such as battery-powered forklift trucks, which must have sufficient battery capacity to operate throughout the work shift. If the battery capacity in handling equipment is insufficient, the operation using the handling equipment is equipped with spare batteries for replacement in the handling equipment for continuation of work, with the currently unused battery connected to a charger. Outside of the work shift, the battery placed in the handling machine is connected to the charger.

[0006] The battery chargers are connected to the electrical distribution system for charging with electricity from suppliers, but it is increasingly common for the operator of battery handling equipment to have its own power source, such as a photovoltaic power station, co-generation unit, etc., generating electricity not only for the battery chargers but also for other electrical loads of the operations for the purpose of financial savings.

[0007] The disadvantage of the aforementioned state of the art is that the economic benefit is based only on the consumption of electricity and the eventual sale of the surplus electricity, e.g. during peak generation periods (for photovoltaic power stations, these are the periods with the most intense sunlight). However, as a rule, during peak generation periods, the vast majority of PV operators have this surplus electricity to sell, which puts the sale of electricity at a disadvantage.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment, which would operate the handling equipment batteries between work shifts as battery energy storage systems for storing electricity at low prices and for consuming or selling electricity at high prices, in order to achieve economic benefits.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] The stated object is solved by providing a battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment according to the invention described below.

[0011] The essence of the invention is that the battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment comprises at least one handling equipment battery charger and at least one handling equipment battery electrically connected to the charger. The handling equipment battery connected to the charger turns into a battery energy storage system for a short period of time when the handling equipment is idle.

[0012] Further, the essence of the invention is that the developed system comprises at least one inverter for converting electrical energy parameters, which is electrically and communicatively connected to a charger, wherein the inverter is simultaneously electrically connected to the electrical distribution system. The inverter is essentially a controllable intersection of electrical energy that is transported between the battery storage system and the electrical distribution system. This is advantageous because cheap electrical energy can be stored in batteries and then sold back to the electrical distribution system at higher prices.

[0013] And further, the essence of the invention is that the system comprises a server for controlling the operation of the system, which is communicatively connected to the inverter, wherein the server is provided with a data storage on which a database of electricity prices, a database of work shifts of the handling equipment and a control software module are stored. To achieve the basic economic benefit of the system, the process of storing and releasing electrical energy must be controlled by the server using a control software module so as not to compromise the work shifts of the handling equipment and to achieve the best possible ratio between the purchase and sales prices of electricity. In an elementary embodiment, the developed system exploits the idle periods of the handling equipment by starting to use its batteries as battery storage system to maximize the difference between the price of the purchased electricity, whether it is eventually sold back to the electrical distribution system at a better price, or purchased at a low price for later consumption during work shifts of the handling equipment.

[0014] In a more advanced embodiment of the developed system according to the invention, the server is communicatively connected to a control centre of the electrical distribution system for providing power balance aggregation services in the electrical distribution system. This more advanced embodiment of the developed system brings additional economic benefits, as the electrical distribution system operator financially values the possibility to compensate for critical situations in the transmission of electricity in order to comply with the specified standards for the transmission and distribution of electricity. Crisis situations where electricity needs to be consumed or supplied, for example, are caused by changes in the weather, which can fundamentally alter the capacity of photovoltaic and wind power stations, causing an instantaneous increase in the volume of electricity in the electrical distribution system, or sudden drops that need to be compensated for immediately.

[0015] In a further more advanced embodiment of the developed system according to the invention, the inverter is electrically connected to the local electrical system. This extension of the developed system will enable the storage of electricity for its consumption in the local electrical system for island operation of the local electrical system during periods of expensive electricity. The economic benefit of the invention is again increased in its more advanced embodiment.

[0016] In a further more advanced embodiment of the developed system according to the invention, at least one inverter is electrically connected to at least one local power source, wherein the server is communicatively connected to the local power source. This more advanced version of the developed system extends the economic benefits by being able to store its own generated electricity, which can then be used for island operation or sold to the electrical distribution system. If the local power source is a photovoltaic power station or a wind power station or a cogeneration unit, a weather database is stored on the data storage of the server in order to record data containing the relationship between weather and power generation for power generation prediction and operation planning of the developed system.

[0017] In the most advanced embodiment of the developed system according to the invention, a statistical prediction software module is stored on the data storage of the server, which uses statistical methods to predict scenarios of system operation to achieve the maximum economic benefits.

[0018] The advantages of the invention include an innovative view of handling equipment batteries, which are used as battery storage between work shifts for trading in electrical power in order to achieve economic benefits, for cooperation with electrical distribution system operators to cope with crisis situations in order to achieve economic benefits, and for the operation of the local electrical system in island mode to achieve economic benefits.

[0019] Explanation of drawings

[0020] The present invention will be explained in detail by means of the following figures where:

[0021] Fig. 1 shows a simple diagram of the system according to the invention.

[0022] Example of the invention embodiments

[0023] It shall be understood that the specific cases of the invention embodiments described and depicted below are provided for illustration only and do not limit the invention to the examples provided here. Those skilled in the art will find or, based on routine experiment, will be able to provide a greater or lesser number of equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention which are described here. Fig. 1 shows a diagram of the developed system in its most advanced version, but the system can also be operated in its basic version or at a level of advancement between the basic and the most advanced versions. An expert can routinely select the most suitable advanced version of the developed system for his / her needs.

[0024] The cornerstone of the developed system is the handling equipment battery 1_. This is a battery 1 capable of storing electrical energy through a chemical reaction, such as a lithium-ion battery. The use of other types of commercially available batteries 1 is possible. The main purpose of the battery 1 is to provide electrical power to a handling machine such as a forklift truck during a work shift. Fig. 1 shows six batteries 1.

[0025] Batteries 1 are recharged using a charger 2. The charger 2 is an electrical device that changes the parameters of the electrical energy entering the charger 2 to the parameters suitable for charging the batteries 1. Eventually it can also do it in reverse, i.e. change the parameters of the electrical energy exiting the batteries 1 to the parameters of the electrical energy entering the charger 2. Another permissible option is that the charger 2 allows the electrical energy from the batteries 1 to flow through itself, whereupon the parameters of the electrical energy from the batteries 1 are adjusted in the inverter 3. One charger 2 can serve multiple batteries 1 at a time, with Fig. 1 showing the connection of three batteries 1 to one charger 2. The chargers 2 are commercially available electrical equipment, the experts can choose the charger 2 according to their preference and experience.

[0026] Another cornerstone of the developed system is inverter 3 whose purpose is to change the parameters of the electrical energy flowing through it according to specific requirements; at the same time, the inverter 3 controls the flows of electrical energy. The inverter 3 is connected by electrical conductors to the chargers 2. The inverter 3 can cooperate with the chargers 2 to change the parameters of the electrical energy flowing through the electrical installation under the system. Fig. 1 shows the use of one inverter 3 in the developed system, but an expert may use two or more inverters depending on the total number of chargers 2 and other components of the developed system. The inverters 3 are commercially available electrical equipment, the experts can choose the inverter 3 according to their preference and experience. The inverter 3 is electrically connected to the electrical distribution system 4 of the electricity trader, so that the purchased electricity is distributed by the inverter 3 to the chargers 2, or the stored electricity from the batteries 1 is returned through the inverter 3 to the electrical distribution system 4 for sale.

[0027] The inverter 3 is furthermore electrically connected to the local electrical system 7, under which the expert can essentially imagine the electrical installation of the building in which the electrical loads are located. For example, the electrical installation of an office building, industrial building, commercial premises, etc. This will make it possible to cover at least part of the electricity consumption with batteries 1.

[0028] Fig. 1 further shows that a local electrical power source 8 is electrically connected to the inverter 3. This local electrical power source 8 can be a photovoltaic power station installed on the roof of the building or on nearby land, or it can be a co-generation unit that simultaneously produces heat for hot water treatment and heating and electricity, or it can be a wind power station. Local electrical power sources 8 can be combined with each other in the developed system.

[0029] The server 5 is responsible for controlling the operation of the individual components of the developed system. The server 5 is either a real hardware machine - a server computer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), or it can be operated as a virtual machine in the cloud environment of a provider of computing power infrastructure and services. The server 5 is equipped with a data storage, which always contains the electricity price database, the database of work shifts of the handling equipment and the control software module, as well as the statistical prediction software module and the weather database in the most advanced version of the developed system.

[0030] The server 5 automatically compares the work shift times of the handling equipment with the electricity price data, and then controls the operation of the developed system accordingly to achieve the best economic benefits of the developed system. The server 5 is also able to predict, based on archived data as well as, for example, weather forecasts, the future situation in the order of magnitude of hours to days for which the developed system will be prepared (e.g. delay the charging of batteries with purchased electricity) in order to achieve the best economic benefits.

[0031] The control software module of the server 5 includes a higher-level instruction to always charge the batteries 1 before the start of the shift of the handling equipment, regardless of the price of electricity. This prevents the server 5 from negatively affecting the work shift of the handling equipment on its way to economic benefits.

[0032] The server 5 is also communicatively connected to the control centre 6 of the electrical distribution system 4, from which it receives information about crisis situation, which it can help the distributor to solve, for example, by storing surplus electrical energy or releasing stored electrical energy outside the scheduled programme, for which the distributor usually provides a payment, which is reflected in the economic benefits of the developed system.

[0033] The databases of server 5 are updated using data from the components of the developed system as well as from external sources, e.g. information systems of the electricity distributor or information sources of meteorological services, as well as from the operator of the handling equipment planning its operation.

[0034] As part of its development, the developed system has been successfully deployed in a logistics centre using eighty forklifts with the battery 1 with a capacity of 40 kWh. Thus, outside of the work shifts of the handling equipment, the developed system operates the battery storage with a total capacity of 3.2 MWh, which is the capacity that can be used by the electricity distributor to deal with crisis situations in the electrical distribution system.

[0035] In addition, with a difference in the price of electricity of, for example, CZK 2.00 per 1 kWh, the developed system will generate savings in delayed charging of batteries 1 using a simple calculation of 80 (number of batteries 1) x 40 (capacity of batteries 1 in kWh) x 2 (price difference in CZK) up to CZK 6,400. If the stored energy comes from own electrical power source, the financial savings are even more significant. For example, a photovoltaic power station with a total capacity of 100 kWh in intense sunlight is installed on the roof of the logistics centre.

[0036] Industrial applicability

[0037] The battery charge and discharge control system for handling equipment according to the invention will find its application in industry, transport and the energy sector.

[0038] List of reference numerals

[0039] 1 handling equipment battery

[0040] 2 battery charger

[0041] 3 inverter

[0042] 4 electrical distribution system

[0043] 5 server

[0044] 6 control centre of the electrical distribution system

[0045] 7 local electrical system

[0046] 8 local electrical power source

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 13 October 2025 (13.10.2025)1. A batery (1) charge and discharge control system for handling equipment, comprising at least one charger (2) for the batteries (1) of handling equipment, at least one handling equipment batery (1) electrically connected to the charger (2), at least one inverter (3) for converting electrical energy parameters, which is electrically and communicatively connected to the charger (2), wherein the inverter (3) is simultaneously electrically connected to the electrical distribution system (4), and the system further comprises a server (5) for controlling the operation of the system, which is communicatively connected to the inverter (3), wherein the server (5) is provided with a data storage on which a database of electricity prices and a control software module are stored, characterized in that the handling equipment is a forklift, on the data storage of the server (5) a database of forklift work shifts is stored, which is connected to a control software module, and the control software module contains instructions for charging or discharging the bateries (1) according to their availability for charging or discharging based on data in the database of work shifts, and the data storage of the server (5) further contains a statistical prediction software module that contains instructions for predicting forklift work shifts according to the statistics of their operation, according to the availability of the bateries (1) and according to the need to maintain the minimum operating level of charge of the batteries (1).

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the server (5) is communicatively connected to the control centre (6) of the electrical distribution system (4).

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inverter (3) is electrically connected to the local electrical system (7).

4. The system according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one inverter (3) is electrically connected to at least one local electrical power source (8), with the server (5) being communicatively connected to the local electrical power source (8).

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the local power source (8) is a photovoltaic power station or a wind power station or a co-generation unit, with a weather database being stored on the data storage of the server (5).

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the communication interface between the server (5), the inverter (3) and the chargers (2) uses the Modbus / TCP protocol or CAN-bus integration with the forklift control unit.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the control software module contains instructions for recognizing the identification code of the forklift after its connection to the charger (2) and assigning this identification code to the forklift stored in the forklift shift database.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the data storage of the server (5) further stores a software module for predictive planning of service intervals of forklift batteries (1) according to the number of their charging cycles and their charge level.

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