An electric charging system and a method for cooling the same

WO2026175515A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2026-08-27KEMPOWER OYJ
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/EP2025/054794
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-02-21
Publication Date
2026-08-27

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Abstract

An electric charging system comprises electric devices (101) configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles (113) and a cooling system (102) configured to remove waste heat to surroundings of the electric charging system The cooling system comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure (103) of the electric charging system. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a heat exchanger (104) configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system. Thus, the heat storage capacitance of the basement structure can be utilized for responding to peak-power situations also in cases where heat conductivity from the basement structure to the surrounding ground (112) is limited.
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Description

[0001] An electric charging system and a method for cooling the same

[0002] Field

[0003] The invention relates generally to charging of electric vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an electric charging system that may comprise e.g. one or more dispensers or charging piles for charging one or more electric vehicles such as e.g. electric trucks, electric vans, and / or electric cars. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for cooling an electric charging system.

[0004] Background

[0005] High-power charging of electric vehicles creates substantial amount of power losses in elements of an electric charging system. The high-power charging is typically direct current “DC” charging, and the charging current can be hundreds of amperes or even more than thousand amperes and thereby for example the power losses in a charging cable and charging connectors can be many kilowatts or even tens of kilowatts. The power losses need to be conveyed away from the electric charging system to avoid device and personnel damages.

[0006] Publication CN221623548U describes a liquid cooled charging pile. Cooling liquid flows through a heat dissipation box and transfers waste heat to the heat dissipation box. The heat dissipation box is buried underground, and thus the heat dissipation box transfers the waste heat to the earth. Thereby, the heat dissipation box cools the cooling liquid. Publication US10906418B2 discloses another example of routing waste heat from an electric charging system to the ground.

[0007] An inconvenience related to electric charging systems of the kind mentioned above is that the thermal conductivity of the ground can be limited especially in conjunction with electric charging systems which are in places where winter can be cold. In these electric charging systems, basement structures and / or other elements in contact with the ground need typically to be in contact with soil types, such as gravel, which do not retain water to avoid damages which would otherwise be caused by ground frost. Therefore, as the soil type in contact with the basement structure and / or theother elements needs to be water non-retaining, thermal conductivity from the basement structure and / or the other elements to the surrounding ground can be too low to enable the basement and / or the other elements to act as a sufficiently effective heat-sink. Typically, electric charging systems are installed on the ground taking local infra building requirements, i.e. a building code, into consideration and these requirements can vary globally. This makes it difficult to find a globally functioning solution and thus a solution for cooling electric charging system cannot rely on building parameters that vary locally. As thermal conductivity of the ground surrounding the basement is a such parameter, the cooling system needs to be designed to function properly even without any substantial heat conduction to ground.

[0008] Summary

[0009] The following presents a simplified summary to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments.

[0010] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new electric charging system for charging one or more electric vehicles. In this document, the term “electric vehicle” covers not only full-electric vehicles but also pluggable hybrid vehicles which comprise both one or more electric motors and a combustion motor.

[0011] An electric charging system according to the invention comprises:

[0012] - electric devices configured to transfer electric power to the one or more electric vehicles, and

[0013] a cooling system configured to remove waste heat caused by losses related to charging of the one or more electric vehicles to surroundings, e.g. ambient air or external water, of the electric charging system.The cooling system comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure of the electric charging system, the basement structure carrying weight at least a part of the electric charging system. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a heat exchanger configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system. Thus, the heat storage capacitance of the basement structure can be utilized for responding to peak-power situations also in cases where heat conductivity from the basement structure to the surrounding ground is too low for enabling the basement structure to act as a sufficiently effective heat-sink. The basement structure is configured to act as a heat-capacitance which stores heat during peak power situations and from which heat is removed by the heat exchanger during low power situations when the heat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger exceeds the rate at which the waste heat is generated. Thus, the heat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger does not need to be dimensioned according to the peak power situations, and this provides savings in the cooling system.

[0014] In accordance with the invention, there is also provided a new method for cooling an electric charging system of the kind described above. The method comprises transferring at least part of waste heat caused by losses related to charging of one or more electric vehicles to the basement structure of the electric charging system with the aid of the cooling fluid circulation system. Furthermore, the method comprises transferring, with the heat exchanger of the cooling fluid circulation system, at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system.

[0015] Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments are described in accompanied dependent claims.

[0016] Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and nonlimiting embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0017] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0018] Brief description of figures

[0019] Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1a illustrates an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0021] Figure 1b illustrates schematically a cooling system of the electric charging system shown in figure 1a,

[0022] Figure 2 illustrates schematically a cooling system of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0023] Figure 3 illustrates schematically a cooling system of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0024] Figure 4 illustrates schematically a cooling system of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0025] Figure 5 illustrates an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, and

[0026] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplifying and nonlimiting embodiment for cooling an electric charging system.Description of exemplifying embodiments

[0027] The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or the applicability of the invention. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0028] Figure 1a illustrates an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The electric charging system comprises electric devices 101 configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles. In the exemplifying situation shown in figure 1a, an electric vehicle 113 is connected to the electric charging system. The electric devices 101 comprise typically one or more power electrical converters for transferring electric power between a supply grid and the electric vehicle 113. The supply grid is not shown in figure 1a. In an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the electric charging system comprises a battery energy storage “BES” 109. In this exemplifying case, the one or more power electrical converters of the electric devices 101 is / are suitable for transferring electric power between the supply grid, the electric vehicle 113, and the battery energy storage 109. The electric devices 101 may further comprise a control system configured to carry out a loading-handshake after connecting a charging plug 107 to a charging socket of the electric vehicle 113 and to control the subsequent charging operation. Furthermore, the control system can be configured to control invoicing, monitoring, metering, safety actions, alarming, user interface functionalities, etc.

[0029] The electric charging system comprises a cooling system 102 that is configured to remove at least part of waste heat caused by losses related to charging of the electric vehicle 113 to surroundings of the electric charging system. In this exemplifying case, the cooling system 102 comprises a heat exchanger 104 configured to transfer waste heat to ambient air. The cooling system 102 is presented schematically in figure 1b. The waste heat is generated in the above-mentioned electric devices 101, in a charging cable 106, in the charging plug 107, and in the electric vehicle 113 being charged. The cooling system comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heatto a basement structure 103 of the electric charging system. In this exemplifying case, the basement structure 103 carries the weight of the electric charging system. It is, however, also possible that the electric charging system comprises elements that can be e.g. so far from the basement structure 103 that the weight of these elements is not carried by the basement structure 103, in which case the basement structure 103 carries the weight of a part of the electric charging system. In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 1a, the basement structure 103 further constitutes a place for the electric vehicle 113 being charged and thus the basement structure 103 carries the weight of the electric vehicle 113, too.

[0030] The basement structure 103 may comprise, for example, concrete that has been cast around tubes constituting one or more channels for cooling fluid. The cooling fluid can be, for example, water or water-glycol mixture. If the cooling fluid needs to be electrically insulating, the cooling fluid can be e.g. transformer oil. In figure 1a, a flow path of the cooling fluid is schematically depicted with a dashed line. In this exemplifying case, the basement structure 103 comprises a single cooling fluid channel that meanders inside the basement structure 103 as shown with the dashed line. It is, however, also possible that the basement structure 103 comprises two or more parallel connected channels for the cooling fluid. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a pump 111 and the above-mentioned heat exchanger 104 that is configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure 103 to ambient air. In this exemplifying case, the heat exchanger 104 comprises parallel connected tubes configured to conduct the cooling fluid and cooling fins in mechanical contacts with the tubes. In figure 1a, one of the cooling fins is denoted with reference 110.

[0031] The heat storage capacitance of the basement structure 103 can be utilized for responding to peak-power situations also in cases where heat conductivity from the basement structure 103 to surrounding ground 112 is too low for enabling the basement structure 103 to act as a sufficiently effective heat-sink. Instead, the basement structure 103 is configured to act as a heat-capacitance which stores heat during peak power situations and from which heat is removed by the heat exchanger 104 during low power situations when the heat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger 104 exceeds the rate at which the waste heat is generated. Thus, theheat transfer capacity of the heat exchanger 104 does not need to be dimensioned according to the peak power situations, and this provides savings in the cooling system 102. It is also possible that heat storage capacitance of one or more structures other than the basement structure is utilized so that the cooling system comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to the one or more other structures. The other structure can be e.g. a piece of solid material, e.g. concrete, on or above the ground or at least partly buried in the ground. In many cases, the one or more other structures having a significant heat storage capacitance is / are in direct or indirect mechanical and heat conductive contact with the basement structure and, in these cases, the cooling fluid circulation system can be deemed to be configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to the basement structure indirectly via the one or more other structures.

[0032] In an exemplifying case, where the mass of the basement structure 103 is 190 kg and the specific heat capacity of the basement material, e.g. concrete, is about 0.8 kJ / kg / °C, the potential heat storage capacitance of the basement structure 103 with an allowed temperature rise of 20°C is about 3000 kJ, of which approximately half could be usable in real life. Therefore, 1500 kJ of energy could be stored in the basement structure 103. Let us assume that the heat exchanger 104 is designed to remove waste heat at a power of 1.3 kW corresponding to 500 A charging current, and we have peak current 750 A for 15 minutes i.e. for 900 seconds. The 750A charging current causes losses about (750 / 500)2x 1 ,3kW = 2.925kW, which means 2633 kJ waste heat during the 900 seconds time-period, whereas the waste heat corresponding to 500 A charging current during the 900 seconds time-period would have been 1170 kJ, which means 1463 kJ additional waste heat during the 900 seconds time-period because of the 750 A peak current. As mentioned above, about 1500 kJ of energy can be stored in the basement structure 103 with the allowed temperature rise 20°C. Thus, the above-mentioned additional waste heat of 1463 kJ can be absorbed by the basement structure 103 with the allowed temperature rise.

[0033] In the exemplifying cooling system illustrated in figures 1a and 1b, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a cooling fluid channel in the charging cable 106 to cool the charging cable 106, one or more cooling fluid channels configured to coolthe electric devices 101, and pipe connectors 108 suitable for connecting to corresponding pipe connectors of the electric vehicle 113 to circulate at least part of the cooling fluid via the electric vehicle 113. In the exemplifying embodiment illustrated in figure 1a, the above-mentioned pipe connectors 108 are parts of the charging plug 107 so that the electric vehicle 113 is connected to the cooling fluid circulation system simultaneously when being electrically connected to the electric charging system. The flow path of the cooling fluid inside the electric vehicle 113 is schematically depicted with a dashed line 112. The exemplifying electric charging system illustrated in figure 1a has one charging cable. An exemplifying electric charging system according to another exemplifying embodiment may have two or more charging cables and the electric devices 101 comprise means for controlling and transferring electric power between a supply grid and the two or more charging cables. In this exemplifying case, cooling fluid channels in the charging cables and possibly via the electric vehicles connected to the charging cables can be parallel in the cooling fluid circulation system. Furthermore, in an exemplifying case where the electric charging system comprises the battery energy storage “BES” 109, the cooling fluid circulation system may comprise one or more cooling fluid channels for cooling the battery energy storage 109. It is to be noted that the battery energy storage 109 as well as the above-mentioned pipe connectors 108 are optional, and thus not necessary, elements of the electric charging system illustrated in figures 1a and 1b.

[0034] In the exemplifying cooling system illustrated in figures 1a and 1b, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a piping such that sources 120 of the waste heat, the cooling fluid channel of the basement structure 103, and the heat exchanger 104 are in series in the cooling fluid circulation system. In this exemplifying case, the sources 120 of the waste heat comprise the electric devices 101, the charging cable 106, the charging plug 107, the electric vehicle 113, and the battery energy storage 109. In figure 1b, the above-mentioned piping is depicted with reference 105, and in figure 1a, a part of the piping is depicted with the reference 105.

[0035] Figure 2 illustrates schematically a cooling system 202 of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. In this exemplifying embodiment, the cooling system 202 comprises a cooling fluidcirculation system that comprises a first piping 223a and a first pump 211a configured to circulate first part of cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank 222 to one or more sources 220 of waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank 222. The waste heat sources may comprise, for example, electric devices configured to transfer electric power between a supply grid and one or more charging cables, electronic devices configured to control the transfer of electric power between the supply grid and the one or more charging cables, the one or more charging cables, one or more charging plugs connected to the one or more charging cables, and / or one or more electric vehicles being charged. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a second piping 223b and a second pump 211 b configured to circulate second part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank 222 to a basement structure 203 of the electric charging system and back to the cooling fluid tank 222. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a third piping 223c and a third pump 211c configured to circulate third part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank 222 to a heat exchanger 204 and back to the cooling fluid tank. Thus, in this exemplifying embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises three parallel subsystems connected to the common cooling fluid tank 222.

[0036] Figure 3 illustrates schematically a cooling system 302 of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. In this exemplifying embodiment, the cooling system 302 comprises a cooling fluid circulation system that comprises a manifold 325 and a pump 311 configured to transfer cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank 322 to the manifold 325. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a first piping 323a configured to circulate first part of the cooling fluid from the manifold 325 to one or more sources 320 of waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank 322. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a second piping 323b configured to circulate second part of the cooling fluid from the manifold 325 to a basement structure 303 of the electric charging system and back to the cooling fluid tank 322. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a third piping 323c configured to circulate third part of the cooling fluid from the manifold 325 to a heat exchanger 304 and back to the cooling fluid tank 322. Advantageously, at least two of the first piping 323a, the second piping 323b, and the third piping 323c are provided with controllable throttle valves configured toadjust a division of a flow of the cooling fluid arriving at the manifold 325 between the first piping 323a, the second piping 323b, and the third piping 323c. In the exemplifying cooling system 302 shown in figure 3, the first piping 323a is provided with a controllable throttle valve 324a, the second piping 323b is provided with a controllable throttle valve 324b, and the third piping 323c is provided with a controllable throttle valve 324c.

[0037] Figure 4 illustrates schematically a cooling system 402 of an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. In this exemplifying embodiment, the cooling system 402 comprises a cooling fluid circulation system that comprises a first piping 423a and a first pump 411a configured to circulate first part of cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank 422 to one or more sources 420 of waste heat, to a basement structure 403 of the electric charging system, and back to the cooling fluid tank 422. Thus, the one or more sources 420 of the waste heat and the basement structure 403 are in series in the cooling fluid circulation system. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a second piping 423b and a second pump 411 b configured to circulate second part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank 422 to a heat exchanger 404 and back to the cooling fluid tank 422. In this exemplifying case, the heat exchanger 404 is configured to transfer waste heat to water 425 that can be e.g. water of a nearby lake, river, or sea, or water of a district heating system or the like.

[0038] As illustrated by the exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments presented in figures 1a, 1b, 2, 3, and 4, electric charging systems according to different embodiments may have various kinds of cooling fluid circulation systems and thus the invention is not limited to any specific kind or kinds of cooling fluid circulation systems.

[0039] Figure 5 illustrates an electric charging system according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The electric charging system comprises a converter system 551 that comprises converters for converting three-phase alternating “AC” grid voltage VAc_Grid to direct “DC” voltages of DC outputs DCi, ..., DCN of the converter system 551. The DC voltages are suitable for charging electric vehicles. The electric charging system comprises dispensers for supplying the DC voltages to the electric vehicles. In figure 5, three of the dispensers are denoted withreferences 550a, 550b, and 550c. In this exemplifying case, each of the dispensers 550a and 550b is configured to charge one electric vehicle at a time, whereas the dispenser 550c is configured to charge two electric vehicles at a time. Thus, the DC output DCN is configured to supply two DC voltages to the dispenser 550c. The electric charging system may comprise a battery storage system “BES” 509 that is connected to the converter system 551.

[0040] Each of the above-mentioned dispensers comprises electric devices configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles. The electric devices of each dispenser comprise electric conductors for supplying each DC voltage received from the converter system 551 at the dispenser under consideration to a respective charging cable. The electric devices of each dispenser may further comprise one or more contactors and / or a control system configured to carry out a loadinghandshake after connecting a charging plug to a charging socket of an electric vehicle and to control the subsequent charging operation. Furthermore, the control system can be configured to control invoicing, monitoring, metering, safety actions, alarming, user interface functionalities, etc. The control system of each dispenser is typically communicatively connected to the converter system 551. In figure 5, the electric devices of the dispenser 550a are denoted with reference 501.

[0041] Each of the above-mentioned dispensers comprises a cooling system configured to remove waste heat caused by losses related to charging of one or more electric vehicles to surroundings of the dispenser. In figure 5, the cooling system of the dispenser 550a is denoted with reference 502. The cooling system 502 comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure 503 that carries the weight of the dispenser 550a. In figure 5, a flow path of cooling fluid is depicted with a dashed line. In this exemplifying case, the above-mentioned waste heat is mainly generated in a charging cable 506 and in a charging plug at the end of the charging cable 506. The charging cable 506 comprises a cooling fluid channel for circulating the cooling fluid in the charging cable 506. The cooling fluid circulation system comprises a heat exchanger 504 configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure 503 to the surroundings of the electric charging system. In this exemplifying case, the heat exchanger 504 is configured to transfer the waste heatto ambient air. Thus, the heat storage capacitance of the basement structure 503 can be utilized for responding to peak-power situations also in cases where heat conductivity from the basement structure 503 to the surrounding ground is too low for enabling the basement structure 503 to act as a sufficiently effective heat-sink. The cooling systems of the other dispensers can be like the above-described cooling system of the dispenser 550a.

[0042] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplifying and nonlimiting embodiment for cooling an electric charging system that comprises:

[0043] - electric devices configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles, and

[0044] - a cooling system configured to remove waste heat caused by losses related to charging of the one or more electric vehicles to surroundings of the electric charging system.

[0045] The method comprises the following actions:

[0046] - action 601 : transferring at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure of the electric charging system with a cooling fluid circulation system, the basement structure carrying weight of at least a part of the electric charging system,

[0047] - action 602: transferring, with a heat exchanger of the cooling fluid circulation system, at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system.

[0048] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, one or more sources of the waste heat, one or more cooling fluid channels of the basement structure, and the heat exchanger are in series in the cooling fluid circulation system. The series connection can be implemented for example so that a cooling fluid outlet of the one or more sources of the waste heat is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the basement structure, a cooling fluid outlet of the basement structure is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the heat exchanger, and a cooling fluid outlet of the heatexchanger is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the one or more sources of the waste heat.

[0049] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a first piping and a first pump circulating first part of cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank to the one or more sources of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping and a second pump circulating second part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank to the basement structure and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping and a third pump circulating third part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank to the heat exchanger and back to the cooling fluid tank.

[0050] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a manifold and a pump transferring cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank to the manifold, a first piping circulating first part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to one or more sources of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping circulating second part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the basement structure and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping circulating third part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the heat exchanger and back to the cooling fluid tank.

[0051] A method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises adjusting a division of a flow of the cooling fluid arriving at the manifold between the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping with controllable throttle valves comprised by at least two of the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping.

[0052] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the basement structure comprises concrete cast around one or more channels for the cooling fluid.

[0053] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a cooling fluid channel in each of one or more charging cables each of which is provided with a charging plug connectable to a charging socket of an electric vehicle.In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises pipe connectors connected to corresponding pipe connectors of an electric vehicle, and the cooling fluid circulation system circulates at least part of cooling fluid via the electric vehicle. The pipe connectors can be e.g. parts of the charging plug connected to the charging socket of the electric vehicle.

[0054] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels cooling the electric devices which transfer the electric power to the one or more electric vehicles.

[0055] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the electric charging system comprises a battery storage system, and the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels cooling the battery storage system.

[0056] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the heat exchanger transfers the at least part of the waste heat to ambient air. In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the heat exchanger comprises tubes conducting the cooling fluid and cooling fins in mechanical contacts with the tubes.

[0057] In a method according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, the heat exchanger transfers the at least part of the waste heat to water.

[0058] The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or the applicability of the invention. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electric charging system comprising:- electric devices (101, 501) configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles, and- a cooling system (102, 202, 302, 402, 502) configured to remove waste heat caused by losses related to charging of the one or more electric vehicles to surroundings of the electric charging system,wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling fluid circulation system configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure (103, 203, 303, 403, 503) of the electric charging system, the basement structure carrying weight of at least a part of the electric charging system, characterized in that the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a heat exchanger (104, 204, 304, 404, 504) configured to transfer at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system.

2. An electric charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a piping (105) such that one or more sources (120) of the waste heat, one or more cooling fluid channels of the basement structure (103), and the heat exchanger (104) are in series in the cooling fluid circulation system.

3. An electric charging system according to claim 2, wherein a cooling fluid outlet of the one or more sources (120) of the waste heat is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the basement structure (103), a cooling fluid outlet of the basement structure (103) is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the heat exchanger (104), and a cooling fluid outlet of the heat exchanger (104) is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the one or more sources (120) of the waste heat.

4. An electric charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a first piping (223a) and a first pump (211a) configured to circulate first part of cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank (222) to one or more sources (220) of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping (223b) and a second pump (211 b) configured to circulate second part of the coolingfluid from the cooling fluid tank to the basement structure (203) and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping (223c) and a third pump (211c) configured to circulate third part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank to the heat exchanger (204) and back to the cooling fluid tank.

5. An electric charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a manifold (325) and a pump (311) configured to transfer cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank (322) to the manifold, a first piping (323a) configured to circulate first part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to one or more sources (320) of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping (323b) configured to circulate second part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the basement structure (303) and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping (323c) configured to circulate third part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the heat exchanger (304) and back to the cooling fluid tank.

6. An electric charging system according to claim 5, wherein at least two of the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping are provided with controllable throttle valves (324a-324c) configured to adjust a division of a flow of the cooling fluid arriving at the manifold between the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping.

7. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the basement structure (104) comprises concrete cast around one or more channels for cooling fluid.

8. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a cooling fluid channel in each of one or more charging cables (106, 506) each being provided with a charging plug (107) connectable to a charging socket of the electric vehicle.

9. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises pipe connectors (108) suitable for connecting to corresponding pipe connectors of an electric vehicle to circulate at least part of cooling fluid via the electric vehicle.

10. An electric charging system according to claim 9, wherein the pipe connectors (108) are parts of a charging plug (107) at an end of a charging cable and connectable to a charging socket of the electric vehicle.

11. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels configured to cool the electric devices (101 ) configured to transfer the electric power to the one or more electric vehicles.

12. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the electric charging system comprises a battery storage system (109), and the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels configured to cool the battery storage system.

13. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the heat exchanger (104, 504) is configured to transfer the at least part of the waste heat to ambient air.

14. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the heat exchanger (404) is configured to transfer the at least part of the waste heat to water.

15. An electric charging system according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the heat exchanger (104) comprises tubes configured to conduct cooling fluid, and cooling fins (110) in mechanical contacts with the tubes.

16. A method for cooling an electric charging system that comprises:- electric devices (101, 501) configured to transfer electric power to one or more electric vehicles, and- a cooling system (102, 202, 302, 402, 502) configured to remove waste heat caused by losses related to charging of the one or more electric vehicles to surroundings of the electric charging system,wherein the method comprises transferring (601 ) at least part of the waste heat to a basement structure (103, 203, 303, 403, 503) of the electric charging system with acooling fluid circulation system, the basement structure carrying weight of at least a part of the electric charging system, characterized in that the method comprises transferring (602), with a heat exchanger (104, 204, 304, 404, 504) of the cooling fluid circulation system, at least part of the waste heat stored by the basement structure to the surroundings of the electric charging system.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein one or more sources (120) of the waste heat, one or more cooling fluid channels of the basement structure (103), and the heat exchanger (104) are in series in the cooling fluid circulation system.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein a cooling fluid outlet of the one or more sources (120) of the waste heat is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the basement structure (103), a cooling fluid outlet of the basement structure (103) is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the heat exchanger (104), and a cooling fluid outlet of the heat exchanger (104) is connected to a cooling fluid inlet of the one or more sources (120) of the waste heat.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a first piping (223a) and a first pump (211 a) circulating first part of cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank (222) to one or more sources (220) of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping (223b) and a second pump (211 b) circulating second part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank to the basement structure (203) and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping (223c) and a third pump (211 c) circulating third part of the cooling fluid from the cooling fluid tank to the heat exchanger (204) and back to the cooling fluid tank.

20. A method according to claim 16, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a manifold (325) and a pump (311) transferring cooling fluid from a cooling fluid tank (322) to the manifold, a first piping (323a) circulating first part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to one or more sources (320) of the waste heat and back to the cooling fluid tank, a second piping (323b) circulating second part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the basement structure (303) and back to the cooling fluid tank, and a third piping (323c) circulating third part of the cooling fluid from the manifold to the heat exchanger (304) and back to the cooling fluid tank.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the method comprises adjusting a division of a flow of the cooling fluid arriving at the manifold between the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping with controllable throttle valves (324a-324c) comprised by at least two of the first piping, the second piping, and the third piping.

22. A method according to any one of claims 16-21, wherein the basement structure (104) comprises concrete cast around one or more channels for cooling fluid.

23. A method according to any one of claims 16-22, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises a cooling fluid channel in each of one or more charging cables (106, 506) each being provided with a charging plug (107) connectable to a charging socket of the electric vehicle.

24. A method according to any one of claims 16-23, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises pipe connectors (108) connected to pipe connectors of an electric vehicle, and the cooling fluid circulation system circulates at least part of cooling fluid via the electric vehicle.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the pipe connectors (108) are parts of a charging plug (107) at an end of a charging cable and connected to a charging socket of the electric vehicle.

26. A method according to any one of claims 16-25, wherein the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels cooling the electric devices (101) which transfer the electric power to the one or more electric vehicles.

27. A method according to any one of claims 16-26, wherein the electric charging system comprises a battery storage system (109), and the cooling fluid circulation system comprises one or more cooling fluid channels cooling the battery storage system.

28. A method according to any one of claims 16-27, wherein the heat exchanger (104, 504) transfers the at least part of the waste heat to ambient air.

29. A method according to any one of claims 16-27, wherein the heat exchanger (404) transfers the at least part of the waste heat to water.

30. A method according to any one of claims 16-29, wherein the heat exchanger (104) comprises tubes conducting cooling fluid, and cooling fins (110) in mechanical contacts with the tubes.