Grid-Balancing EV Fast Charging with Shared Converter Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle charging stations are slow, taking 8 to 12 hours to fully charge, and rapid charging solutions connected to high-voltage or medium-voltage networks are costly due to the need for extensive protective devices, while battery management systems face operational challenges when network balancing and charging station operations are separate.
Innovation Solution
Modifying balancing equipment to serve both network balancing and electric vehicle charging functions, using a voltage converter to supply the required voltage level to the vehicle, with probes to measure charging power and network conditions, allowing the supervision unit to activate the converter only when network injection needs are low, thus reducing component costs and improving charging speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional charging stations connected to 220V AC network are used, then installation cost is low and network impact is minimal, but charging time is very long (8 to 12 hours)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the balancing equipment and charging station into a single integrated system. The balancing equipment's protective devices and network connection infrastructure are reused for charging operations, enabling high-power charging while minimizing additional installation costs and network impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The balancing equipment is designed to serve dual purposes: network balancing functionality and electric vehicle charging. This multi-functionality allows the system to provide rapid charging without requiring separate dedicated charging infrastructure, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Loss of time
If fast charging stations connected to high-voltage or medium-voltage networks are deployed, then charging speed is improved, but installation cost increases due to extensive protective devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the balancing equipment and charging station functionalities, allowing the balancing equipment's protective devices to serve both network balancing and charging operations. This sharing of protective devices significantly reduces installation costs for fast charging infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective devices installed for network balancing purposes are made multi-functional by also protecting charging operations. This universal use of protective devices eliminates the need for separate protective equipment, thereby reducing overall installation cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If balancing equipment is used for both network balancing and charging station operations, then component costs are reduced and charging speed is improved, but operational coordination becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between network balancing mode and charging mode based on real-time operational needs. The supervisory unit monitors grid conditions and automatically activates or deactivates the voltage converter, allowing flexible adaptation to changing conditions without complex manual coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system performs self-coordination through automated control logic in the supervisory unit. The system autonomously manages the voltage converter activation, power flow direction, and mode switching based on predefined criteria, eliminating the need for complex external coordination between separate balancing and charging operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a faster charging experience with reduced installation costs, as it reuses protective devices for both balancing and charging station operations, maintaining battery lifespan and balancing network stability.
Implementation Method 1
a transformer (14) having a first winding connected to an output of said network input and configured to lower a voltage of said network
Implementation Method 2
an inverter (15) connected to a second winding of said transformer and configured to transform an alternating voltage into a direct voltage
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a balancing device (10) for a network, which comprises: a network input (11) for detecting balancing requirements; a transformer (21) comprising a first winding connected to an output of said network input; an inverter (15) connected to a second winding of said transformer (14); a battery assembly (17) connected to said inverter; a monitoring body (22) configured to activate said inverter and to undertake charging or discharging of said batteries when an imbalance is measured; and a voltage converter (23) connected to the continuous voltage at the input and to at least one charging socket (24) of an electric or hybrid vehicle at the output; said monitoring body being configured to activate said voltage converter when a charging requirement is detected at said charging socket and the injection requirements on the network are below a threshold value.