Overhead Bus Charging Rails for Irregular Garage Parking
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of efficiently charging multiple electric buses in narrow and irregularly parked spaces, such as bus garages, due to the limitations of conventional Plug-In Type charging methods and the difficulty in installing charging stations in confined areas.
Innovation Solution
A charging system featuring power rails installed at a predetermined height, a first charging network that moves horizontally along these rails to contact the buses, and a second charging network on the garage floor, controlled by a station controller to manage charging sequences and positions, allowing charging without additional movement or direction changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If Plug-In Type charging method is used with chargers on the ground and thick long cables, then charging function is provided, but installation is difficult in narrow garage space
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system transitions from ground-level charging to aerial charging by installing power rails at height above the garage floor. The first charging network moves along these elevated power rails to contact pantographs on the bus roof, effectively utilizing the vertical dimension to overcome narrow horizontal space constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of bringing the charging equipment to the ground level where the bus parks, the system inverts the approach by positioning the charging infrastructure (power rails and first charging network) above the bus and bringing power down through aerial contact with the bus roof pantograph.
2Reliability
If charging station is installed to charge electric buses, then charging capability is provided, but installation is difficult in narrow and confined garage spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses vertical space by installing power rails at elevated positions above the garage floor, allowing the charging infrastructure to occupy the aerial space rather than consuming valuable ground area in narrow garage environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The first charging network is designed to move dynamically along the power rails to reach different parking positions of buses. This mobility allows a single charging system to serve multiple parking spots without requiring fixed charging stations at each location, reducing overall space requirements.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple electric buses are parked irregularly in narrow space, then parking capacity is maximized, but charging becomes difficult due to different parking directions
Solution Approach 1:
The first charging network is equipped with mobility mechanisms that allow it to move along the power rails to different positions and orientations. This dynamic capability enables the charging system to adapt to buses parked in various directions and configurations, maintaining charging functionality despite irregular parking arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging system is designed to serve multiple parking positions and orientations through the movable first charging network that can reach different buses regardless of their parking direction, making the system universally applicable to various parking configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A charging system includes: a power converter configured to receive power from an external power network to generate charging power for electric buses; power rails electrically connected to the power converter and installed at a predetermined height according to a layout of a garage; a first charging network configured to horizontally move above a floor in the garage along the electric power rails to upper sides of the electric buses to contact the electric buses; a second charging network electrically connected to the power converter and providing a charging zone on a bottom surface of the garage by reflecting the layout to contact the electric buses parked in the charging zone; and a station controller configured to control a charging sequence of the electric buses by analyzing position information of the electric buses and calculating a shortest movement path and a charging order of the first charging network.