Robotic Battery Tray Exchange for Fast EV Charging Turnaround
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face limitations in range and battery life, requiring frequent recharging or battery swapping, which is inefficient due to the need for additional infrastructure and time-consuming charging processes.
Innovation Solution
A battery-storage apparatus with cubbies, tray bays, and robotic cranes that facilitate the charging and discharging of batteries using electrical ports, allowing for efficient battery exchange and management, enabling quick swapping and optimal energy utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional recharging by physically coupling an electrical charger to a charge port is used, then the battery can be recharged, but it takes at least 30 minutes to partially recharge the batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the battery from the vehicle and removes it to a separate charging station. The battery is physically separated from the vehicle body and transported to a dedicated charging facility where it can be recharged independently, allowing the vehicle to be quickly serviced without waiting for on-vehicle charging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a robotic arm and transfer mechanism as an intermediary between the vehicle battery compartment and the charging station. This automated intermediary system facilitates the rapid transfer of batteries, enabling quick exchange without manual intervention and significantly reducing the time required for battery replacement and charging.
2Productivity
If battery swapping is used to exchange depleted batteries with charged batteries, then the swapping can be performed in minutes, but additional infrastructure and technology are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the charging infrastructure into modular components: individual battery slots in the charging station, separate robotic arms for different vehicles, and independent battery trays. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple batteries and vehicles simultaneously, increasing throughput while keeping each individual component relatively simple and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging station is designed to automatically perform battery charging, monitoring, and management without human intervention. The system self-manages the entire battery exchange and charging process through automated robotic arms, sensors, and control systems, reducing the need for complex manual infrastructure while maintaining high swapping speed.
3Speed
If rapid charging is used to recharge batteries quickly, then the charging time is reduced to at least 30 minutes, but the charging process is still time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-charging batteries at the charging station before they are needed. Batteries are charged in advance during off-peak hours or when not in use, so that when a vehicle requires a battery, a fully charged one is already available for immediate exchange, eliminating waiting time entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging station maintains continuous charging operations with multiple batteries in various stages of charge. While one battery is being used by a vehicle, another is being charged, ensuring that charged batteries are always available. This continuous operation maximizes the utilization of charging infrastructure and eliminates idle time for vehicle servicing.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery-storage apparatus includes a plurality of cubbies having respective electrical ports, a tray bay having an adjustable frame that releasably holds a battery tray, and a robotic crane that transports batteries between the battery tray and respective cubbies to charge and/or discharge the batteries using the respective electrical ports. The battery tray can be transported to and from the tray bay by a battery-exchange robot.