Secure DC EVSE Enclosure With Integrated Metering and Tamper Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) lacks a secure and integrated solution for precise current and voltage measurement and safety functions within a single enclosure, which can lead to unauthorized access and inefficient energy management.
Innovation Solution
A direct current (DC) EVSE with a secure enclosure that includes power converters, contactors, current sensors, voltage sensing circuitry, and safety/metering circuits, along with a controller for external communication, to provide secure and efficient energy transfer and monitoring, and tamper detection to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple components (converters, contactors, sensors, circuits) are integrated into a single secure enclosure, then device reliability and security are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple critical components (power converters, contactors, current sensors, voltage sensing circuitry, and safety/metering circuits) into a single secure enclosure. This merging of components enhances security by protecting them from unauthorized access while maintaining their individual functions within the unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure enclosure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical protection for all internal components, establishes a secure communication interface, enables tamper detection, and facilitates both power conversion and electrical measurement functions within a single structure.
2Measurement precision
If precise current and voltage sensing is implemented within the secure enclosure, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The current sensor and voltage sensing circuitry are integrated within the secure enclosure alongside the power conversion and control components. This integration ensures that measurements are taken at the source with high precision while maintaining a compact and secure design.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure enclosure acts as an intermediary structure that houses the sensing circuitry in close proximity to the electrical components being measured, enabling precise current and voltage measurements while isolating the sensitive measurement circuits from external interference.
3Reliability
If tamper detection capability is added to the secure enclosure, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secure enclosure incorporates tamper detection capability that automatically monitors for unauthorized access attempts and can trigger security responses without requiring external monitoring systems, enabling the enclosure to protect itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The tamper detection system within the secure enclosure serves as an intermediary security layer that detects physical tampering attempts and communicates this information to the controller, enabling proactive security measures before actual compromise occurs.
Data Source
AI summary
A direct current (DC) electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that includes a secure enclosure. The secure enclosure encloses a set of one or more contactors to open and close to provide DC charge transfer with one or more electric vehicles; a conductor to electrically connect the contactors with DC input; a current sensor to measure current draw; a voltage sensing circuitry to measure voltage; and one or more circuits that receive current data from the current sensor and voltage data from the voltage sensing circuitry, the one or more circuits to perform one or more safety functions and one or more metering functions using the received current data and voltage data. The DC EVSE may also include, external to the secure enclosure, a controller that is coupled with the circuits to control the opening and closing of the set of contactors.