Standalone Charging Column Using Liquid Fuel Energy Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging devices for electric vehicles are large, heavy, and require connection to an existing power grid, leading to high setup and operational costs, limiting their flexibility and availability, especially in temporary or rural locations.
Innovation Solution
A compact charging column with integrated energy conversion devices, a tank for a liquid energy carrier, and a control unit, allowing for standalone operation without grid connection, using fuels like methanol, ethanol, or hydrogen produced from biomass, and incorporating a combustion engine or fuel cell for energy conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If charging devices are connected to existing power grids, then reliable electrical energy supply is ensured, but setup costs and operational costs become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the energy storage system (battery), control unit, and AC/DC converter into a single integrated charging device. This merging eliminates the need for separate grid connection infrastructure, reducing setup costs while maintaining reliable energy supply through the integrated battery-powered system.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging device uses its own integrated battery to generate and store electrical energy, making it self-sufficient without requiring external grid connection. The battery-powered system serves itself by converting AC power to DC power and storing it for charging electric vehicles, thereby eliminating grid dependency and associated costs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If charging devices are designed to be portable, then flexibility and ease of deployment improve, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The charging device is designed as a self-contained portable unit with segmented functional components (battery, control unit, converter) integrated into a single deployable structure. This segmentation allows the entire charging system to be transported and deployed as one module without requiring fixed installation infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable charging device serves multiple functions: it generates electrical energy from AC power, stores it in its battery, converts it to DC power, and charges electric vehicles. This multi-functionality in a single portable unit eliminates the need for separate grid connection equipment, reducing overall system weight while maintaining deployment flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If charging devices are set up temporarily, then location flexibility improves, but connection to power grid becomes unnecessarily complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the grid connection requirement from the charging system by using an integrated battery-powered design. The charging device operates independently without needing to connect to external power grids, thereby eliminating the complexity of grid connection infrastructure while maintaining location flexibility for temporary deployments.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging device generates and stores its own electrical energy using its integrated battery and AC/DC converter, making it self-sufficient without external grid connection. This self-service capability simplifies the system by removing complex grid connection requirements while enabling flexible temporary deployment at any location with AC power access.
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
Enables flexible, cost-effective, and efficient charging anywhere, with low installation and operational costs, as it can be easily transported, set up, and dismantled, and operates independently of existing power grids.
Implementation Method 1
converting the liquid energy carrier into a kinetic or an electrical energy in the first device for energy conversion
Implementation Method 2
converting the liquid energy carrier into a kinetic or an electrical energy in the first device for energy conversion
Implementation Method 3
converting the kinetic or the electrical energy into a current in a second device for energy conversion
Data Source
AI summary
The invention also relates to a method for generating a charging current for charging electric vehicles with the method steps of feeding a liquid energy carrier from a tank arranged in a housing of a charging column to a first device for energy conversion, wherein the first device for energy conversion is also arranged in the housing, converting the liquid energy carrier into a kinetic or an electrical energy in the first device for energy conversion, converting the kinetic or the electrical energy into a current in a second device for energy conversion, wherein the second device for energy conversion is arranged in the housing, and outputting the current to an electric vehicle.