Vehicle-Side Multi-Pile Charging Control for Cross-Vendor Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-pile electric vehicle charging systems face compatibility issues between legacy and newly acquired charging piles, are vulnerable to malfunctions affecting overall operation, and cannot seamlessly integrate charging piles from different vendors, due to the need for dedicated communication lines and software modifications.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-side control system that utilizes a master battery control unit (MBCU) to coordinate independent charging sessions through standardized communication protocols, eliminating the need for dedicated communication lines and software-driven coordination between charging piles, allowing for seamless operation with unmodified standard infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If dedicated communication lines and software modifications are implemented for multi-pile charging coordination, then charging session coordination capability is improved, but device complexity and compatibility issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's battery control unit autonomously coordinates the multi-pile charging session by directly communicating with each charging pile's supply equipment communication controller. The vehicle itself performs the coordination function that would otherwise require a master charging pile, eliminating the need for complex dedicated communication infrastructure between charging piles.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the charging substation's master pile coordinate other piles (traditional approach), the invention inverts the control hierarchy by having the vehicle's battery control unit coordinate the charging piles. This reversal eliminates the need for complex substation-side communication infrastructure and software modifications.
2Extent of automation
If master-slave protocol coordination is implemented between charging piles, then charging session management is improved, but reliability worsens due to vulnerability to communication errors and malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the control function by having the battery control unit establish independent communication pathways to each charging pile. Instead of a centralized master-slave protocol where one pile coordinates all others, each pile communicates independently with the vehicle, creating isolated communication channels that prevent cascading failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle's battery control unit acts as an intermediary that coordinates the charging piles without requiring direct communication between the piles themselves. This intermediary approach allows the vehicle to manage multiple charging sessions independently, avoiding the communication errors that plague direct pile-to-pile protocols.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standardized communication protocols are used without modifications, then compatibility between different vendors' charging piles is improved, but multi-pile charging coordination capability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle's battery control unit performs multiple functions: it manages the battery system, communicates with multiple charging piles using standardized protocols, and coordinates the multi-pile charging session. This universal approach allows the same standardized communication interface to handle both single-pile and multi-pile charging without requiring protocol modifications or dedicated infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A system or method for vehicle-side control of a multi-pile charging session, the system comprising: (a) a plurality of charging piles (10A), each charging pile (10A) including a supply equipment communication controller (10B); and (b) a vehicle electrical system for an electric vehicle with a master battery control unit (18) in data communication with a plurality of battery control units (BCU0, BCU1, BCU2). The master battery control unit (18) is configured to coordinate two or more independent charging sessions through the battery control units (BCU0, BCU1, BCU2) during each multi-pile charging session. Each independent charging session is managed with an independent protocol message exchange through a BCU-to-SECC communication pathway (22) established by power line communication.