DE102022003937A1 - Energy distribution device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy distribution device (100) for charging an electrically operable vehicle (20), at least comprising an inverter (10), in particular a photovoltaic system (32), wherein the inverter (10) has at least a first DC interface (12) for electrically coupling a high-voltage storage device of the vehicle (50), and a communication device (20) for communication between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50), which is at least temporarily electrically coupled between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50).

Description

The invention relates to an energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle.

The switch to electromobility creates large storage capacities for electrical energy, but these are only used for short distances, for example for the commute to work. These capacities could be used for grid stabilization or peak load coverage through intelligent linking, but this requires the possibility of bidirectional charging, as it is necessary not only to charge electrical energy into the vehicle battery, but also to remove it from the vehicle battery again.

This so-called bidirectional charging with electrically operated vehicles usually requires bidirectional charging devices, such as special wall boxes, with double hardware due to the required inverter, which is costly and inefficient. The additional hardware required in the vehicle also causes the vehicle to weigh more.

The US 2013/0113413 A1 discloses a charging station having a DC charger and an inverter connected to a controller. The inverter includes a DC input configured to receive DC input power and convert the DC input power to supply AC output power to the AC power grid via an AC output of the inverter. The DC charger includes a DC input to receive energy from at least one DC source, such as a local storage battery, a solar panel, a rectifier, mains power, etc. The DC charger further includes a DC vehicle battery interface coupleable to a photovoltaic DC battery port to directly charge with DC power and selectively draw power from the vehicle battery. The DC charger also includes a DC charging output coupleable to a DC inverter input to supply DC power to the inverter. The DC charger supplies power from the DC input of the charger to the vehicle battery interface in a first mode of operation. In a second mode of operation, the DC charger supplies power from the vehicle battery interface to the DC output of the charger. The controller is operatively coupled to the DC charger to selectively switch the DC charger from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle.

The above-mentioned problem is solved with the features of the independent claim.

Favorable embodiments and advantages of the invention emerge from the further claims, the description and the drawing.

According to one aspect of the invention, an energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle is proposed, comprising at least one inverter, in particular a photovoltaic system, wherein the inverter has at least a first DC interface for electrically coupling a high-voltage storage device of the vehicle, and a communication device for communication between the inverter and the vehicle, which is at least temporarily electrically coupled between the inverter and the vehicle.

An inverter, for example of a DC home photovoltaic system with a power connection to an AC home network and a corresponding optional public AC network connection and also an optional stationary DC energy storage device, can normally generate a DC voltage for a vehicle battery from the DC voltage of the photovoltaic system, which actually corresponds to a DC connection for a stationary energy storage device. However, the communication and charging protocols between the inverter and the vehicle usually do not match.

With the communication device of the proposed energy distribution device, it is possible to connect the vehicle directly to the inverter of a photovoltaic system for bidirectional charging, without the need for further conversion of the electrical power first into the AC home network and/or the public AC network and then back to DC in the wall box and/or charging station. The communication device advantageously takes over the communication between the vehicle and the inverter, translates the protocols or converts the protocols. This enables the inverter to provide the appropriate DC voltages and also adjust the vehicle to the charging process.

This advantageously saves the need to convert electrical power and allows DC voltage to be fed directly into the vehicle or bi-directionally from the vehicle into the inverter and from there into a stationary energy storage unit or the house connection.

This results in advantageous cost savings. Conversion losses can be avoided Bidirectional charging can thus spread more quickly.

Vehicle batteries can be used to stabilize the grid, as they can be easily integrated into domestic and utility networks. This also allows the vehicle user to participate in the balancing energy market at a reasonable cost.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the first DC interface can be bidirectional. This advantageously allows a DC voltage to be fed into the vehicle or bidirectionally from the vehicle into the inverter and from there into a stationary energy storage device or the house connection.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the inverter can have an AC interface to an electrical house and/or grid connection. Alternatively or additionally, the inverter can have a second DC interface to the photovoltaic system. Alternatively or additionally, the inverter can have a third DC interface to a stationary energy storage device. In this way, electrical energy can be exchanged between the vehicle, the electrical house and/or grid connection, the photovoltaic system and the stationary energy storage device via the inverter. The communication device can advantageously be used for control and communication.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the communication device can be designed as a separate unit which is electrically coupled between the first DC interface of the inverter and the vehicle. The communication unit can thus represent a separate unit which has an input and an output with, for example, plug connections in order to be able to be switched in the first DC interface between the vehicle and the inverter.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the communication device can be integrated into the inverter. Alternatively, the communication device can also be part of the inverter, which then directly has a vehicle charging connection.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the communication device can be integrated into the vehicle. Alternatively, the communication device can also be part of the vehicle, which then recognizes that the charging cable is not connected to a "normal" charging station, but rather to an inverter of a house connection, for example, and therefore immediately implements the inverter protocols accordingly and outputs them via the charging connection.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the communication device can be designed for wireless communication between the inverter and the vehicle. This advantageously makes it possible to avoid additional plug connections.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, an electrical connection between the inverter and the vehicle can be established via a DC charging cable, in particular according to a CCS or CHAdeMO charging standard. The DC connection can be established purely technically with the usual DC charging cables, such as according to the CCS or CHAdeMO charging standard, whereby the connection point at the house then has the DC voltage of the inverter and the communication unit is then connected between the vehicle and the inverter so that the communication and the charging protocols can be implemented according to the two different systems.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, the communication device can be designed at least for communication between the inverter and the vehicle and/or for transmitting and/or converting charging protocols. This makes it possible to control the vehicle and the inverter in such a way that electrical energy can be transmitted bidirectionally between the vehicle and the components connected to the inverter and various electrical networks.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the energy distribution device, electrical energy can be transferred from the vehicle's high-voltage storage unit via the inverter to the electrical house and/or grid connection and/or to the stationary energy storage unit. This avoids unnecessary conversion losses when transferring electrical energy and thus saves costs.

Further advantages emerge from the following description of the drawings. The drawings show an embodiment of the invention. The drawings, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will also expediently consider the features individually and combine them into further useful combinations.

• 1 eine Systemübersicht einer Energieverteilvorrichtung zum Laden eines elektrisch betreibbaren Fahrzeugs nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung;
• 2 eine Systemübersicht einer Energieverteilvorrichtung zum Laden eines elektrisch betreibbaren Fahrzeugs nach einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung; und
• 3 eine Systemübersicht einer Energieverteilvorrichtung zum Laden eines elektrisch betreibbaren Fahrzeugs nach einem weiteren Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

Showing:

• 1 a system overview of an energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention;
• 2 a system overview of an energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle according to a further embodiment of the invention; and
• 3 a system overview of an energy distribution device for charging an electrically operated vehicle according to a further embodiment of the invention.

In the figures, identical or similar components are numbered with identical reference symbols. The figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

1 shows a system overview of an energy distribution device 100 for charging an electrically operated vehicle 50 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The energy distribution device 100 comprises at least one inverter 10, which has a first DC interface 12 for electrically coupling a high-voltage storage device of the vehicle 50, and a communication device 20 for communication between the inverter 10 and the vehicle 50, which is at least temporarily electrically coupled between the inverter 10 and the vehicle 50.

The inverter 10 is electrically coupled to the photovoltaic system 32 via a second DC interface 16, coupled to an electrical house and/or grid connection 30 via an AC interface 14 and coupled to a stationary energy storage device 34 via a third DC interface 18.

The communication device 20 is designed as a separate unit 22 which is electrically coupled between the first DC interface 12 of the inverter 10 and the vehicle 50. For example, the communication device 20 can be electrically connected to the vehicle 50 and the inverter 10 via plug connections via a charging cable.

The communication device 20 is designed at least for communication between inverter 10 and vehicle 50 and/or for transmitting and/or converting charging protocols.

The electrical connection between the inverter 10 and the vehicle 50 can be established, for example, via a DC charging cable, in particular according to a CCS or CHAdeMO charging standard.

With the help of the communication device 20 of the proposed energy distribution device 100, it is possible to connect the vehicle 50 directly to the inverter 10 of a photovoltaic system 32 for bidirectional charging, without the need for further conversion of the electrical power first into the AC home network 30 and/or into the public AC network and then back to DC in the wall box and/or charging station. The communication device 20 advantageously takes over the communication between the vehicle 50 and the inverter 10, translates the protocols or converts the protocols. This enables the inverter 10 to provide the corresponding DC voltages and also to set the vehicle 50 to the charging process.

In this way, it is advantageous to save the conversion of electrical power and to feed a DC voltage directly into the vehicle 50 or bi-directionally from the vehicle 50 into the inverter 10 and from there into a stationary energy storage device 34 or the house connection 30.

The AC interface 14 to the electrical house and/or grid connection 30 and the third DC interface 18 to the stationary energy storage device 34 can be optionally designed. If the inverter 10 has these interfaces 14, 18, electrical energy can advantageously be transferred from the high-voltage storage device of the vehicle 50 via the inverter 10 to the electrical house and/or grid connection 30 and/or to the stationary energy storage device 34.

In 2 a system overview of an energy distribution device 100 for charging an electrically operated vehicle 50 according to a further embodiment of the invention is shown. The communication device 20 is integrated into the inverter 10. The inverter 10 then has the vehicle connection directly via the first DC interface 12.

3 shows a system overview of an energy distribution device 100 according to a further embodiment of the invention. The communication device 10 is integrated into the vehicle 50. Alternatively, the communication device 20 can also be part of the vehicle 50, which then recognizes that the charging cable is not connected to a "normal" charging station, but for example to an inverter 10 of a house connection 30 and therefore immediately implements the inverter protocols accordingly and via the charging port of the first DC interface 12.

In an alternative embodiment not shown, the communication device 20 can be designed for wireless communication between the inverter 10 and the vehicle 50. The communication device 20 is independent of cable connections and can communicate directly with the vehicle 50 and the inverter 10. This is also independent of whether the communication device 20 is integrated in the inverter 10 or in the vehicle 50 or is designed as a separate unit 22.

List of reference symbols

10

Inverter

12

first DC interface

14

AC interface

16

second DC interface

18

third DC interface

20

Communication facility

22

separate unit

30

House and/or grid connection

32

Photovoltaic system

34

stationary energy storage

50

vehicle

100

Energy distribution device

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 20130113413 A1 [0004]

Claims (10)

Energy distribution device (100) for charging an electrically operated vehicle (20), at least comprising an inverter (10), in particular a photovoltaic system (32), wherein the inverter (10) has at least a first DC interface (12) for electrically coupling a high-voltage storage device of the vehicle (50), and a communication device (20) for communication between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50), which is at least temporarily electrically coupled between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50). Energy distribution device according to Claim 1 , wherein the first DC interface (12) is bidirectional. Energy distribution device according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the inverter (10) has an AC interface (14) to an electrical house and/or grid connection (30), and/or wherein the inverter (10) has a second DC interface (16) to the photovoltaic system (32), and/or wherein the inverter (10) has a third DC interface (18) to a stationary energy storage device (34). Energy distribution device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (20) is designed as a separate unit (22) which is electrically coupled between the first DC interface (12) of the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50). Energy distribution device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the communication device (20) is integrated into the inverter (10). Energy distribution device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the communication device (10) is integrated into the vehicle (50). Energy distribution device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (20) is designed for wireless communication between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50). Energy distribution device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an electrical connection between the inverter (10) and the vehicle (50) can be established via a DC charging cable, in particular according to a CCS or CHAdeMO charging standard. Energy distribution device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the communication device (20) is designed at least for communication between inverter (10) and vehicle (50) and/or for transmission and/or conversion of charging protocols. Energy distribution device according to one of the Claims 2 until 9 , wherein electrical energy can be transferred from the high-voltage storage device of the vehicle (50) via the inverter (10) into the electrical house and/or grid connection (30) and/or into the stationary energy storage device (34).

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