EP4041592A1

EP4041592A1 - Electric device for energy control

Info

Publication number: EP4041592A1
Application number: EP20781599.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ehsan EMAMI
Original assignee: Qovoltis
Current assignee: Qovoltis
Priority date: 2019-10-07
Filing date: 2020-10-07
Publication date: 2022-08-17
Also published as: CN114728599A; FR3101580A1; WO2021069509A1; US20220410749A1

Abstract

Electric device for energy control, comprising a measuring device which comprises a current sensor that is configured to measure an electric current at the power output of a low-voltage electric meter, a voltage sensor which is configured to measure an electric voltage at the power output of the low-voltage electric meter, and a power calculation unit which receives a current information item from the current sensor and a voltage information item from the voltage sensor, and being configured to calculate the electric power consumed at the power output of the electric meter; and a control member which receives an information item concerning the electric power consumed from the power calculation unit, calculating the difference between the electric power information item and a preceding value, comparing the absolute value of the difference with a threshold, in the event of an absolute value of the difference being less than the threshold remaining idle and in the event of an absolute value of the difference being greater than the threshold outputting a message containing a power value to a terminal for recharging an electrical energy storage battery, the recharging terminal being remote from the measuring member and the control member, the preceding value being the power value contained in the preceding message.

Description

Electrical energy management device

The invention relates to the field of recharging batteries, in particular of electric vehicles.

Charging electric vehicles, more generally stationary or mobile batteries, places great demands on the electricity networks. Upstream of the electricity meters, network reinforcements can be planned in dense areas. Downstream of electricity meters, the question arises of the supply of the various consumers of electrical energy.

Applicants seek to meet the need for improved downstream control of an electric meter.

The Applicant has designed an energy management device which makes it possible to optimize the operation of electric vehicle charging stations. This device is called "Qometer".

Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations can be installed either behind a dedicated meter or an existing meter. In the case of installation behind an existing meter, the charging stations share the power available at the meter with other devices using the same electricity subscription.

A fundamental problem then arises related to the power of a charging station which can reach very easily:

7.4 kW (32A x 230V) in the case of a single-phase installation 22 kW (32 x 230V x 3) in the case of a three-phase installation

However, a charging station at full power can trip the entire electrical installation for which the subscription is limited. For example, in France, in a single-phase single-phase house, the maximum subscribed power is 12 kVA (kW). To prevent the charging station from tripping the electrical installation, charging station installers can act on 3 parameters:

1. The power subscribed to the meter

2. The charging time slot

3. The maximum power of the charging station

These three parameters are independent, but none of them can guarantee 100% correct operation of the charging station in all circumstances.

The solution generally adopted by installers consists in increasing the power subscribed to the meter, delaying the EV recharging time until late at night when other devices reduce their consumption, and limiting the maximum power of the vehicle. charger.

All of these changes are static changes. This means that if there is a change (even temporary) in consumer habits or the addition of new electrical devices, EV charging can cause the meter to trip.

Some modern meters make it possible to know, through access to a communication port, the instantaneous consumption of the meter. However, not all meters are equipped with this function and furthermore, when such a communication function exists, the communication standard differs from one meter model to another and from country to country.

In addition, the so-called “intelligent” meters communicate in Slave mode. This means that it is up to a third party device (Master) to launch a request to know the power of the meter.

If indeed a charging station can connect to the communication port of a meter, if the charging station wishes to adapt its power according to the power remaining at the level of the meter, the charging station must regularly interrogate the meter. . If, between two interrogations, the power of the meter increases suddenly, the maximum subscribed power can in practice be exceeded. Which means that for correct operation, the charging station must interrogate the meter at a high frequency. This solution has two drawbacks:

1. First of all, it is not certain that the meter (even said smart) can withstand too high a polling frequency.

2. In addition, too high a polling frequency creates a high volume of communication, not necessarily compatible with the capacity of the communication link.

In any case, it is to meet this fundamental need for automatic adaptation of the power of the charging station to the power available at the level of the meter that the electrical energy management device was created.

The electrical energy management device comprises several modules:

Energy measurement module: this module calculates the instantaneous power by measuring the current and the voltage at the main meter without introducing a cut in the main electrical circuit and independently of the main meter.

Communication module: this module uses a LAN type communication protocol (Ethernet, Wifi, HomePlug CPL, Bluetooth, etc.) to establish communication with the charging station.

Control module: made up of a micro-controller, this module interrogates (via an analogue-digital link) at a relatively high frequency the energy module (above) and transmits a new power value to the charging station (via the communication module) only if the variation in instantaneous power exceeds a certain threshold set by the system manager.

The modules can be implemented in software.

Thus, the electrical energy management device allows the charging station to automatically adapt its power as a function of: the power subscribed to at the level of the meter, the instantaneous cumulative power used by all the devices of the electrical network using this same meter, y including the charging station itself. The electrical energy management device therefore makes it possible to optimize the power of the charging station, to minimize the charging time and to protect the main meter under various circumstances against a risk of tripping.

In general, the electrical energy management device comprises a measuring device comprising a current sensor configured to measure an electrical current downstream of the power of a low-voltage electrical meter, a voltage sensor configured to measure an electrical voltage at the power output of the low voltage electric meter, and a power calculating unit receiving current information from the current sensor and voltage information from the voltage sensor, and being configured to calculate the electric power consumed at the output of power of the electric meter. The electrical energy management device comprises a control unit receiving information on the electrical power consumed from the power calculation unit, calculating the difference between said information on electrical power consumed and a previous value, comparing the absolute value of said difference at a threshold, in the event of an absolute value of said difference below the threshold remaining at rest and in the event of an absolute value of said difference greater than the threshold sending a message containing a power value to an energy storage battery recharging terminal electrical, the charging station being remote from the measuring member and the control member, said previous value being said power value contained in the previous message.

In one embodiment, the measuring member and the control member have a common housing. The common box houses the control unit and a power calculation unit for the measuring unit.

In one embodiment, the control unit comprises a communication unit configured to establish an at least one-way connection to the charging station.

In one embodiment, the charging station is configured to receive said message and adapt its energy consumption to the difference between a subscribed power and the power value contained in said message.

The difference between a subscribed power and the power value can also be calculated at the level of the control unit. In this case, it is the new power to which the charger is to operate transmitted to it. It is also possible that there is communication with a central server which controls the charger by default.

In one embodiment, a slave charging station is controlled by said control member.

In one embodiment, said threshold is greater than or equal to 1% of the subscribed power.

In one embodiment, the frequency for comparing the absolute value of said difference to said threshold is less than or equal to 100 Hz.

In one embodiment, said message is sent at a frequency at least 10 times lower than the frequency for comparing the absolute value of said difference with said threshold.

In one embodiment, the calculation of the difference between a subscribed power and the power value is performed by the control unit, the new power at which the charger is to operate being transmitted to said charger.

In one embodiment, said communication with a central server controlling the charger by default is established by the control unit.

In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to send a message containing a power value to each recharging terminal for an electric energy storage battery connected to said device, each recharging terminal being remote from the monitoring unit. measurement and the control unit, said previous value being said power value contained in the previous message.

In one embodiment, the electrical energy management device and / or said server implements artificial intelligence functions to optimize the distribution of power in the case of simultaneous management of several charging stations.

In one embodiment, the electrical energy management device comprises a load distribution member between phases of a three-phase low-voltage electricity meter.

In one embodiment, the electrical energy management device does not have a communication link with the electricity meter.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be set out in detail in the description below, made with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[Fig. 1] is a schematic view of a device according to one aspect of the invention. Fig. 2] is a schematic view of a device according to another aspect of the invention.

[Fig. 3] is a detail view of the housing.

The appended drawings essentially contain elements of a certain nature. They can therefore not only serve to better understand the present invention, but also contribute to its definition, if necessary.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the electrical energy management device is designed to be connected to an electrical installation, both existing and to be created. The electrical installation can be a home or a small business installation. The electrical installation includes an electric meter 4 connected to the low voltage sector providing power, for example 110 or 220 volts, 50 or 60 Hz, single or three-phase. The electrical installation comprises a local power distribution network 10 supplying the consumer units with electrical wires, including an electrical energy storage battery recharging terminal.

The electrical energy management device 1 comprises a measuring device 2 adapted to the local network. The measuring device 2 comprises a current sensor 3 configured to measure an electric current at the power output of a low voltage electric meter 4. The current sensor 3 can include a measurement loop around the electric wires 5 at the output of the electric meter 4. The current sensor 3 is placed near the electric meter 4 upstream of the connections, distribution boxes and consumer units. The current sensor 3 is separate from the electric meter 4. The electric energy management device 1 is separate from the electric meter 4. The electric energy management device 1 has no communication with the electric meter 4.

The measuring device 2 comprises a voltage sensor 6 for measuring an electric voltage at the power output of the electric meter 4. The voltage varies by a few percent around the nominal voltage. It is better to measure it with better accuracy than delivery accuracy. The voltage sensor 6 is separate from the electric meter 4.

The measuring device 2 comprises a power calculation unit 7 receiving current information from the current sensor 3 and voltage information from the voltage sensor 6. The power calculation unit 7 is configured to calculate the power. electric power consumed at the power output of the electric meter 4. The power calculation unit 7 produces the product of the current value measured by the measured voltage value. The measuring unit 2 comprises a control unit 8 receiving the value of electric power consumed coming from the power calculation unit 7. The control unit 8 calculates the difference between said value of electric power consumed and a previous value. The control member 8 compares the absolute value of said difference with a threshold, and in the event of an absolute value of said difference below the threshold remains at rest. In the event of an absolute value of said difference greater than the threshold, the control unit 8 sends a message containing a power value to the recharging terminal 11 of the electric energy storage battery. Said previous value is said power value contained in the previous message. The threshold can be set at 1% of the subscribed value of the subscription to the electricity supplier, or at a higher value. The comparison of the absolute value of said difference with said threshold is carried out regularly. The comparison of the absolute value of said difference with said threshold is carried out at predetermined intervals, for example at a frequency less than or equal to 100 Hz.

The transmission of said message by the control unit 8 is carried out at a frequency at least 10 times lower than the frequency of comparison of the absolute value of said difference to said threshold. Said message is sent less than 10 times per second.

The charging station 11 is remote from the measuring unit 2 and from the control unit 8. Said message can be sent over a LAN network 9. The computing unit 7 and the control unit 8 can be produced. using a microcontroller.

The difference between a subscribed power and the power value can also be calculated at the level of the control unit 8. In this case, it is the new power at which the charger must operate which is transmitted to said charger. It is also possible to implement a communication with a central server which controls the charger by default.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, several charging stations 11 are supplied from the same electric meter 4.

A slave charging station can be controlled by said control member 8. As a variant, a charging station can be controlled by said control member 8 via another charging station.

In FIG. 3 is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of the electrical energy management device 1. The measuring member 2 is provided with a housing 12 housing and protecting the power computing unit 7 and the control member 8. The current 3 and voltage 6 sensors are arranged outside the housing 12. The measuring device 2 comprises, inside the housing 12, at least one connector 20, in particular a connector in the single-phase version and two connectors in the three-phase version, ensuring the connection with the sector for the supply of said housing 12, with the recharging terminal (s) 11 and with the current 3 and voltage sensors 6. The measuring device 2 comprises a power supply transformer 21 connected via the connector 20 to the output wires of the electric meter 4. The power supply transformer 21 can be of the 230/5 volts or 110/5 volts type. The measuring device 2 comprises a rectifier 22 supplied by the supply transformer 21. The rectifier 22 may comprise a diode bridge.

The measuring device 2 comprises a communication device 23 by power lines supplied by the rectifier 22 and connected to the output wires of the electric meter 4 so as to communicate with the recharging terminal (s) 11. The communication device 23 establishes a at least one-way link to the charging station 11. The link is at least one-way and preferably two-way link. The recharging terminal 11 receives the message emitted by the control unit 8 and transmitted by the communication unit 23. The recharging terminal 11 adapts its energy consumption to the difference between a subscribed power and the contained power value. in the message. Alternatively, the communication from the measuring device 2 to the charging stations 11 can be carried out via a LAN network. The measuring member 2 comprises a galvanic isolation member 24 mounted between the connector 20 connected to the output wires of the electric meter 4 and the communication member 23. The galvanic isolation member 24 comprises, for example, a photodiode.

The measuring device 2 comprises a processor 25 connected to the connector 20 to receive the measurement information coming from the current 3 and voltage 6 sensors and to send at least one instruction, in particular in the form of a message, to at least one control terminal. recharge 11. The processor 25 is preprogrammed to fulfill the functions of processing current and voltage measurements and of control. The processor 25 is supplied by the rectifier 22.

The control unit can be configured to send a message containing a power value to each recharging terminal for an electric energy storage battery connected to the electric energy management device. Each charging station is remote from the measuring unit and the control unit. Said previous value is said power value contained in the previous message. In one embodiment, artificial intelligence functions are implemented by the electrical energy management device and / or by said server. The artificial intelligence functions are provided to optimize the power distribution in the case of simultaneous management of several charging stations, according to FIG. 2. Furthermore, many low-voltage electricity meters are three-phase. In this case, the electrical energy management device can include a load distribution member between the phases. This is all the more interesting as the distribution between the phases of a network downstream of a meter is often fixed and unsuitable.

Claims

[Claim 1] An electrical energy management device comprising a measuring device comprising a current sensor configured to measure an electric current downstream of a low voltage electric meter, a voltage sensor configured to measure an electric voltage at the output of power of the low voltage electric meter, and a power calculating unit receiving current information from the current sensor and voltage information from the voltage sensor, and being configured to calculate the electric power consumed at the power output of the electric meter ; and a control member receiving information on electrical power consumed from the power calculation unit, calculating the difference between said information on electrical power consumed and a previous value, comparing the absolute value of said difference with a threshold, in case absolute value of said difference below the threshold remaining at rest and in the event of an absolute value of said difference above the threshold sending a message containing a power value to an electrical energy storage battery recharging terminal, the recharging terminal being remote from the measuring unit and from the control unit, said previous value being said power value contained in the preceding message.

[Claim 2] Device according to claim 1, in which the measuring member and the control member have a common housing.

[Claim 3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the control unit comprises a communication unit configured to establish an at least one-way connection to the charging station.

[Claim 4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the charging station is configured to receive said message and adapt its energy consumption to the difference between a subscribed power and the power value contained in said message.

[Claim 5] Device according to claim 4, wherein a slave charging station is controlled by said control member.

[Claim 6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said threshold is greater than or equal to 1% of the subscribed power.

[Claim 7] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the frequency of comparison of the absolute value of said difference to said threshold is less than or equal to 100 Hz.

[Claim 8] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said message is transmitted at a frequency at least 10 times lower than the frequency for comparing the absolute value of said difference to said threshold.

[Claim 9] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the calculation of the difference between a subscribed power and the power value is carried out by the control unit, the new power at which the charger is to operate being transmitted to said device. charger.

[Claim 10] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which communication with a central server controlling the charger by default is established by the control unit.

[Claim 11] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the control member is configured to send a message containing a power value to each recharging terminal of an electric energy storage battery connected to said device, each terminal of recharging being remote from the measuring member and from the control member, said previous value being said power value contained in the previous message.

[Claim 12] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrical energy management device implements artificial intelligence functions configured to optimize the distribution of power in the case of simultaneous management of several charging stations.

[Claim 13] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical energy management device comprises a load distribution member between phases of a three-phase low voltage electricity meter.

[Claim 14] Device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the electrical energy management device has no communication link with the electricity meter.