ES2400518B1 - EXTERNAL AUTONOMY EXTENSION MODULE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES. - Google Patents

Abstract

External autonomy extension module for electric vehicles. # Consists of a structure attached to the vehicle by means of a detachable anchoring device, depending on the position it occupies with respect to the vehicle (towed or attached to the top, rear or front), which contains a power generation unit and an electrical connection from the generator to the batteries of the vehicle according to your energy needs. # Different versions are planned depending on the nature of the generation unit, types of fuel, types of vehicles and position of the module with respect to to this. Possible extensions with electronic control unit or extension of autonomy with batteries are also presented.

Description

EXTERNAL AUTONOMY EXTENSION MODULE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

SECTOR OF THE TECHNIQUE

S This invention falls within the automotive sector, more specifically, in the development of electric or hybrid vehicles.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

At present, the most used means of transport is the automobile, and it is expected to continue in the future. The conventional car uses fossil fuels (typically 10 diesel or gasoline) for its operation, emitting pollutant gases into the atmosphere.

The current legislation is increasingly restrictive in terms of emissions, increasingly limiting the impact of vehicles on the environment. To this are added the consequences on the health of the pollutants emitted, an especially worrying aspect in urban surroundings, where the concentration of vehicles is greater. In large cities with problems of

15 serious pollution measures are already valued that discourage the most polluting traffic. Therefore it is necessary to develop a new concept of mobility.

Electric traction vehicles are presented as the great alternative to conventional vehicles, given their flexibility and low emissions. Three great types are distinguished; electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles

20 (powered by hydrogen).

Electric vehicles are moved by an electric motor connected to a battery, and recharged with a connection to the power grid. This type of vehicle has zero emissions, and in the urban environment it only has advantages, but in the sporadic road journeys its great drawbacks appear, which are: low autonomy, difficulty of recharging and high cost

25 of the batteries.

Currently, the electricity supply outside the home is not guaranteed, and the total recharge time is long. In addition, the consumption depends on the benefits that are required of the vehicle, so it lends itself to doubts about the battery life and gives distrust to the user.

Hybrid vehicles combine the electric motor with the explosion engine, solving the lack of autonomy of pure electric. These types of vehicles emit less polluting gases, and continue to operate with the explosion engine once the battery has run out.

Another factor to consider is that a hybrid vehicle has a higher consumption than its

S pure electric equivalent, since the combustion engine implies a considerable weight gain. In urban areas, the hybrid vehicle uses only the electric motor, so much of the energy is being wasted on the weight of an additional motor that has no use. Since the journeys are usually carried out in an urban environment, for a large part of the life of the vehicle they are wasting benefits and there is an extra cost

10 corresponding to the expenditure on energy, maintenance and breakdowns.

Fuel cell vehicles have purely electric traction and do not emit pollutant gases, but do not give reliability due to their difficulty in supply and the explosive nature of hydrogen, which can endanger the occupants of the vehicle.

15 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Electric mobility is conditioned to the use that will be given to the vehicle. The electric vehicle is the most convenient option for the urban environment, the most common use, but the hybrid vehicle is seen as a better option if trips outside the city are required, which are carried out sporadically. The present invention aims to unite both

20 characteristics through the use of an external module, which can convert the electric vehicle into a hybrid vehicle, when the conditions of use require it.

The module must have at least one external structure, an anchoring device, a generation unit and a connection between said unit and the batteries of the electric vehicle.

The external module for electric vehicles is characterized by being removable, so that

25 the user may or may not dispose of it according to the use of the vehicle. The anchoring device may be of different types, depending, for example, on the structure of the module.

The structure and design of the external module depend on the position it occupies with respect to the vehicle; by way of example, as a rear trailer with wheels, attached rear module, attached front module or placed on top of the vehicle.

The external module contains an electrical generation unit, the nature of which is independent of the object of this invention and which can be adapted to the available technology. As an example, some possible sources of energy are listed: diesel, gasoline, natural gas, LPG, propane, agricultural gas, hydrogen stack, etc. Being an external module, it makes it possible to vary technology in the future, with new engines or energy sources, without changing vehicles.

Depending on the source of energy, it can be supplied anywhere, instantly. In addition, its use can be expandable as an emergency generator for homes or businesses. The management of the connection / disconnection of the generation unit may be carried out from the electronic unit on board the vehicle, or through an own unit in the external module, which will have to be provided in the design of the anchoring method to allow the connection between units.

The electrical connection between the module and the vehicle must have the usual connections for the status, brake and turn signal lights according to current legislation, or galibo lights. The connection must transmit the electrical energy from the generator to the batteries and allow the exchange of information with the central unit of the vehicle, determining the connection / disconnection of the electrical generation from the reading of all types of installed sensors (eg level of the fuel tank) and energy needs.

The use of the autonomy extension module eliminates the extra weight of hybrids in the city, as well as its double cost. Additionally, it is an advantage in the design of the electric car, since it is not necessary to install so many batteries, because the autonomy can be extended when necessary thanks to the external module. It reduces the manufacturing cost and the total weight of the vehicle.

The wear of the electric vehicle is less, and independent of the wear of the module. If the module has greater wear than the electric vehicle, it can be changed from the external module without modifying the vehicle. It is foreseeable that the wear of the module, as well as its consumption and emissions, is less than if the same source of energy was implemented in a vehicle, since it will be able to work at a constant optimum rate according to its design.

Being an external module to the vehicle, it does not have a size limitation, being able to implement large tanks of very high autonomy. In the case of hazardous fuels (such as the use of hydrogen), they can be considered unbreakable and / or with an anti-impact block, as well as being less dangerous when occupying a space outside the vehicle.

The module can have an extra cargo space, since it has no size limitation. In addition, if their use is sporadic, the rental of the modules can be provided and not only their

S purchase. In the case of delivery vans, its use can be made more flexible, anticipating possible traffic cuts in urban environments due to tightening of legislation, with a module for peri-urban distributions and disengaging the module for working in the city.

The module can also have a group of batteries, which extend the purely electric autonomy of the vehicle, or to power the starter motor and the control unit 10 if it works autonomously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the possibilities of using the autonomy extension module, explanatory drawings are presented that are intended to illustrate some use cases by way of example.

15 Figure 1 shows the use of a towed module for a motorcycle. Figure 2 shows the use of the autonomy extension module attached to the top of a minivan, which is accompanied by Figure 3, which shows a horizontal section of the attached module used.

Figure 4 shows the use of an extension module attached to the back of a

20 utility. Figure 5 shows the use of the autonomy extension module towed by a delivery van, which is accompanied by Figure 6, which shows a vertical section of the trailer used.

Figure 7 shows the use of the autonomy extension module for a truck; as well as figure 8 shows the use of the autonomy extension module attached to the part

25 front of a tractor.

For better understanding of the drawings, the numerical references of each of the drawings correspondingly indicate the same concepts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENT

The invention presented has an exterior design, which comprises the structure of the module (2) and the anchoring device (3), and another interior, which comprises the generating unit (5) and an electrical connection (4) to the batteries, as fundamental elements (see fig. 6). Listed below are different examples, illustrated in Figures 1-8, although the possible uses are not limited to those set forth herein.

A. Use the external autonomy extension module to power a two-wheel electric vehicle (1), illustrated in Figure 1, which can be a simple compact petrol generator. In this case, the structure of the module (2) is towed with an anchoring device (3) that allows lateral mobility of the motorcycle. It is also compatible with a three wheel motorcycle or quad.

B. Use of the external autonomy extension module to power an electric vehicle (1) minivan, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. In this case, the structure of the module (2) is attached to the top of the minivan by means of a device anchor (3) similar to a roof rack. The structure of the module (2) adapts to the upper part of the vehicle with four hooks on the roof rails, and contains inside a compact power generation unit (5). This type of structure is convenient for a hydrogen battery generation unit. It also has a large capacity tank (6) to power the unit, and an electrical storage group (9), connected to the vehicle by a connector not visible in the cut. The water vapor product of the generation unit is expelled by the exhaust (8), in this case without a catalyst because it is a harmless product. Any type of module can be installed, but the elongated shape of the vehicle is comfortable for a flat roof tank and a hydrogen battery, which is not large or has vibrations.

C. Use of the external autonomy extension module to power a utility electric vehicle (1), illustrated in Figure 4, which can be a small specific gasoline engine, to work at a constant rate with very low consumption. In this case, the structure of the module (2) is attached to the rear of the vehicle by means of an anchoring device (3) that keeps it suspended.

D. Use of the external autonomy extension module to power a vehicle

electric distribution (1), illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. In this case, the structure of the

module (2) is hooked to the van by a similar anchoring device (3)

to used in small semi-trailers. It is a typical example for a diesel generator

S

Medium size and large deposit.

The structure of the module (2) is attached to the vehicle by means of an anchoring device

(3) ball type. Inside the structure the generation unit is located

electric (5), powered by a fuel tank (6). The emissions

pollutants are expelled through the exhaust (8), which will have a catalyst / silencer

10

to adapt to current legislation. The electrical energy is transmitted to the batteries of the

vehicle via a connector (4) managed by an electronic control unit (7) a

trailer board.

E. Use of the external autonomy extension module to power a vehicle

fifteen

electric (1) industrial or passenger, illustrated in Figure 7. In this case, the structure

of the module (2) is attached to the truck by means of a similar anchoring device (3)

to the one used in heavy transport. In this case, autonomy could be extended to

end of loading at origin for round trips, which is recommended an engine

It works with liquefied gas and a large attached tank.

twenty

F. Use of the external autonomy extension module to power a vehicle

agricultural electrical (1), illustrated in figure 8. In this case, the structure of the module (2)

is attached to the front of the agricultural vehicle by means of an anchoring device

(3) that keeps it suspended and in a place contrary to other agricultural hooks. In

25

   In this case it is advisable to use agricultural gas or biodiesel as fuel for the unit.

Claims (5)

l. External autonomy extension module, whose purpose is the production of energy to power the batteries of an electric vehicle, and which comprises: a vehicle anchoring device that is removable, depending on the position Occupy the module with respect to the vehicle. A power generation unit. an electrical connection from the generator to the batteries of the vehicle according to energy needs. 10 2. External autonomy extension module to the vehicle, according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a connection with the vehicle that allows the activation / deactivation of the power generation. 3. External vehicle extension module for the vehicle, according to claims 1 and 2, 15 which has its own electronic control unit that manages the activation / deactivation according to energy needs. 4. External vehicle extension module for the vehicle, according to claims 1 and 2, which has a battery or group of batteries that store electrical energy. twenty 5. Module of extension of autonomy external to the vehicle, according to claim 1, which is attached to the vehicle either in its upper, front or rear, or towed. The module for extending the autonomy external to the vehicle, according to claim 1, whose generation unit consists of a thermal engine of any current or future size, type or fuel. 7. External autonomy extension module to the vehicle, according to claim 1, whose generation unit comprises a hydrogen cell.