The present invention relates to a charging system for electric vehicles. In particular the invention relates to a setting wherein multiple vehicles can be charged, like it is the case at a regular filling station for vehicles with combustion engines.

With a growing popularity of electric vehicles, the need for charging stations increases along, and so does the total power required by each charging port available, and in case of multiple ports, their total power consumption.

Large power consumption requires power converters with increasing power capacity, and as a result, larger cooling facilities to prevent damage like overheating of their components. With a (forced) cooling facility for each energy exchange port, the charging system (or charging station) would become a noisy environment, with a low energy efficiency. It is therefor a goal of the present invention to provide an

advantageous charging system with multiple ports for this purpose.

Charging stations with a plurality of charge ports are known from the prior art. One way of implementing it is by using an AC/DC converter followed by a DC bus where the charge ports are connected to. The disadvantage of this is that the multiple vehicles cannot be charged simultaneously, because usually each vehicle has a different inlet voltage. To be able to charge electric vehicles simultaneously DC/DC converters are placed before each charging port, which will increase the cost of the multiport charging station.

Thereto, a charging system for electric vehicles is proposed, comprising a plurality of charging ports, each with an interface for power exchange with at least one electric vehicle, a plurality of power converters, for converting power from a power source such as a power grid to a suitable format for charging the vehicle, a switchable connection matrix, for connecting at least one power converter to at least one charging port, at least one controller, for controlling at least one of the power converters, and/or for controlling the switching operations of the connection matrix and the power converter, and communication means, for exchanging parameters with the at least one electric vehicle. The system according to the invention provides multiple advantages. Firstly, advantages of a multi-port (at least one, but preferably several ports) system are that it gives improved functionality with less hardware, and it is easier and cheaper to upgrade with extra connections.

In a preferred embodiment, the power converters and the connection matrix are at a remote location from the charging port, such as a separate room, and/or a separate building. The advantage of having the power converter at a remote location is that it is easier to upgrade with more power (no digging needed), the energy exchange ports are easier to fit into a user situation, and there are less technical requirements (especially regarding size) on the power converter, if it is placed in a conditioned room. The charging location will also not be disturbed during the expansion of the charging capacity.

The switchable connection matrix is implemented in order to couple each charging port simultaneously to a number of the plurality of converters, in such a way that at most one port is connected to a converter. This means that the matrix makes it possible to connect each charging port simultaneously to one or more power converters, or none. The converters can be connected to at most one charge port at the same time.

An advantage of the present invention is that the power converters, matrix and the charge ports can be expanded independently from each other, the number of charge ports and power modules doesn't have to be equal to when the charge station is expanded. A charge station may be installed at a location and can be expanded or even downgraded depending on how frequently it is used. One scenario could be that the charge station is not used very frequently, and because it is at a remote location from other stations the vehicles that arrive will have low state of charge. In this case we need a charge station with one charge port and a high power capacity. Through time a new city is built nearby, which will result in more electric vehicles visiting the charge post with a medium state of charge. It would be wise to modify the charge station then into a configuration with more charge posts and with the same or a smaller power capacity. The present invention will be used within the setting described in the Dutch patent application NL 2004279, which will enable the invention to log the charging sessions. Based on the logged charging sessions the server can decide to change the power capacity or the number charging ports. Another advantage of the present invention is that the charging ports don't have a common ground, this means that when more than one electric vehicle is connected to the charger they will be galvanicly isolated, which is desired by the EV manufacturers. Another reason for desiring galvanic isolation between the vehicles is because; having more than one isolation monitor in the same circuit will decrease the sensitivity of the isolation monitor.

At the energy exchange port, where the user charges his vehicle, there is less noise, visual disturbance or (warm) air inconvenience.

The system according to the invention becomes more efficient when the remote location comprises a plurality of power converters. In that case, the converters share (part of) the cooling system and location, they can be designed modular, and the total converter can be fit to the total power requirement of all ports.

In an embodiment, the remote location comprises climate conditioning, such as an air- or liquid based cooling system, a heat pump system or a heat exchange system, to get the heat away from the power converters, or to heat systems inside the conditioned room if the temperature drops below a certain threshold. The cooling system may be a fan that blows air in or out of the conditioned room. Also the cooling system may be a two-part system, such as a heat-pump system. The heat can be extracted from the power converters or the room and transported (e.g. by fluid or air) to a second part of the cooling system outside the conditioned room. In this way the power converter system can be upgraded easier.

Such a second part serves to exchange the heat with the outside world, for which purpose it may be on top of a charging station's roof or a building (shop) near the charging station to prevent noise and hot air to annoy users.

The cooling may be a part of or placed on a transformer house. The heat from the power converters may be used for other purposes, such as heating of a building or heating of water. The heat may be transferred into a storage, such as a hot water tank or an underground heat storage. The conditioned room may be an industrial cabinet, a building, a part of a building or a service room (e.g. only accessible to authorized personnel) it may be that the conditioned room is not accessible through a door or has a door with a lock.

The term conditioned here means amongst others that it is shielded against at least rain or sun. The conditioned room may be one or more transformer houses/buildings. It may have separate compartments for the grid connected transformer and the power converters or a transformer house may be used without the transformer. Also two houses can be used, one with a transformer and another with the power converters.

The conditioned room may be at least 2 metres away from at least one of the posts. The conditioned room may be under ground, on a roof and it may be characterized by the fact that it provides a shell that increases International Protection rating (as defined in international standard IEC 60529) of the system. This may be because openings in the conditioned room's walls are smaller than openings in the power converters or that there is a spacing between the power converters and the conditioned room's walls to prevent people to touch the power converters. The conditioned room may comprise an air-conditioning system and/or a heater. A high efficiency is obtained when the climate conditioning is configured for direct operation on the converter or converters, rather than the entire room. The remote location may be a transformer house or form part thereof, and the converter(s) and the transformer may be located in separate rooms within the remote location.

Alternatively, the power converters may be placed outside or in case of a plurality of energy exchange ports, inside one of the ports or below (in the fundament of) one of the charging ports. The term port is used here to indicate both the functionality of exchanging energy with a vehicle, as the physical device, standing at the charging station.

The power converters may be unidirectional or multidirectional converters with one or more AC or DC inputs and one or more AC or DC outputs. In a preferred embodiment these outputs can be independently controlled. In the case of a single power converter the power converter will have at least two outputs. In the case of multiple power converters, the outputs of the converters will be connected to a connection matrix. The connection matrix has multiple inputs and multiple outputs. Various configurations of suitable power converters for the system according to the present invention are described in the Dutch patent application NL 2004279 by the same applicant, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The conditioned room may also contain one or more energy storage systems such as battery systems, capacitor systems, flywheels or any other system which can store energy. These energy storage systems can be coupled to the power converters to deliver temporary peak power or to store electricity at a convenient moment. In a specific embodiment the cooling system present in the conditioned room can be used to cool or heat the energy storage system or to maintain it at a certain defined temperature. This can be very beneficial for the life of the storage medium, especially in the case of batteries. The conditioned room or systems present in the conditioned room may also be heated when the temperature drops below a certain threshold.

In a preferred embodiment, a number of power converters is coupled to a number of charging ports by a switchable connection matrix, which may be located within the remote location. Such a connection matrix is also described in more detail in the Dutch patent application NL 2 004 279.

In a preferred embodiment, the connection matrix has four output connections and is designed to transfer a certain maximum amount of power per connection, 50 kW for example. At the same time one power converter may be designed to deliver a maximum amount of power, also 50 kW for example. When operational in the field, the matrix will receive a maximum of 50 kW from the converter and will distribute this 50 kW over the 4 outputs. When the power converter is upgraded by adding a second converter, also with a power of 50 kW resulting in a lOOkW combined power. This may mean that the power limit of the connection matrix still remains 50 kW per connection. In this case, only the average power delivered by the 4 outputs will increase.

In another preferred embodiment of above situation one can also upgrade the connection matrix to deliver more power per output, say 100 kW. This may be done by adding and/or replacing components (such as fuses) inside the connection matrix, or by totally replacing the connection matrix.

The charging system according to any of the above described embodiments, may comprise a controller, which is operated to control the amount of heat generated, in case the heat is used for other purposes. Charging speeds of batteries may for instance be increased temporarily when heat (for instance in the form of hot water) is required by an external system. The generated heat is in that case controlled by controlling the output power.

Such a controller may be coupled to the converter(s), the connection manager(s), the connection matrix(s), and the energy storage system via the internet. The controller may optimize and influence the power flow to each output of the connection matrix based on local decision rules.

Furthermore, it may be equipped with at least one connection manager, said connection manager being configured to control safety settings of energy supply to at least one port. Preferably, each port comprises a connection manager, but it is thinkable that one connection manager serves a plurality of energy exchange ports.

The connection manager can be used to adapt a charging port for a charging standard such as CHAdeMO or J1772. For example safety systems and communication hardware may be included in the communication manager. Such a connection manager is also described in more detail in the Dutch patent application NL 2 004 350 by the same applicant.

The total system may also contain a special system or method to compensate for the length of the cable between the remote charging post and the conditioned room. As wires get longer the system will experience negative effects such as voltage drop over the cable. One method of solving this problem is the use of cables with a large diameter. In some situations this may not be preferred because of the extra cost of thicker cables. Therefore another method could be used such as the use of a control system which controls the output voltage of the powerconverters based on the measured voltage close to the charging ports. This could be implemented via a measurement device inside or close to the charging post, or even via a data communication link to a measurement device inside the vehicle, such as a BMS system. The method for operating the switching matrix comprises the steps of assigning a priority to each port based on at least one parameter, determining the power requested on each port, distributing the power modules among the ports based on the priority and the requested power, repeating the aforementioned steps each time an event occurs. A way of executing the above mentioned method is as following. Each time an event occurs the controller starts with assigning a priority to each port of the charging station based on a parameter. Some non-limiting examples of an event are a vehicle which connects to or disconnects from a charging station, the power demand of the vehicle which changes substantially during the charging or when the user changes the charge preferences. The parameter can be the time of arrival of the vehicle, the type of account the vehicle driver possesses, the time entered in the system by the user for preferred drive away. The power requested on each port is determined by the controller. The power modules are distributed among the ports based on the priority and the requested power by the ports.

An example of a scenario wherein the above mentioned method is applied is as following. Vehicles couple to a charging station one by one. The vehicle which came the first gets the highest priority, and the vehicle which came the last the lowest priority. Based on the priority the first vehicle gets sufficient power modules to satisfy its power demand, the remaining modules (if there are any) are assigned to the other ports (vehicles) based on their priority.

In another example only a part of the modules are distributed according to the priority. This means that a number of the modules are distributed equally among the ports, the remaining modules are assigned according to the priority.

The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures, wherein:

Figures la-d show the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment charging system according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows a second embodiment charging system according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a third embodiment of a charging system according to the invention. Figures 5a-5d show schematic views of the power system according to the present invention;

Figures 6a, 6b show flowcharts of a process flow according to the invention;

Figure 7 shows the preferred embodiment of the charging station;

Figure 8 shows another embodiment according to the invention, with a detailed implementation of the connection matrix;

Figure 9 shows another embodiment according to the invention, with a detailed implementation of the connection matrix;

Figure 10 shows a practical implementation of the invention.

Figure la shows a charging station with a plurality of charge ports known from the prior art. It consists of an AC/DC converter followed by a DC bus and a plurality of switches are used where the charge ports and hence the vehicles are connected to. The disadvantage of this is that the multiple vehicles cannot be charged simultaneously, because each vehicle has a different voltage on its charging inlet. In the prior art DC/DC converters are used to be able to charge electric vehicles with different inlet voltages simultaneously (figure lb), which will increase the cost of the multiport charging station.

Figure lc shows a charging station with multiple power converters known from the prior art. Although the power converter is modular and the power capacity can be expanded, it is not possible to charge multiple electric vehicles simultaneously.

Figure Id shows a multiport charging station known from the prior art. It is possible to charge electric vehicles simultaneously from this charging station, but because of the hardware configuration the number of charge ports are always equal to the number of power modules.

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment charging system 1 according to the present invention, comprising charging ports 2-5 with an interface 2 '-5 'for power exchange with at least one electric vehicle, power converters 6, 7, for converting power from a power source such as a power grid (not shown) to a suitable format for charging the vehicle. The power converters are at a remote location 8 from the charging ports 2-5, formed by a separate building 8. The building 8 further comprises a connection box 9, which may comprise a plurality of connection managers, as well as vacancies 10 and 11, intended for future use, for example when the required power increases. This way, the charging system can be extended without requiring modifications to the energy exchange ports. Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment 20 of a charging system according to the present invention, comprising energy exchange ports 21-24, wherein a power converter 25 is located below one of the energy exchange ports 22.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment 30, wherein connection managers are placed inside a connection box 32 within the charging port 31, which connection box 32 also includes a controller. This embodiment has as advantage that the connection box 32 can be replaced entirely in case of an upgrade (e.g. increasing the amount of connection managers). Because the controller is directly associated with the connection managers, the controller can be pre-programmed to cooperate with the correct number of connection managers.

Figure 5 a shows an embodiment 41 of a charging port 43, to which a connection box 44 is coupled via an interface 48. The connection box 44 comprises a second interface 46 which is coupled with a corresponding interface 49 of a power converter 45. Said power converter comprises an interface 49 for coupling an additional power converter in case more power is required.

Figure 5b shows an embodiment 42 of the charging port 43 from figure 4a, which is now equipped with an additional power converter 50. Power converter 50 thereto comprises an interface 51, and it furthermore comprises an interface 52 for future coupling of further power converters.

Figure 5 c shows another example, wherein a second charging port 57 is present, which is coupled to an interface 56 of a second connection box 54, which is coupled 55 to the first connection box 44. This way, two charging ports 43, 57 can be powered by the same power converter 45.

Figure 5d shows still another example, wherein charging ports 43 and 47 are both coupled to interface 48 of connection box 44, and can be switched to either power converter 45 or 59, which are coupled to the connection box 44 by respective interfaces 47, 60 and 46.

Figure 6a shows a first example with a flowchart of use of the present invention. Firstly, A vehicle connects to energy exchange port 1. Secondly, a second vehicle connects to energy exchange port 2. At the same time, The stakeholder sends information to a data processing device or controller. (Stakeholder input can be anything: battery data, grid data, service requirements, etc.) Thirdly, the data processing device together with controllers in the system decide on the best charging strategy and power distribution based on parameters such as the stakeholder input, the maximum power and

specifications of the converter, the specifications of climate control, the specifications of the connection matrix, the specifications of the port, and the data known about the vehicles or their batteries and potential other data. Figure 6b shows another example, wherein firstly a vehicle connects to the energy exchange port. Secondly, a second vehicle connects to the energy exchange port.

Thirdly, The local controller in the system decides on the charging strategy and power distribution based on parameters such as the maximum power and specifications of the converter, the specifications of the connection matrix, the specifications of the climate control system,the specifications of the port, and the data known about the vehicles or their batteries and potential other data.

The connection manager may be part of the charging post. The connection manager and the cable and connector can be removed from the charging post to be replaced in one piece. When using a multiple output power converter system, with a lesser amount of charging posts, multiple outputs may be connected to a single connection manager. When upgrading to a higher number of charging posts, some of the connection may be split. In some cases a single connection manager can be connected to multiple charging posts or a single connection manager can be connected to a single charging post, that has multiple connections (charge cable and charge connector).

The main feature of the charging post is that it is located at a distance from the power converters. It is placed next to one or more (parking) spots for vehicles (e.g. at a fuel station / charging station or a shop). They can be indoors (e.g. parking garage). The charging post can be powered (from the power converters) from the bottom or from the top (not shown in image). Additionally AC power, for example for electronics inside the charging post or for an AC-charging outlet, may be available through the same or another connection.

The charging post usually will have a cable handling system and a feature to place the connector in a safe and dry location. A subsystem, such as a user- interface, payment terminal, user identification system, user input system or digital transmission system may be connected to communication line that is a part of the cable(s) that is connected to the charge post.

The energy exchange port can have one or multiple charge connectors, where the connectors may deliver either AC or DC charging current or both.

Figure 7 shows a charging system wherein a plurality of power converters are connected with charge ports by a switched connection matrix. By using a switched connection matrix multiple electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously, without the need of extra converters. The connection matrix is controlled by an controller. Information about the charge session is send from the charging station to the server, whereupon the server can decide for expansion or downgrading the charging station. It is also possible that the server or the controller can decide to switch off each of the converter modules or charging ports in case of malfunction.

Figure 8 shows a detailed embodiment of the connection matrix placed between the power converters and the charge posts. By closing the switches one or more power converters can be connected to a charge post. The matrix makes it possible to charge a plurality of electric vehicles simultaneously without extra DC/DC converters. To expand the number of power converters or the charge posts the matrix also needs to be expanded. The matrix can be extended by adding switch modules each containing two switches which are controlled by a local controller Figure 9 shows another charging system wherein the power converters are connected with the charge ports by a different embodiment of the switched connection matrix.

Figure 10 shows three configurations of the charging station with two charge posts. The first configuration consists of 20 kw modules, the second one of 10 kw modules and the third one is a combination of both. Each of the converter modules and charge ports are selectable by the switches. The connection managers are implemented in the charge ports, and it also includes a couple of switches which are used for selecting the charging ports. In this way the above mentioned matrix is distributed over the whole charging configuration. A connection manager is a device which comprises means for communicating with the electric vehicle and switches for connecting or disconnecting the charge post to the electric vehicle.