Power control apparatus and methods for electric vehicles

摘要

Electric vehicle (EV) charging apparatus and methods are described which allow the sharing of charge current between multiple vehicles connected to a single source of charging energy. In addition, this charge sharing can be performed in a grid-friendly manner by lowering current supplied to EVs when necessary in order to satisfy the needs of the grid, or building operator. The apparatus and methods can be integrated into charging stations or can be implemented with a middle-man approach in which a multiple EV charging box, which includes an EV emulator and multiple pilot signal generation circuits, is coupled to a single EV charge station.

主权项

1. An electric vehicle charging apparatus for charging electric vehicles, comprising:
(a) an electric vehicle (EV) charge management system having a power input, and a plurality of power outputs; (b) at least one programmable processor in said EV charge management system with programming executable on the at least one processor for multiplexing delivery of charging current from said power input of said EV charge management system to each said power output thereof, performing the steps:
(i) controlling the charging of electric vehicles within said EV charge management system;(ii) retrieving and storing power capacity information from a charging station to which said power input is connected;(iii) monitoring charging current delivery to each said power output;(iv) determining if a new load connects to a power output;(v) determining if a load connected to a power output requires charging current;(vi) determining if a load disconnects from a power output;(vii) if no load is connected to a power output requires charging current, waiting for a load to require charging current;(viii) if a single load requires charging current, providing charging current to said single load;(ix) if a plurality of loads require charging current, dividing available charging current among said loads evenly; and(x) if a load requires less charging current than is available to said load in step (ix), reallocating excess charging current evenly among the remaining loads.