Electric vehicle charging device and method for charging electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752123-B2
Application number	US-202016781441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2020
Priority date	Oct 17, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging device includes a processing unit having a memory with a routine stored therein which, when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to control circuitry to prevent the electric vehicle charging device from charging an electric vehicle for a random delay period and to allow the electric vehicle charging device to charge the electric vehicle starting when the random delay period ends, wherein the random delay period starts at a predetermined start time and lasts a random delay length of time. The random delay reduces the peak load on a transformer that the electric vehicle charging device and other electric vehicle charging devices receive power from.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle charging circuit breaker for use in charging a corresponding electric vehicle electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker, the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker comprising:
control circuitry structured to selectively allow the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker to charge the electric vehicle;
a circuit protection unit structured to provide circuit protection between the electric vehicle and a power source, the circuit protection unit including:
separable contacts electrically connected between the electric vehicle and the power source; and
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts in response to a fault being detected;

a processing unit having a memory with a routine stored therein which, when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to:
estimate a charging length of time needed for the electric vehicle to reach a fully charged state.

2. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein executing the routine further causes the processor to:
estimate a full charge length of time based on historical charge pattern data, wherein the full charge length of time is the length of time for the electric vehicle to reach the fully charged state from the time it is electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging device if the electric vehicle is continuously charged;
determine a current charge length of time as an amount of time the electric vehicle has been charging since it has been electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging device; and
determine the charging length of time needed for the electric vehicle to reach a fully charged state as the full charge length of time minus the current charge length of time.

3. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the circuit protection unit further comprises:
a trip unit structured to receive information on power flowing between the power source and the electric vehicle and to determine whether the fault is detected based on the information.

4. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 3 , wherein the trip unit is structured to output a trip signal to the operating mechanism in response to the fault being detected, and wherein the operating mechanism is structured to trip open the first separable contacts in response to receiving the trip signal from the trip unit.

5. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the circuit protection unit includes a thermal/magnetic trip mechanism.

6. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry includes second separable contacts, and wherein the control circuitry is structured to open the second separable contacts to prevent the electric vehicle charging device from charging the electric vehicle.

7. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
electric vehicle charging circuitry structured to generate a pilot signal that provides signaling or communication for use by the electric vehicle.

8. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing structured to house the control circuitry, the circuit protection unit, and the processing unit.

9. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , wherein the fault is at least one of an overcurrent fault and an arc fault.

10. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
ground fault detection circuitry structured to detect a ground fault.

11. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
metering circuitry structured to meter power passing through the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker.

12. An electric vehicle charging circuit breaker for use in charging a corresponding electric vehicle electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker, the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker comprising:
a circuit protection unit structured to provide circuit protection between the electric vehicle and a power source, the circuit protection unit including:
first separable contacts electrically connected between the electric vehicle and the power source; and
an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts in response to a fault being detected;

control circuitry structured to selectively allow the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker to charge the electric vehicle, the control circuitry including second separable contacts electrically connected between the electric vehicle and the power source and being structured to close to allow the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker to charge the electric vehicle and to open to prevent the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker from charging the electric vehicle;
a processing unit having a memory with a routine stored therein which, when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to:
estimate a charging length of time needed for the electric vehicle to reach a fully charged state; and

a housing structured to house the circuit protection unit, the control circuitry, and the processing unit.

13. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the housing includes:
a line input terminal;
a neutral input terminal;
a line output terminal; and
a neutral output terminal,
wherein the electric vehicle charging circuit breaker is structured to receive power from the power source via the line and neutral input terminals and to provide power to the electric vehicle via the line and neutral output terminals.

14. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the circuit protection unit further comprises:
a trip unit structured to receive information on power flowing between the power source and the electric vehicle and to determine whether the fault is detected based on the information.

15. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 14 , wherein the trip unit is structured to output a trip signal to the operating mechanism in response to the fault being detected, and wherein the operating mechanism is structured to trip open the first separable contacts in response to receiving the trip signal from the trip unit.

16. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein the circuit protection unit includes a thermal/magnetic trip mechanism.

17. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein executing the routine further causes the processor to:
estimate a full charge length of time based on historical charge pattern data, wherein the full charge length of time is the length of time for the electric vehicle to reach the fully charged state from the time it is electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging device if the electric vehicle is continuously charged;
determine a current charge length of time as an amount of time the electric vehicle has been charging since it has been electrically connected to the electric vehicle charging device; and
determine the charging length of time needed for the electric vehicle to reach a fully charged state as the full charge length of time minus the current charge length of time.

18. The electric vehicle charging circuit breaker of claim 12 , wherein executing the routine further causes the processor to:
determine a maximum delay length of time as a difference between a predetermined length of time and the charging length of time, wherein the predetermined length of

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Patil Chinmaya Baburao
• Wang Yigang
• Thompson Ronald L
• Trujillo Jose Antonio

Classifications

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/92

  with prioritisation of loads or sources · CPC title

• Y02T90/167

  Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J3/14

  by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading · CPC title