Method for control of a system of charging points composed of at least two charging points and a charging point for use in a system of charging points

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558988-B2
Application number	US-202118005492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2021
Priority date	Sep 29, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method is provided for control of a system of charging points composed of at least two charging points, each of which is outfitted with at least one solid oxide fuel cell and with a high-voltage battery electrically connected or electrically connectible to the solid oxide fuel cell, where the charging points are adapted to provide electrical charging current via a converter at an interface for connection to a battery operated consumer. The method includes: checking the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of a first charging point by which the electric energy will be provided for charging the consumer via the interface, charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point, and possibly that of the consumer, by a current-generating operation of the solid oxide fuel cell of the first charging point, if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of the first charging point has fallen below a first limit value, and charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point by means of an electric current provided by a second charging point if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery has fallen below a second limit value, located below the first limit value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for control of a system of charging points composed of at least two charging points, each of which is outfitted with at least one solid oxide fuel cell and with a high-voltage battery electrically connected or electrically connectible to the solid oxide fuel cell, wherein the charging points are adapted to provide electrical charging current via a converter at an interface for connection to a battery operated consumer, the method comprising:
checking the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of a first charging point by which the electric energy will be provided for charging the consumer via the interface; charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point, and possibly that of the consumer, by a current-generating operation of the solid oxide fuel cell of the first charging point, if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of the first charging point has fallen below a first limit value; and charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point by an electric current provided by a second charging point if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery has fallen below a second limit value, located below the first limit value.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electric current provided by the second charging point is generated by the at least one solid oxide fuel cell of the second charging point.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein more than two charging points are present in the system of charging points, and the high-voltage battery of the first charging point is supplied with the electric current of the solid oxide fuel cell of the charging point at which the at least one solid oxide fuel cell is in operation and which has a given minimum temperature.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein more than two charging points are present in the system of charging points, the high-voltage battery of the first charging point in a resting state is charged fully by the solid oxide fuel cell of the first charging point, then the charging point of the system of charging points is identified whose high-voltage battery has the lowest state of charge, and this high-voltage battery is charged with the electric current of the first charging point that is generated by the at least one solid oxide fuel cell.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one solid oxide fuel cell of the first charging point is switched off if it is found that the high-voltage batteries of all other charging points of the system of charging points have a state of charge which has reached or gone beyond the first limit value.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein in event of falling below the first limit value at the first charging point, that charging point is identified whose high-voltage battery is closest to reaching or going beyond the first limit value, and the electric power of the solid oxide fuel cell of this charging point is used to recharge the first charging point.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein in event of falling below the first limit value at the first charging point and with the solid oxide fuel cell switched off at all other charging points, that charging point is identified whose solid oxide fuel cell is the warmest, and then this solid oxide fuel cell is first switched on and then used for recharging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first limit value lies in a range of 60 to 80 percent of a total battery capacity.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second limit value lies in a range of 40 to 50 percent of a total battery capacity.

10 . A charging point for use in a system of charging points set up to carry out a method for control of the system, where each charging point is outfitted with at least one solid oxide fuel cell and with a high-voltage battery electrically connected or electrically connectible to the solid oxide fuel cell, wherein the charging points are adapted to provide electrical charging current via a converter at an interface for connection to a battery operated consumer, and where the method includes checking the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of a first charging point by which the electric energy will be provided for charging the consumer via the interface, charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point, and possibly that of the consumer, by a current-generating operation of the solid oxide fuel cell of the first charging point, if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery of the first charging point has fallen below a first limit value, and charging the high-voltage battery of the first charging point by means of an electric current provided by a second charging point if the state of charge of the high-voltage battery has fallen below a second limit value, located below the first limit value, the charging point comprising:
a high-voltage battery and at least one solid oxide fuel cell which is connected or connectible across a DC converter, wherein the high-voltage battery and/or the solid oxide fuel cell are connected or connectible across a converter to an interface in order to connect and recharge a battery-operated consumer,
wherein a further electrical interface is present at the battery side of the DC converter for the electrical connection of a further charging point, a first switch is incorporated in a connection going to the further electrical interface for the electrical connection or the electrical disconnection of the further charging point, and a second switch is present on the battery side for the electrical connection or the electrical disconnection of the high-voltage battery of the connection going to the further electrical interface.

Assignees

• Audi Ag
• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Lucas Christian

Classifications

• H01M2250/10

  Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04947

  of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors · CPC title

• B60L53/62

  in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge · CPC title

• B60L53/53

  Batteries · CPC title