A Method and System for Power Supply of Electrically Powered Vehicles

Abstract

A distributed charging system (1) comprising a plurality of charging stations (2) transportable by charging station transport trucks (3), wherein each charging station transport truck (3) of the distributed charging system (1) has at least one lifting mechanism (4) adapted to lift at least one charging station (2) deployed on a ground floor onto a transport platform (3A) of the charging station transport unit (3) for transport to another location, wherein each transportable charging station (2) has at least one battery pack (2D) with rechargeable battery cells adapted to store electrical energy which is used to charge batteries of electrically powered vehicles (6) connected to charging stations (2) deployed on the ground floor, wherein the housing (2A) of the portable charging station (2) comprises a ground locking interface unit (2C) adapted to lock the charging station (2) mechanically and/or electrically to a base frame (5) of the distributed charging system (1) installed on the ground floor.

1 . A distributed charging system comprising a plurality of charging stations transportable by charging station transport units, wherein each charging station transport unit of the distributed charging system has at least one lifting mechanism adapted to lift at least one charging station deployed on a ground floor onto a transport platform of the charging station transport unit for transport to another location, wherein each transportable charging station has at least one battery pack with rechargeable battery cells adapted to store electrical energy which is used to charge batteries of electrically powered vehicles connected to charging stations deployed on the ground floor, wherein the housing of the portable charging station comprises a ground locking interface unit adapted to lock the charging station mechanically and/or electrically to a base frame of the distributed charging system installed on the ground floor, and wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit and via power supply lines to a battery loading circuitry of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame. 
     
     
         2 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the ground locking interface unit of the transportable charging station comprises a remote-controlled or automatic mechanical locking mechanism adapted to lock the housing of the transportable charging station mechanically to the base frame. 
     
     
         3 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1  wherein the local power supply grid comprises at least one power generation unit adapted to generate electrical energy locally at the site of the base frame, wherein the locally generated electrical energy is used to charge battery cells of the at least one battery pack of a charging station connected electrically to the local power supply grid via the base frame or to perform load balancing between different charging stations connected via base frames to the local power supply grid and/or wherein the locally generated electrical power is fed into a public power supply grid. 
     
     
         4 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 3 , wherein the power generation unit comprises at least one photovoltaic panel and/or at least one wind turbine. 
     
     
         5 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the base frame comprises an integrated controller adapted to communicate with a remote centralized control unit of the distributed charging system via a communication interface to exchange data, in particular to report a status of the charging station connected to said base frame and to signal for a replacement of the respective charging station. 
     
     
         6 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein a fluid temperature control unit is adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into at least one fluid tank installed into ground below the base frame and to supply the transportable charging station locked to said base frame with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas. 
     
     
         7 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 6 , wherein the base frame comprises a recharging unit adapted to generate electrical power from a fluid or gas filled into one of the fluid tanks installed into ground below the base frame. 
     
     
         8 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1   7 , wherein each transportable charging station comprises at least one lifting interface unit provided at the housing of the transportable charging station used by the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or by the lifting mechanism of an actuator of the local power supply grid to lift the charging station on the transport platform of the charging station transport unit for transport to another location. 
     
     
         9 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 8 , wherein the lifting interface unit of the charging station comprises a clamping mechanism adapted to clamp the charging station mechanically to the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or to the lifting mechanism of an actuator provided at the site of the local power supply grid 
     
     
         10 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or of the actuator is adapted to lift the transportable housing of the charging station to a docking frame provided at the transport platform of the charging station transport unit and connected to a transport truck power grid of the charging station transport unit. 
     
     
         11 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transportable charging station further comprises a recharging unit adapted to generate electrical power from fluid or gas filled into at least one fluid container integrated in the housing of the transportable charging station or connected to the housing of the transportable charging station, wherein the recharging unit comprises fuel cells adapted to generate locally electrical power from methanol or a redox-flow battery module to generate power from electrolytes. 
     
     
         12 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein a control unit of the transportable charging station comprises a communication module for communication with one or more backend servers to provide services, in particular authorization services, electronic payment services, digital streaming, predictive logistic services, predictive maintenance services, intrusion detection services and/or antitheft protection services. 
     
     
         13 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transportable charging station further comprises an integrated temperature control system adapted to cool or heat components of the transportable charging station, said temperature control system comprising
 a battery temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat the rechargeable battery cells of the battery packs and/or   a fluid temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into a fluid container of the transportable charging station for supply of the recharging unit of the transportable charging station with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas and/or   a power electronics cooling unit adapted to cool power electronics components of the DC/DC converters.   
     
     
         14 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1  wherein the base frame installed on the ground floor comprises protection barriers protecting the charging station from traffic participants. 
     
     
         15 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1  wherein the transportable charging station comprises a sensor-based positioning system used for automatic swapping of the transportable charging station with another transportable charging station carried on the transport platform of the charging station transport unit. 
     
     
         16 . The distributed charging system according to  claim 1  wherein the transport platform comprises at least one docking frame to receive a transportable charging station, wherein the docking frame provides an electrical connection between a vehicle power grid of the charging station transport unit and the received charging station. 
     
     
         17 . A method for supplying at least one electrically powered vehicle with electrical power, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) unloading at least one transportable charging station from a transport platform of a charging station transport unit,
 wherein a housing of the charging station comprises a ground locking interface unit used to lock the charging station mechanically to a base frame installed on a ground floor, 
 wherein the ground locking interface unit comprises electrical contacts which connect the charging station electrically to the base frame, and
 wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit and via power supply lines to a battery loading circuitry of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame; and 
 
   (b) connecting the electrically powered vehicle to a charging connector of the unloaded charging station to receive electrical power from battery packs integrated in a housing of the unloaded charging station.   
     
     
         18 . A base frame for a distributed charging system according  claim 1 , wherein the base frame being installed on ground comprises electrical contacts adapted to connect a transportable charging station via the base frame to a local power supply grid and/or public power supply grid. 
     
     
         19 . The base frame according to  claim 18 , wherein the base frame comprises a base plate adapted to receive and mechanically lock a transportable charging station lowered onto the base plate of the base frame. 
     
     
         20 . The base frame according to  claim 18 , wherein the base frame further comprises a controller adapted to control an electrical current flowing via the electrical contacts to the charging station connected electrically and mechanically to said base frame.