Power transfer system for electric vehicles
A power transfer system for supplying electric power to a battery of an electric vehicle including an innovative communication architecture, which allows the implementation of advanced control functionalities to control the operation of said power transfer system.
1. A power transfer system for exchanging electric power between an electric power system and a battery of an electric vehicle comprising:
a transmitter-side power sub-system electrically coupleable with said electric power system and adapted to exchange AC electric power with said electric power system;
a transmitter-side coil sub-system electrically coupled with said transmitter-side power sub-system and adapted to exchange AC electric power with said transmitter-side power sub-system, said transmitter-side coil sub-system comprising a transmitter coil;
a receiver-side coil sub-system comprising a receiver coil inductively coupleable with said transmitter coil, said receiver-side coil sub-system being adapted to exchange AC electric power with said transmitter-side coil sub-system;
a receiver-side power sub-system electrically coupled with said receiver-side coil sub-system and adapted to exchange AC electric power with said receiver-side coil sub-system, said receiver-side power sub-system being electrically coupleable with said battery and adapted to exchange DC electric power with said battery;
first control means adapted to control operation of said transmitter-side power sub-system;
second control means adapted to control operation of said transmitter-side coil sub-system;
third control means adapted to control operation of said receiver-side coil sub-system and receiver-side power sub-system;
a first communication channel of the wireless type between said first and third control means; and
a second communication channel and a third communication channel between said first and second control means, said first and second control means being adapted to assign higher priority to data and/or commands exchanged through said second communication channel with respect to data and/or commands exchanged through said first communication channel and/or through said third communication channel.
2. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second control means are adapted to overrule or disregard data and/or commands exchanged through said first communication channel and/or through said third communication channel, which are in conflict with data and/or commands exchanged through said second communication channel.
3. The power transfer system, according to claim 2 , wherein said first control means are configured to command a shut-down of said transmitter-side power sub-system, if communication with said second control means through said second communication channel is lost.
4. The power transfer system, according to claim 3 , wherein said first control means are configured to command a reset of said first communication channel, if communication with said third control means through said first communication channel is lost for at least a period of time.
5. The power transfer system, according to claim 4 , wherein said first control means are configured to command a shut-down of said transmitter-side power sub-system, if communication with said third control means through said first communication channel is not restored following the reset of said first communication channel.
6. The power transfer system, according to claim 5 , wherein said first control means are configured to transmit data and/or commands to said third control means through said first communication channel, when said first control means transmit said data and/or commands to said second control means through said second communication channel.
7. The power transfer system, according to claim 6 , wherein said first control means are configured to transmit data and/or commands to said third control means through said first communication channel, when said first control means receive said data and/or commands from said second control means through said second communication channel.
8. The power transfer system, according to claim 3 , wherein:
said transmitter-side power sub-system and said first control means are arranged in a wall-box device for an electric vehicle charging facility;
said transmitter-side coil sub-system and said second control means are arranged or embedded in a ground pad device for an electric vehicle charging facility;
said receiver-side coil sub-system, said receiver-side power sub-system, said third control means and said battery are arranged on board said electric vehicle.
9. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first control means are configured to transmit data and/or commands to said third control means through said first communication channel, when said first control means transmit said data and/or commands to said second control means through said second communication channel.
10. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first control means are configured to transmit data and/or commands to said third control means through said first communication channel, when said first control means receive said data and/or commands from said second control means through said second communication channel.
11. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first control means are configured to feed said second control means through said second communication channel and/or said third communication channel.
12. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said second communication channel is a wired communication channel.
13. The power transfer system, according to claim 12 , wherein said second communication channel is an optic-fiber communication channel.
14. The power transfer system, according to claim 13 , wherein said third communication channel is a wired communication channel.
15. The power transfer system, according to claim 14 , wherein said third communication channel is an optic-fiber communication channel.
16. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said third communication channel is a wired communication channel.
17. The power transfer system, according to claim 16 , wherein said third communication channel is an optic-fiber communication channel.
18. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein:
said transmitter-side power sub-system and said first control means are arranged in a wall-box device for an electric vehicle charging facility;
said transmitter-side coil sub-system and said second control means are arranged or embedded in a ground pad device for an electric vehicle charging facility;
said receiver-side coil sub-system, said receiver-side power sub-system, said third control means and said battery are arranged on board said electric vehicle.
19. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first control means are configured to command a shut-down of said transmitter-side power sub-system, if communication with said second control means through said second communication channel is lost.
20. The power transfer system, according to claim 1 , wherein said first control means are configured to command a reset of said first communication channel, if communication with said third control means through said first communication channel is lost for at least a period of time.