Dynamic output control of vehicle chargers with respective internal batteries
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for: (i) preventing damage to a battery of an EV charging station, and (ii) maintaining fast charging of the battery of the EV charging station. An EV charging station controller determines if an input power to the EV charging station is above an input power threshold value, and, if so, determines if a charge level of the battery of the EV charging station is below a low charge threshold level. If the charge level is below the low charge threshold level, a portion of the input power may be reserved for the battery of the EV charging station.
1. An electric vehicle (EV) charging station controller of an EV charging station, comprising one or more processors configured to cause the EV charging station to:
measure an input power, wherein the input power is a power received from a power source at an input port of the EV charging station;
determine if the input power is above an input power threshold value;
when the input power is above the input power threshold value, measure a battery charge level of a battery of the EV charging station;
determine if the battery charge level is below a low charge threshold level;
when the battery charge level is below the low charge threshold level, reserve a portion of the input power to charge the battery; and
charge the battery with the reserved portion of the input power regardless of a power output requested by an EV;
wherein the input power threshold value is a first input power threshold value, and wherein the EV charging station controller is further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
determine if the input power is above a second input power threshold value; and
when the input power is above the second input power threshold value, enable multiple charging heads of the EV charging station.
2. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , wherein the low charge threshold level is approximately ten percent of a full charge level of the battery.
3. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , wherein the low charge threshold level is set to a value between nine percent and eleven percent of a full charge level of the battery.
4. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
set the low charge threshold level to be a level received via a user interface of the EV charging station or received via a user device.
5. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , wherein the input power threshold value is zero Watts.
6. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
when the battery charge level is below the low charge threshold level, further cause the EV to be charged using only the input power and not using a charge stored in the battery.
7. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
when the battery charge level is above the low charge threshold level, cause the EV to be charged according to the power output requested by the EV.
8. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
when the input power is below the input power threshold value, disable charging of the EV.
9. The EV charging station controller of claim 1 , further configured to cause the EV charging station to:
cause the EV to be charged with a non-reserved portion of the input power.
10. The EV charging station controller of claim 9 , wherein the reserved portion of the input power is ten percent of the input power, and a non-reserved portion of the input power is ninety percent of the input power.
11. An electric vehicle (EV) charging station configured to prevent battery damage, the EV charging station comprising:
an EV charging station battery;
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory program memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the EV charging station to:
measure an input power, wherein the input power is a power received from a power source at an input port of the EV charging station;
determine if the input power is above an input power threshold value;
when the input power is above the input power threshold value, measure a battery charge level of the EV charging station battery;
determine if the battery charge level is below a low charge threshold level;
when the battery charge level is below the low charge threshold level, reserve, for the EV charging station battery, a portion of the input power to charge the EV charging station battery; and
charge the battery with the reserved portion of the input power regardless of a power output requested by an EV;
wherein the input power threshold value is a first input power threshold value, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the EV charging station to:
determine if the input power is above a second input power threshold value; and
when the input power is above the second input power threshold value, enable multiple charging heads of the EV charging station.
12. The EV charging station of claim 11 , wherein the low charge threshold level is approximately ten percent of a full charge level of the battery.
13. The EV charging station of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the EV charging station to:
set the low charge threshold level to a level received from a user device.
14. The EV charging station of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the EV charging station to:
cause the EV to be charged with a non-reserved portion of the input power.
15. The EV charging station of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the EV charging station to:
when the battery charge level is above the low charge threshold level, cause the EV to be charged according to the power output requested by the EV.
16. A computer-implemented method for preventing damage to a battery of an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, the method comprising:
measuring, by one or more sensors of the EV charging station, an input power, wherein the input power is a power received from a power source at an input port of the EV charging station;
determining, by an EV charging station controller of the EV charging station, that the input power is above an input power threshold value;
in response to the determination that the input power is above the input power threshold value, determining, by the EV charging station controller, a battery charge level of the battery of the EV charging station;
determining, by the EV charging station controller, that the battery charge level is below a low charge threshold level;
in response to determining that the battery charge level is below the low charge threshold level, reserving, by the EV charging station controller, a portion of the input power to charge the battery; and
charging the battery with the reserved portion of the input power regardless of a power output requested by an EV;
wherein the input power threshold value is a first input power threshold value, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by the EV charging station controller, that the input power is above a second input power threshold value; and
in response to determining that the input power is above the second input power threshold value, enabling, by the EV charging station controller, multiple charging heads of the EV charging station.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the low charge threshold level is approximately ten percent of a full charge level of the battery.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving, at the EV charging station controller, an indication from a user device of a level for the low charge threshold level; and
setting, by the EV charging station controller, the low charge threshold level to match the indication of the low charge threshold level received from the user device.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:
charging, via a charging head, the EV with a non-reserved portion of the input power.