Granted Patent B2

US 12,233,683 · App. 18/484,840 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Inventors: Ryan Wayne Schumacher (Bloomington, MN); Matthew Srnec (Minnetonka, MN); Philip Lewis Lavrich (Mooresville, NC); Wallace Stephen Hubbard (Chanhassen, MN); Matthias Gorski (Bochum, DE); Eckardt Augenstein (Essen, DE)

Assignee: THERMO KING LLC

B60H1/00428H02J1/106H02J1/14H02J3/007H02J3/32H02J2310/40

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method for optimizing power distribution amongst one or more electrical supply equipment stations at a power distribution site for supplying power to one or more vehicles and one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations, the method comprising:

obtaining infrastructure data about the power distribution site;

obtaining vehicle/accessory data from the one or more electrically powered accessories and one or more vehicles demanding power from the one or more electrical supply equipment stations;

obtaining external data from an external source that can impact power demand from the one or more electrically powered accessories;

generating an optimized power distribution schedule based on the infrastructure data, the vehicle/accessory data and the external data;

distributing power to the one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations based on the optimized power distribution schedule; and

comprising generating a feedback notification to a user of a particular electrically powered accessory of the one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations regarding the optimized power distribution schedule, wherein the feedback notification includes a notification when power is being distributed to the particular electrically powered accessory.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the infrastructure data includes obtaining at least one of fleet management priority data, utility data, loading and dispatching schedule data, and power distribution, charging and storage infrastructure data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the vehicle/accessory data includes obtaining at least one of vehicle/accessory data, trip data, and telematics data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining the external data includes obtaining at least one of weather data and traffic data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the optimized power distribution schedule based on the infrastructure data, the vehicle/accessory data and the external data includes inputting at least one of target functions, utility boundary conditions, planned schedule boundary conditions, a battery state of charge at a trip start, pre-dispatch boundary conditions, initial vehicle/accessory status, and infrastructure boundary conditions into an optimization model.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optimized power distribution schedule determines when each of the one or more electrically powered accessories are operating while at the power distribution site and when each of the one or more electrically powered accessories is allowed to use power from the power distribution site.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback notification includes a notification when there is a failure to provide sufficient power for the particular electrically powered accessory to successfully start and complete a trip.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular electrically powered accessory is one of: a transport climate control system configured to control an environmental condition within a climate controlled space to maintain cargo; a crane attached to the vehicle; a cement mixer attached to the vehicle; one or more food appliances housed within the vehicle; a boom arm attached to the vehicle;

and a power driven ladder attached to the vehicle.

9. A power distribution site for distributing power to one or more electrically powered accessories, the power distribution site comprising:

a power converter stage configured to convert power received from one or more of a plurality of power sources into a power that is compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories;

a plurality of electrical supply equipment stations that distribute power received from the power converter stage to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories;

a transfer switch matrix selectively connected to each of the plurality of electrical supply equipment stations, wherein the transfer switch matrix selectively distributes power converted by the power converter stage to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories; and

a power distribution controller that controls distribution of power to the one or more electrically powered accessories by controlling operation of the power converter stage and the transfer switch matrix,

wherein the power converter stage includes at least one of a rectifier circuit that converts AC power from one or more of the plurality of power sources into DC power at a DC voltage and/or current level compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories, a DC/DC converter circuit that converts a voltage and/or current level of DC power from one or more of the plurality of power sources into the DC power at the DC voltage and/or current level compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories, an inverter circuit that converts DC power from one or more of the plurality of power sources into AC power at an AC voltage and/or current level compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories, and an AC distribution circuit that converts a voltage and/or current level of AC power from one or more of the plurality of power sources into the AC power at the AC voltage and/or current level compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories, and

wherein the power distribution controller is configured to generate a feedback notification to a user of a particular electrically powered accessory of the one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations regarding an optimized power distribution schedule, wherein the feedback notification includes a notification when power is being distributed to the particular electrically powered accessory.

10. The power distribution site of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of power sources includes at least one of a utility power source, a solar power source, a generator set, and a battery storage.

11. The power distribution site of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of electrical supply equipment stations includes at least one of a DC charger and an AC charger that connects to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories.

12. The power distribution site of claim 9 , wherein the optimized power distribution schedule is based on at least one of infrastructure data about the power distribution site, vehicle/accessory data from the one or more electrically powered accessories and one or more vehicles demanding power from the one or more electrical supply equipment stations, and external data from an external source that can impact power demand from the one or more electrically powered accessories.

13. The power distribution site of claim 9 , wherein the particular electrically powered accessory is one of: a transport climate control system configured to control an environmental condition within a climate controlled space to maintain cargo; a crane attached to the vehicle; a cement mixer attached to the vehicle; one or more food appliances housed within the vehicle; a boom arm attached to the vehicle; and a power driven ladder attached to the vehicle.

14. A power distribution site for distributing power to one or more electrically powered accessories, the power distribution site comprising:

a power converter stage configured to convert power received from one or more of a plurality of power sources into a power that is compatible with at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories;

a plurality of electrical supply equipment stations that distribute power received from the power converter stage to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories;

a transfer switch matrix selectively connected to each of the plurality of electrical supply equipment stations, wherein the transfer switch matrix selectively distributes power converted by the power converter stage to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories; and

a power distribution controller that controls distribution of power to the one or more electrically powered accessories by controlling operation of the power converter stage and the transfer switch matrix,

wherein the power converter stage includes a modular rack that includes one or more rectifier circuits, one or more DC/DC converter circuits, one or more inverter circuits, and one or more AC distribution circuits, wherein each of the one or more rectifier circuits, the one or more DC/DC converter circuits, the one or more inverter circuits, and the one or more AC distribution circuits can be selectively removed from the modular rack.

15. The power distribution site of claim 14 , wherein one of an additional rectifier circuit, an additional DC/DC converter circuit, an additional inverter circuit, and an additional AC distribution circuit can be selectively added to the modular rack.

16. The power distribution site of claim 14 , wherein the power distribution controller is configured to coordinate distribution of power to at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories based on infrastructure data about the power distribution site, vehicle/accessory data from the one or more electrically powered accessories demanding power from the power distribution site, and external data from an external source that can impact power demand from at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessories.

17. The power distribution site of claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the one or more electrically powered accessory is one of: a transport climate control system configured to control an environmental condition within a climate controlled space to maintain cargo; a crane attached to the vehicle; a cement mixer attached to the vehicle; one or more food appliances housed within the vehicle; a boom arm attached to the vehicle; and a power driven ladder attached to the vehicle.

18. A method for optimizing power distribution amongst one or more electrical supply equipment stations at a power distribution site for supplying power to one or more vehicles and one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations, the method comprising

obtaining infrastructure data about the power distribution site;

obtaining vehicle/accessory data from the one or more electrically powered accessories and one or more vehicles demanding power from the one or more electrical supply equipment stations;

obtaining external data from an external source that can impact power demand from the one or more electrically powered accessories;

generating an optimized power distribution schedule based on the infrastructure data, the vehicle/accessory data and the external data; and

distributing power to the one or more electrically powered accessories docked at the one or more electrical supply equipment stations based on the optimized power distribution schedule,

wherein the optimized power distribution schedule determines when each of the one or more electrically powered accessories are operating while at the power distribution site and when each of the one or more electrically powered accessories is allowed to use power from the power distribution site.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (309)