WO2004103784A1

WO2004103784A1 - System for electric vehicle battery recharching

Info

Publication number: WO2004103784A1
Application number: PCT/CA2003/001196
Authority: WO
Inventors: Imad A. Hamad
Original assignee: Hamad Imad A
Priority date: 2003-05-21
Filing date: 2003-08-07
Publication date: 2004-12-02
Also published as: AU2003260209A1; CA2429256A1

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electric vehicle, when the batteries therein require recharging, approaches a recharging station. The electric vehicle positioning itself in the proximity of a battery-replacement mechanism, such that the mechanism will approach the vehicle, communicates with a protective flap on the vehicle concealing a cartridge-type rechargeable battery within a compartment adapted for housing the vehicle-battery, coupling the battery to the vehicle motor or any other vehicle power requirements and removal and replacement of the battery, and proceeds to remove the low-charge battery and to then automatically insert a new, fully charged battery. The electric vehicle will use a cartridge-type battery, adapted to be retained in the vehicle battery compartment, adapted to be removed therefrom and inserted therein by the battery replacement mechanism.

Description

SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY RECHARCHING

I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved system for electric vehicle battery recharging.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Human development and progress are directly related to the amount of energy at our disposal. The benefits of technology and medicine have made it possible for us to testify decade after decade to human advancement that can no longer surprise anyone. Nonetheless, human beings are still very dependant on means of transportation, such as airplanes, trains, and automobiles, and the main source of energy used to operate these mediums is still based mostly on oil derivatives.

Whether equipped with an internal-combustion powered engine or a compression ignition engine, a conventional vehicle has a performance rate that is far below a third of that of a vehicle equipped with an electric engine. Notwithstanding the fact that the use of electric vehicles removes the burden imposed by the conventional vehicle powered by hydrocarbon-fuel on the environment in terms of the pollution and gas emission into the atmosphere. This is because electric vehicles do not pollute through tailpipe emissions, fuel refining, or fuel transport to services stations.

Despite the increase use of electricity in trains and subways, society remains reluctant to embrace electrically powered vehicles. However, patience and persistence has helped improve the evolution of the industry over the course of time. Yet, studies continue to demonstrate that the use of electrically powered vehicles remains four times inferior to thafof a conventional vehicle powered by fuel derived from oil.

The evolution of the electric vehicle mirrors the phenomena of energetic expansion and the increasing environmental awareness: having gone from 40 km to 90km/h in 1978, the electric vehicle has reached 80 km in 1985 and 160 km and 100 km/h at the end of the last year. The progress resulting from construction of the electric vehicle has in fact allowed for encouraging arguments to decipher the issue of autonomy.

Electric-battery powered vehicles require normally to be charged regularly from a power source separate from the vehicle. This can be done either by parking the vehicle and charging the battery while it remains in the vehicle or by changing the battery for another fully charged battery. For heavy battery powered vehicles, i.e. loading vehicles, the battery capacity will usually not last for a full work shift which means that the vehicle or the battery must be exchanged before the end of the shift. This causes problems with working interruptions for changing the battery or also the economic disadvantage of having two vehicles instead of one. Another possibility is to provide the vehicle with a charging device located in the vehicle so as to enable charging of the battery also during short working interruptions. This method still does not eliminate the need of plugging or coupling the vehicle batteries to an outside power source nor the delay time needed to recharge the battery. For passenger vehicles for personal or family use, the need for recharging of the batteries will entail coupling the batteries to an electric power supply typically while the car is parked in the garage or driveway at home. This may be required to be done overnight and the duration for the recharging of the batteries may be greater than the operating time provided from a fully charged vehicle battery system. This causes the inconvenience of the vehicle being unavailable, perhaps for over 1 to 12 hours, while recharging for use. As well, this requires that the vehicle be returned to the point where the recharging will occur, thus curtailing the duration of use of the vehicle and the distance that may be traveled. Thus, practically speaking, electrically powered vehicles may be operated only within a fixed radio of the power source for recharging. The limitation characterized by the duration the batteries used in the vehicle can hold a charge, based on the rate power^ is drained during use of the vehicle, depending on speed, acceleration and the weight of the load carried by the vehicle and for a limited time. Use for longer intercity trips would be greatly restricted based on such systems as are conventionally available.

The same would hold true for larger load bearing vehicles, or for vehicles to be used for carrying out work coupled to hydraulically- or pneumatically-operated equipment or trucks, including vehicles that may be operated as a fleet of vehicles, for example, delivery vans or trucks. There would be a need with conventional technology, to return the vehicles to a centralized location, for charging, limiting the radios and time of use of each vehicle.

Thus, there is a need for an improved vehicle-battery combination, for an improved system for recharging vehicle batteries used for motive power or for work and for systems to provide vehicles with charged batteries, all to overcome the aforesaid limitations of present conventional technology.

The object of this invention is to provide an improvement in vehicle- and battery- coupling arrangements, systems for recharging batteries for providing power to vehicles and in a system for improving vehicle-use time available and operation ra ϋCs by providing electric-battery powered vehicles with coupled-charged batteries without requiring the vehicle to be out of operation for the recharging operation. This system facilitates the application of a simple, feasible, inexpensive solution that will increase the availability of electric vehicles. Moreover, this concept will create thousands of new jobs here and everywhere.

III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to overcome these difficulties by effectively removing the need for extended battery recharging periods in order to reduce the amount of time that the battery operated vehicle is out of service, thereby minimizing limitations to the use of such vehicles for passengers or for moving loads any distance.

IV. FIGURES

Figure 1 is a 3-dimensional view of the vehicle illustrating that the battery can be located on either one of the 6 sides.

Figure 2 is a plain view of the vehicle showing the flap and battery. The present Electric Intelligent Vehicle concept (E.IN) aims at providing an integral solution that alleviates the dilemma that affects electric vehicle drivers.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electric vehicle — when the batteries therein require recharging — approaches an E.IN. recharging station, according to the present invention. The electric vehicle will position itself in the proximity of a battery-replacement mechanism, such that the E.IN. type mechanism will approach the vehicle, communicate with a protective flap on the E.IN. compatible vehicle concealing a cartridge-type rechargeable battery within a compartment adapted for housing the vehicle-battery, coupling the battery to the vehicle motor or any other vehicle power requirements and removal and replacement of the battery, and proceeds to remove the low-charge battery and to then automatically insert a new, fully charged battery.

The E.IN. compatible electric vehicle will use a cartridge-type battery, adapted to be retained in the vehicle battery compartment, adapted to be removed therefrom and inserted therein by the EIV battery replacement mechanism.

The E.IN. battery-replacement system is completely automated. It takes care of removing the low- charge battery-cartridge and of replacing it with a new, fully charged battery. It equally takes on the responsibility of automatically identifying, by means of information stored by micro-chip and computer readable means, whereby there is an interface between the E.IN. replacement system and battery-cartridge identification- information storage means, the type of uncharged cartridge battery, and of replacing it with a battery of a compatible type. The system further verifies that the new battery is operational once it has been incorporated into the E.IN. type vehicle. This entire process may be completed in a very short time, of the same order or faster, as compared to the time required to replenish an automobile fuel tank at a conventional fuel, service station. As soon as the new, fully charged cartridge-battery has been tested, a signal is sent, which may be in the form of a green light to the driver to indicate that it is safe to leave the recharging station.

Another embodiment of the present invention is that the system also has the ability of scanning a bar code placed on the vehicle near the battery location and transmitting this information to a processing center, which in turn generates an invoice that is subsequently sent directly to the driver's home. This entire process can be accomplished without the driver ever leaving the vehicle.

Another embodiment of this system is that it can recharge the removed batteries and generate a new technical card which is incorporated onto the battery for insertion into a new electric vehicle.

Another embodiment of this system is that there is a locking system that prevents loss of electrical signal between the E.IN. and the cartridge battery system.

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The E.IN car (or vehicle) is represented by a six-sided box.

Figure 1 illustrates a vehicle represented by the six sides a, b, c, d, e, and f makes it possible to lodge a cartridge-shaped battery, through either of the sides or a combination thereof. The cartridge-shaped battery will be charged by removing the battery by means of a mechanism which communicates with the flap that conceals that battery, causing the flap to open and thus exposing the cartridge-shaped battery, which in turn can be extracted and subsequently replaced by a fully charged battery. This mechanism, which allows the removal of the uncharged cartridge-battery and its replacement by a fully charged battery, is a fundamental part of the E.IN. concept as illustrated in Figure 2.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method for replacing and recharging a rechargeable electric battery when in need of replacement and recharging, for use in a motor vehicle, without requiring the motor vehicle to be substantially out of service during recharging,

said method comprising the steps of

(i) the motor vehicle positioning itself in proximity to a battery replacement mechanism, said vehicle comprising a cartridge type rechargeable electric battery unit capable of being coupled to vehicle power requirements, further comprising a compartment adapted for securedly holding said battery unit in said vehicle, for coupling of said battery unit with said vehicle power requirements, said compartment comprising communication means adapted for separating said battery unit from the external environment of the motor vehicle and permitting, during battery unit replacement, engagement of the battery replacement mechanism with said battery unit for removal and replacement of said battery unit, said battery replacement mechanism adapted to engage said battery unit through said compartment communication means,

(ii) said battery replacement mechanism engaging said spent rechargeable battery unit for removal and moving said rechargeable battery unit from the proximity of the vehicle compartment for recharging,

(iii) said battery replacement mechanism inserting a replacement charged rechargeable battery unit in said compartment, for securing and coupling with said vehicle power requirements; and

(iv) the spent rechargeable battery unit being recharged by coupling to a source of electricity and being made available for use thereafter by said battery replacement mechanism.