Fig.: Buffered-HLL, pantograph charging system with energy storage, (Image: Adaptive Balancing Power GmbH).
Nothing dominates the media coverage these days like the threatening shortage of energy resources and supplies on the one hand and climate change on the other. It has long been necessary to take countermeasures and develop alternative concepts.
The use of electricity as an alternative energy source for cars has become widespread. With the expansion of local public transport and the discussion about 9,- Euro tickets, the topic of electrification of local public transport gets an additional explosiveness.
Our consortium of five players from industry and research has started building an unprecedented storage and charging network for electric buses as part of the "Buffered-HLL" project. To date, there are limitations due to a poorly developed power grid, especially in rural areas. Here, however, it is particularly important that all-electric buses are charged quickly for the longer distances they have to cover and are thus quickly ready for use again. The previous overnight charges are often not sufficient for the daily bus rotations.
These tasks are now being researched and solved in Bensheim an der Bergstrasse. The goals are, on the one hand, an automatic pantograph charging system that enables automatic intermediate charging. Secondly, a control system is to communicate with the depot management and thus optimize the charging process.
A modular and scalable HV box in the pantograph charging system network for DC sources is to be built. By means of a patented flywheel mass accumulator magnetically stored in a high vacuum, the energy from the power grid is collected and transferred to the vehicle at high power. This results in up to six times the power for a fast charging process. After just a few minutes, the bus can continue on its way.
CuroCon GmbH is responsible for the entire power electronics as well as the communication between the charging infrastructure and the bus. It can draw on its many years of expertise in this area. In previous customer projects from the test bench sector, various HV systems for standard-compliant charging of electric vehicles were developed and programmed according to customer specifications under the brand name DC-LinkUp®. A depot charging system with 10 AC charging points and 2 DC charging points was set up at the company's own site with freely programmable load and energy management and serves to further develop its own technologies.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and runs until June 2024.
Sources:
Adaptive Balancing Power GmbH: Solution for the mobility turnaround in the countryside: Public transport is now also becoming electric in the countryside. Press release, 2022.
CuroCon GmbH: Internal documents.
Isabellenhütte: ÖPNV auf dem Land: Schnellladestationen für E-Busse, press release 02/2022, 2022.
Further information:
https://reiner-lemoine-institut.de/buffered-hll/
https://www.electrive.net/2022/07/01/abp-baut-neuartige-pantographen-schnellladestation-in-hessen/
https://www.energiezukunft.eu/mobilitaet/projekt-zur-elektrisierung-des-oepnv-auf-dem-land/
Partners:
Adaptive Balancing Power GmbH
CuroCon GmbH
Isabellenhütte Heusler
Reiner Lemoine Institut
Verkehrsgesellschaft Gersprenztal mbH (VGG)
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