Siemens SiCharge Flex Can Provide Up To 1.68 MW Of Energy

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Not too long ago, we reported that the European Fee has accepted a plan to create a excessive energy charging community for heavy-duty vans that spans many of the continent. That plan has two main parts, every with its personal smaller branches.

The primary is the North Sea–Baltic route, which begins in Rotterdam and runs by means of the Netherlands or Belgium, and on into Germany and Poland earlier than dividing into two routes — one which goes to Ukraine and one which goes into the Baltic States and throughout the Baltic Sea to Finland.

The second is the Scandinavian–Mediterranean hall that begins in northern Scandinavia — with hyperlinks to Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen — after which goes by means of Germany and Austria to southern Italy. Inside Germany, the route passes by means of Hamburg, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and Munich, with a department line from Nuremberg through Berlin to the Baltic coast.

This week, Siemens introduced its newest megawatt-capable charging system, known as SiCharge Flex, can ship as much as 1.68 MW of energy — the very best of any identified charging tools. And the very first SiCharge Flex might be put in at a forecourt operated by OMV in Kufstein, Germany, which is on the A12 hall connecting Germany and Italy. In different phrases, it’ll help the high-power charging community simply accepted by the EC.

Electrive says the location might be designed for electrical vehicles in addition to electrical vans and buses. Within the first part, six charging factors might be put in, with an enlargement to 10 charging factors deliberate after the native distribution community operator has strengthened the grid.

Siemens Promotes Versatile Charging

Now, to be clear, the SiCharge Flex has 1.68 MW of charging energy, but when there are 4 autos charging at anyone time, every could have entry to a most of 480 kW. What’s essential in regards to the Siemens system is that it may well regulate the output to any particular person charger whereas the charging course of is going on.

We all know that electrical vehicles don’t cost at their most rated energy each second they’re plugged in. The battery administration system in every automobile adjusts the charging price to match the automobile’s skill to simply accept electrons. A few of that will depend on battery temperature, however a few of it’s pre-programmed by the producer.

Nobody desires to sacrifice security with a view to cost extra shortly if there’s a threat of a battery hearth. The cost price of all electrical autos tends to taper because the battery will get nearer to being totally charged. If the Siemens system detects that the cost price in Car A is slowing down, it may well increase the cost price to Car B, as long as the utmost energy of 1.68 MW is just not exceeded. Candy!

In a press launch, Siemens mentioned, “SiCharge Flex units new benchmarks in technical efficiency and operational flexibility. At its core is a pioneering totally dynamic energy distribution system, which intelligently allocates energy throughout a number of charging factors primarily based on real-time automobile demand. Which means all energy teams are routable to all shops in all configurations, delivering the best energy to the best outlet on the proper time.”

The press launch provides that the system has “an industry-leading energy density, enabling high-capacity charging inside a remarkably compact footprint (as much as 656 kW/m2).” As well as, the cost factors may be wall mounted or flooring mounted and may be positioned as much as 300 meters from the management cupboard.

SiCharge Flex Actually Is Versatile

The SiCharge Flex system consists of a management cupboard with an influence provide unit and a number of charging factors. The system helps each the CCS and MCS charging requirements. Six CCS charging factors or 4 MCS charging factors may be put in in a single system — or a mix of each.

Combining a CCS and MCS charging level at a single cost level can be attainable, by which case solely one of many plugs can be utilized at a time. The opposite is blocked throughout charging. Siemens refers to this as “dual-plug, single-use.” Siemens will later increase its choices and in addition provide techniques with 12 or 18 CCS charging factors.

In an announcement, Markus Mildner, the top of eMobility at Siemens Good Infrastructure mentioned: “The introduction of SiCharge Flex marks a big milestone in our journey to construct a complete and sustainable E-Mobility ecosystem. This resolution embodies our imaginative and prescient for a future the place EV charging is just not solely quick and dependable, but additionally seamlessly built-in and extremely environment friendly. SiCharge Flex empowers our prospects to confidently scale their operations, optimize power use, and contribute to a cleaner, extra electrified world.”

The center of the SiCharge Flex system is the charging cupboard, which is positioned on the periphery of the charging facility and provides electrical energy to as much as 4 MW chargers or 6 CCS chargers or a mix of each. The cupboard is out there in three sizes and may ship an output of 480 kW to 1.68 megawatts at a present of 1,500 A.

Meaning the Siemens system is considerably extra highly effective than the primary megawatt merchandise from opponents akin to Alpitronic’s HYC1000, which delivers precisely one megawatt; ABB’s MCS charging station, which delivers 1.2 megawatts — as does the Kempower system — whereas the MCS charger from Energy Electronics utilized by Milence delivers 1.44 megawatts.

The Grid Connection Is Key

After all, the important thing to MW+ techniques is entry to a grid connection that may provide the electrical energy wanted within the first place. As an illustration, the OMV location in Kufstein will want a extra strong grid connection to increase the variety of chargers out there sooner or later. After all, onsite battery storage could be useful, if there’s room out there.

Eric Schulze, who’s in control of retail mobility and comfort at OMV, mentioned in an announcement: “At OMV, our mission is to offer our prospects with dependable, high-performance charging infrastructure that meets the calls for of recent mobility — in the present day and tomorrow. The brand new website in Kufstein is a chief instance of how we mix strategic location planning with leading edge expertise to ship actual worth: quick charging for eTrucks, eBuses and passenger vehicles, seamless person expertise, and future-ready scalability.”

At the moment there are only a few autos with MCS connections, not to mention these that may settle for such excessive charging energy. The best charging energy achieved thus far in a real-world take a look at is 1.14 megawatts in a trial by Designwerk. Electrive notes that MCS is at the moment solely supposed for electrical vans and buses with batteries of 500 kWh or extra that take a very long time to cost utilizing CCS tools.

However meaning the Sicharge Flex is is prone to be future-proof for a number of years. One other issue to think about relating to attaining most charging energy is whether or not and what number of autos should share it. Now truck and bus producers can design autos that may settle for such a excessive charging energy, figuring out the tools wanted to maintain them in operation might be out there when wanted.