Siemens SiCharge Flex Can Provide Up To 1.68 MW Of Energy

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Just lately, we reported that the European Fee has permitted a plan to create a excessive energy charging community for heavy-duty vehicles 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 by way of 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 recognized 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’s going to assist the high-power charging community simply permitted by the EC.

Electrive says the location might be designed for electrical automobiles in addition to electrical vehicles and buses. Within the first section, six charging factors might be put in, with an growth 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 automobiles charging at anyone time, every could have entry to a most of 480 kW. What’s necessary concerning the Siemens system is that it might probably modify the output to any particular person charger whereas the charging course of is occurring.

We all know that electrical automobiles don’t cost at their most rated energy each second they’re plugged in. The battery administration system in every car adjusts the charging fee to match the car’s capacity to just accept electrons. A few of that relies on battery temperature, however a few of it’s pre-programmed by the producer.

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

In a press launch, Siemens stated, “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 based mostly on real-time car demand. Which means all energy teams are routable to all retailers 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 could be wall mounted or ground mounted and could 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 could 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 potential, through 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 broaden its choices and likewise provide techniques with 12 or 18 CCS charging factors.

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

The guts 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.

Which means the Siemens system is considerably extra highly effective than the primary megawatt merchandise from opponents comparable 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

In fact, 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 example, the OMV location in Kufstein will want a extra strong grid connection to broaden the variety of chargers out there sooner or later. In fact, onsite battery storage can be useful, if there may be room out there.

Eric Schulze, who’s in command of retail mobility and comfort at OMV, stated in a press release: “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 first-rate instance of how we mix strategic location planning with innovative know-how to ship actual worth: quick charging for eTrucks, eBuses and passenger automobiles, seamless person expertise, and future-ready scalability.”

At the moment there are only a few automobiles with MCS connections, not to mention these that may settle for such excessive charging energy. The very 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 vehicles and buses with batteries of 500 kWh or extra that take a very long time to cost utilizing CCS tools.

However which means the Sicharge Flex is is more likely to be future-proof for a number of years. One other issue to contemplate in the case of reaching most charging energy is whether or not and what number of automobiles must share it. Now truck and bus producers can design automobiles that may settle for such a excessive charging energy, understanding the tools wanted to maintain them in operation might be out there when wanted.