When PHOENIX CONTACT talks about solutions for electromobility, it has long meant more than just charging infrastructure. After all, modern electric vehicles can do much more than just get people and goods from A to B while draining their batteries. For some time now, electric vehicles have been seen as important storage devices within energy distribution grids and thus as playing an important role in load management. In this context, PHOENIX CONTACT will be presenting new products designed for bidirectional energy flows under the heading "Vehicle-to-Grid" at HANNOVER MESSE 2023.

Sector coupling - electric vehicles as energy buffers

There are still plenty of questions about energy distribution networks and load management: How can energy flows be harmonised? How can electricity from wind and sun best be fed into the grid? What interfaces are actually needed on the way to a society that meets its energy needs from renewable sources without fossil fuels? With its All Electric Society, PHOENIX CONTACT is pursuing a path that consistently focuses on sector coupling. This integrative approach is to become visible at HANNOVER MESSE 2023 in technical solutions that exhibit a high degree of integration capability. For example, electric vehicles could be used to build up a profitable storage system for surplus energy, which would be fed back into the grid when load peaks threaten. The benefit for such a system would be great, as it would allow the grid connection power to be smaller. In the meantime, there is also a standard, ISO 15118, which describes the general conditions. And these can be found again in the Charx control modular product range from PHOENIX CONTACT.

Direct and indirect approaches

PHOENIX CONTACT thus directly promotes new developments in e-mobility on the one hand and demonstrates this with the example of high-power charging cables that work without cooling. On the other hand, the company uses the technologies from mobility for applications with which sectors can be coupled. Charx is recommended, for example, for the energy supply of electrolysis units with direct current - keyword Power to X.

High need for expansion

Using energy, data and functions across previously fixed sector boundaries also has an impact on automation and networking. PHOENIX CONTACT sees a great need for expansion of the digitalised network infrastructure. Distributed systems are required, which in turn must function as a coherent overall organism. The electrification, networking and automation of sectors and the connecting interfaces will bring new challenges for the project planning of control cabinets. The demand for compact units will certainly increase, if only because of the need to modernise existing systems and buildings. The growing market can therefore only be served economically with efficient engineering, according to PHOENIX CONTACT. Fast turnaround times in planning, production and commissioning should ensure a short "time-to-market" and thus make a valuable contribution to value creation.

Speed is of the essence

PHOENIX CONTACT supports the required increase in speed with software solutions such as clipx Engineer for planning assemblies and terminal strips. Digital twins are also used in this context, which in turn form the basis for continuous processes along the entire value chain. Accompanying marking systems such as the Thermomark E-Series provide support for an efficient and user-friendly marking process.

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