Electric vehicle charging system and method utilizing a dispenser chain

A charging system comprising:

• an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) charging station including:
• an alternating current (AC) power input;
• a plurality of direct current (DC) power modules coupled to the AC power input;
• a master controller;
• a communications hub;
• and
• a plurality of outputs, each output associated with one DC power module of the plurality of DC power modules and having a DC vehicle power output, a communications output, and a DC dispenser power output;
• and
• a plurality of dispenser chains, one dispenser of each dispenser chain being electrically couplable to a respective DC power module of the plurality of DC power modules, each dispenser chain including a plurality of dispensers that are electrically couplable with each other in series and with the respective DC power module through the one dispenser and that are configured to dispense electrical power, each of the plurality of dispensers being controllable such that the electrical power is dispensable by only one dispenser in its dispenser chain at a time;
• wherein each of the plurality of dispensers comprises a controller, a power outlet, and a switch controlled by the controller, the controller and switch being configured to, responsive to communication received from a separate master controller coupled to the controller of each of the plurality of dispensers, either provide all the electrical power from the respective DC power module to the respective power outlet or pass all the electrical power from the respective DC power module to another of the plurality of dispensers in the dispenser chain of the plurality of dispenser chains electrically couplable to the respective DC power module.

A method of charging a vehicle, comprising:

• receiving alternating current (AC) electrical power by a plurality of direct current (DC) power modules of an electric vehicle charging station;
• converting a portion of the AC electrical power to a DC electrical power portion by one DC power module of the plurality of DC power modules of the charging station, each of the plurality of DC power modules electrically couplable to a respective dispenser of a dispenser chain of a plurality of dispenser chains, the dispensers of each dispenser chain electrically couplable with each other in series and with the associated DC power module through the respective dispenser of the dispenser chain;
• outputting the DC electrical power portion from the one DC power module of the plurality of DC power modules to the respective dispenser of the chain of dispensers electrically couplable with the one DC power module;
• receiving the DC electrical power portion by the chain of dispensers electrically couplable with the one DC power module through the respective dispenser;
• and
• outputting the DC electrical power portion from only one dispenser in the chain of dispensers electrically couplable with the one DC power module;
• wherein each of the plurality of dispensers comprises a controller, a power outlet, and a switch controlled by the controller, the controller and switch being configured to, responsive to communication received from a separate master controller coupled to the controller of each of the plurality of dispensers, either provide all of an associated DC electrical power portion from the associated DC power module to the respective power outlet or pass all of the associated DC electrical power portion from the associated DC power module to another of the plurality of dispensers in the dispenser chain electrically couplable with the associated DC power module.