Block-Chain Based Smart EV-Charger as a Network Stabilizer
The smart EV charger addresses grid stability and compensation challenges by integrating battery storage, smart loads, blockchain contracts, and V2H technology, ensuring stable and fair energy transactions and uninterrupted power supply.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- AU2024287138
- Authority / Receiving Office
- AU · AU
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-09
AI Technical Summary
The integration of renewable energy sources into electrical grids faces challenges such as low inertia and stability issues, complex fair payment mechanisms, restrictions on bidirectional EV charger connections, disturbance detection, and the inability of residential PV systems to operate independently during grid outages.
A smart EV charger equipped with battery storage systems, smart loads, blockchain-based smart contracts, V2H technology, and modern protection schemes like ROCOF, along with a designed bidirectional charger that can act as a grid former, to provide virtual inertia, enable fair payments, and ensure grid stability and independence.
Enhances grid stability, facilitates fair and transparent compensation for EV owners, allows bidirectional energy flow, and ensures uninterrupted power supply during outages, thereby promoting a resilient and sustainable energy system.
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Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the smart EV chargers capable of supply home’s loads as well as supporting the grid. It grantees fair and transparent payment to the EV owner by using Blockchain technology. BACKGROUND There are different problems for the future electrical networks and using the Electrical Chargers in and this invention is going to solve some of the critical ones and let the EV owners to efficiently and safely use the hidden potentials of the EV storage batteries. P1) Problem1 : Power systems low inertia and stability issues The increasing integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into the electrical grid presents significant challenges to grid stability and frequency fluctuation can happen when the sudden Power-Loads unbalanced happens. Unlike traditional synchronous generators, these renewable sources lack inherent rotational inertia, a critical property for maintaining grid frequency and voltage stability. Inertia, provided by the rotating mass of synchronous generators, acts as a stabilizing force in the power system. It helps to regulate frequency fluctuations caused by sudden changes in load or generation. When a disturbance occurs, such as a sudden load increase or generator outage, the kinetic energy stored in the rotating mass helps to maintain frequency stability. P2) Problem2: Complexity of fair payment to create incentives and transparent financials It is important to note that fair and proper payment for EV owners who provide grid support services is crucial. It incentivizes participation, encourages investment in EV technology, and ensures the long-term viability of these programs. Grid support services are more expensive and complex than simply injecting power into the network due to several factors such as: - Dynamic Response: Grid support services often require rapid and precise responses to fluctuations in grid frequency and voltage. This necessitates advanced control systems and sophisticated algorithms. - Grid Connection Costs: Connecting to the grid and complying with grid codes can involve significant costs, including grid connection fees and technical studies. - Market and Regulatory Factors: The market for grid support services can be volatile, with prices fluctuating based on demand and supply conditions. - Regulatory Complexity: Grid support services are subject to various regulations and standards, which can add complexity and cost to the service provision. Managing different thousands of individual residential contracts would be incredibly complex and costly for utilities. It is impractical for power utilities to have individual contracts with every customer to support network stability through EV charging specially to negotiate, sign, 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 and monitor individual contracts because of the complexity nature of grid supports services and its cost. Blockchain base Smart Contracts can address this problem. P3) Problem3: Utilities strict conditions for connecting EVs bidirectional chargers to the grid As of now, some of the utilities same as Western Power (WA, Perth power system utility) doesn’t allow EV owners to connect bidirectional EV chargers to export power to the network as a stabilizer. There are different reasons for this decision such as: Grid infrastructure limitation, Network capacity and controllers, need more system modelling on V2G effects on the power system. P4) Problem4: Detecting the network’s disturbances to activate the charger's functions. Detecting the network disturbances is absolutely crucial for activating network stability functions. Prompt and accurate detection of disturbances allows for timely and targeted responses, preventing potential cascading failures and ensuring the overall reliability of the power system. - Targeted Response: Accurate disturbance detection helps pinpoint the affected areas, allowing for focused interventions. - Optimized Resource Allocation: By understanding the nature and extent of the disturbance, resources can be allocated efficiently to mitigate its impact. - Improved System Resilience: By proactively addressing disturbances, the power system becomes more resilient to future events. Effective disturbance detection is a fundamental component of modern power system operation. By employing advanced monitoring and control technologies, we can ensure the reliability and security of our electricity supply. P5) Problem5: Homeowners can’t use the PV generation when the grid is off Most residential PV systems cannot operate independently during a grid outage is due to the grid-following nature of their inverters. These inverters rely on the grid's voltage and frequency as a reference point to synchronize their own output. So, the residentials will be off during the grid outage even they have their individual generation. Similar Patent Applications: Based on my recent technical research and patent evaluations, I confirm that the key functionalities of this invention have been already defined and maybe patented in different equipment (not in an EV chargers). But this invention will integrate the major functionalities (Block chain, Smart load, bidirectional grid support EV charger), for manufacturing an unique EV charger to let the Australian EV owners having the following advantages: - Receive fair and accurate incentives for their participation to grid support. - Power up their home safely and use photo voltaic generation when the main grid is off - Minimize the paper works and utility contract’s process in addition to transparency Utilities can experience the following advantages: - Receive maximum participation of EV owners to support the network and reduce their cost for the huge battery storages maintenance in future. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 - Safely operate the grid as the loads will be disconnected and get supplied as an island in case of the power grid shortage. Figure-1 shows that how the overall view of the offered invented system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In this section, I will describe that how the invention can help addressing the mentioned 5 problems in the previous section. S1-1) Solution1-1: Using Battery Storage Systems and generate virtual Inertia Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer a promising solution to mitigate these challenges by providing virtual inertia. By rapidly adjusting their power output in response to frequency deviations, BESS can emulate the behaviour of synchronous generators and provide essential grid support services. Please see my paper: [Virtual Inertia a must for mitigation of frequency instability in Microgrids: A Comprehensive Review] Reference: https: / / ieeexplore.ieee.org / author / 37089034552 The designed charger will act as a virtual inertia in case of network unstable condition. S1-2) Solution1-2: Smart Loads and Load Shedding Smart loads can significantly contribute to network stability by enabling demand-side response and peak shaving. They can respond quickly to changes in the grid conditions, enhancing the grid's ability to adapt to fluctuating renewable energy generation and help improving the overall resilience of the power system. When the grid is overloaded, it can lead to voltage drops and frequency fluctuations. Load shedding is a power system protection response to prevent a network blackout when the demand for electricity exceeds the supply. The designed charger has ability to add load shedding characteristic to the residential homes. S2) Solution2: Blockchain base Smart Contracts Blockchain smart contracts offer a promising solution to address the challenges of fair and transparent payment for EV owners providing grid support services. By implementing: - Automated and Transparent Payment: Smart contracts can automatically execute payment agreements based on predefined conditions, such as the amount of energy provided, the duration of service, and the agreed-upon price. This eliminates the need for manual intervention and reduces the potential for errors or disputes. - Secure and Tamper-Proof Record-Keeping: Blockchain technology creates an immutable and transparent ledger of all transactions, ensuring that all parties can verify the accuracy of payments. This reduces the risk of fraud and disputes, as the record of transactions is verifiable and auditable. - Real-time Settlement: Smart contracts can facilitate near-instantaneous settlement of payments, ensuring that EV owners receive timely compensation for their services. This eliminates the delays associated with traditional payment methods, improving the overall experience for EV owners. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 - Flexible Payment Models: Smart contracts can support a variety of payment models, including fixed fees, time-based payments, and performance-based incentives. This allows for greater flexibility and customization in designing payment schemes that are attractive to EV owners. - Incentivizing Participation: Smart contracts can be used to create dynamic pricing mechanisms that reward EV owners for providing grid support services during periods of high demand. This can incentivize participation and encourage EV owners to actively contribute to grid stability. By leveraging blockchain technology and smart contracts, we can create a more efficient, transparent, and equitable system for compensating EV owners for their grid support services. This will ultimately drive the adoption of EVs and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient energy future. The designed charger will be connected to the block chain servers to facilitate the smart contracting. S3) Solution3: Disconnect from the network and using V2H (Vehicle to Home) mode A synergistic approach to the grid stability will be energizing the home loads using the EV batteries (for a limited time) and let the network overcome the generation issues. Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) technology empowers electric vehicle (EV) owners to utilize their vehicle's battery as a stationary energy storage system. By enabling bidirectional V2H system, the home loads will be powered up during periods of network unstable or grid outages. In addition, in the event of a power outage, V2H systems can provide backup power to the home, ensuring uninterrupted power supply for essential appliances. By embracing smart V2H systems (using smart bidirectional chargers) which can be smart load technologies as well, we can create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy future and use the Photo Voltaic / Battery energy when grid is off as well. The designed charger has ability to add smart load characteristic to the residential homes. S4) Solution4: Using the modern protection scheme such as ROCOF (Rate of Change Of Frequency) By implementing ROCOF (Rate of Change Of Frequency) which is a modern protection function, the designed smart bidirectional charger can detect rapid changes in system frequency, which can indicate significant disturbances or imbalances. A ROCOF value and rate of change of system voltage can be used to assess the overall stability of the power system that can signal potential instability and the need for immediate corrective actions. S5) Solution5: Designed Bidirectional charger can act as a grid former and reference This invention can generate the frequency and voltage reference for the PV inverters (Act as a grid former inverter) and by adopting this solution, homeowners can increase the reliability and resilience of their power supply, reducing their dependence on the grid and mitigating the impact of power outages. The designed charger will let the solar system to energize the home when network is off. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Smart Charger response to support the power network The invented charger has been designed based on the Australian standards and specially AS / NZS 4777.2 and AS / NZS 3000. AS / NZS 3000 is the primary standard for electrical installations in Australia and New Zealand. And AS / NZS 4777.2 sets technical requirements for inverters connected to the electricity distribution network. Its primary goal is to ensure the safety and reliability of the grid as more and more renewable energy sources are integrated. The Charger has 3 operation modes: a- Grid support mode, by direct injecting power to the grid based on the AS4777.2 and utility requirements and settings. [In case of the grid instability] b- Smart Load mode, by disconnecting the home loads from the grid and start supply and managing the home loads for a certain period and let the grid to fix the network’s generation / load unbalance issues. c- Standalone power source, in this mode, the EV owner can energize the home and use the Solar generation in case of grid outage. It can be used during the camping and the conditions that there is no power source and then charger acts as a virtual generator and power source. Figure-2 shows the charger’s flowchart of the different mode of operation. One of the basic applications of this charger is to create virtual inertia in the network as well. The concept of inertia is one of the well-known and fundamental principles of classical mechanics used to describe the motion of objects and how they are affected by applied forces. Within an alternating current electrical power system, an inherent close coupling exists between the speed of the grid connected rotating machinery and the electrical frequency at their terminals. Consequently, the total mechanical inertia of these machines provides the system the capability to oppose sudden variations in electrical frequency after a disturbance in the grid occurs. The electric power grid is facing major changes due to increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar photovoltaic and wind power. Many power systems around the world are encountering high levels of instantaneous inverter penetration. These IBRs are classified as grid-following sources, i.e., sources that regulate their power output by measuring and following the angle of the grid voltage. With a shrinking inventory of conventional generators, there are fewer sources that can sustain stiff voltage and frequency, which can significantly affect the system performance. In contrast, grid-forming control of IBRs offers significant advantages over their grid following counterparts since they can operate as independent voltage sources and actively control the source frequency without depending on the grid frequency. The objective of this design is to add frequency support capabilities to the smart bidirectional EV charger to compensate for lack of system inertia. Figure-3 shows the basic concept of designed Smart EV Charger by a dynamic frequency response model of a sample power system with the mentioned virtual inertia control schemes. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 To prove the proper functionality of the proposed Smart EV Chagrger, a comprehensive simulation has been done by using the Broome city real data network by using DIgSILENT software. The simulation results demonstrate an acceptable result that stabilize the Broome city microgrid without any need for any load shedding, which is very crucial achievement for local utility. 2 different scenarios have been defined in the Broome network to evaluate the proposed charger’s effective response: (For proper scaling, It has been assumed that 200 chargers are responding to the network’s disturbances) Scenario 1: 0.97 MW step increased in demand, compensated by 200 Chargers In this scenario, it is assumed that a nearly 1 MW sudden demand increase has occurred. At t=1 second, a step load of 1MW is added to the network. Without EV Charghers, the PV loads cannot compensate the change in load, resulting in a significant frequency drop. This causes the under frequency (UF) relays to operate quickly. With 200 EV devices connected to the grid, the defined algorithm stabilize the network frequency according to the Figure-4. Scenario 2: Cloudy weather event In this scenario, the effects of designed EV Charger for compensating frequency drop after cloudy weather is simulated. In thick cloudy weather, generation has been decayed from 100% to 51% . The effect of 200 EV Charger’s virtual inertia on stability of Broome city microgrid with Charger and also without the Charger in Scenario 2 is shown in Figure-5. According to the simulation results, The designed EV charger has been shown to effectively support power network frequency stability. By integrating advanced control strategies, the charger can seamlessly transition between charging and discharging modes, contributing to grid resilience and energy efficiency. Successful implementation of the charger in a sample network, similar to the Broom City grid, demonstrates its practical feasibility and potential to enhance the overall performance of power systems. Application and use of Block Chain System and Smart Contracts As we transition to a more sustainable energy future, integrating renewable energy sources like solar and wind power is crucial. However, these sources are intermittent, posing challenges to grid stability. EV batteries can play a pivotal role in addressing this issue. This innovative approach not only benefits the environment but also enhances the overall reliability of the power grid. It's crucial to incentivize EV owners to participate in grid services. By offering fair compensation, we can encourage EV owners to actively contribute to a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Blockchain technology, with its decentralized and transparent nature, offers a promising solution to streamline and incentivize EV owners' participation in grid services. By using: - Secure and Transparent Transactions: Immutable Records: Blockchain creates an immutable ledger of energy transactions, ensuring transparency and trust between all parties involved. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 Smart Contracts: Automated contracts can enforce agreements between utilities and EV owners, streamlining the process of providing grid services and disbursing payments. - Efficient Payment and Incentivization: Micropayments: Blockchain enables precise tracking and payment for small amounts of energy, making it feasible to compensate EV owners for their contributions to the grid. Tokenization of Energy: By tokenizing energy, EV owners can trade or sell their excess energy directly to other consumers or utilities. - Enhanced Grid Security and Reliability: Secure Communication: Blockchain can provide secure communication channels between EVs and the grid, reducing the risk of cyberattacks. Real-time Monitoring: Blockchain can enable real-time monitoring of grid conditions, allowing for rapid response to disturbances and optimization of energy flows. - Fair and Transparent Compensation: Automated Payments: Smart contracts can automatically process payments to EV owners based on their contributions to the grid. Reduced Administrative Overhead: Blockchain can streamline the administrative processes associated with grid services, reducing costs and improving efficiency. Then, By leveraging blockchain technology, we can create a more efficient, equitable, and sustainable energy ecosystem where EV owners are incentivized to actively participate in grid stability and contribute to a cleaner energy future. For using the blockchain technology, it is crucial to have the basic knowledge of the technology. So, the key elements of the blockchain will be discussed in the following: 1. Cryptography All transactions and blocks in the blockchain are cryptographically safe and sealed on the network. To maintain security, integrity and verification, the blockchain’s mechanism generates two keys for network members - a public key and a private key. These keys together help unlock a user’s ledger. This technique ensures transactions are impervious to fraud and establish a shared truth. If two members were to execute a transaction and either one’s private key was compromised, the transaction would not execute. 2. P2P Network Blockchains are peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, a decentralised mechanism to conduct transactions between members on the chain without the need for a third-party or central server. This is exactly how Bitcoin operates. Contrary to the regular client / server model where the client makes a request like executing a transaction, and the server works to fulfill it, on P2P networks each party acts as both - the client and the server. What this technically means is that every member owns a copy of the ledger once the network is formed, which can be used to store and share information without the need for an intermediary. 3. Immutability Every transaction recorded on blockchain networks is immutable - what this means is that it cannot be edited, deleted or reversed. This protects data recorded from being changed or 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 tampered with once recorded by any member of the network or external malicious actor. However, if a transaction is recorded as an error the process to rectify it is extremely difficult and expensive. 4. Transparency Blockchain networks allow for transactions recorded on their network to be viewed by any member of the public - through a personal node or platforms like blockchain explorers. Giving members the power to scrutinize records creates transparency and leaves no room to hide data. Even in the case of private blockchains where transparency is lower, there is always an auditable trail of data. 5. Distributed Ledger Blockchain networks are based on distributed ledger technology. Distributed ledgers are basically shared databases that maintain a record of all transactions that can be accessed by all network participants. You could think of it as a shared document that all members of a team can edit. However, there are rules that govern who can make an edit and how an edit can be made. Blockchains being shared immutable ledgers will not allow you to delete an entry once recorded. This kind of distributed and synchronised design of the distributed ledger makes blockchain attractive for multi-organizational business networks like financial institutions and supply chains. 6. Smart Contracts A smart contract is a set of rules stored on the blockchain that executes automatically once the predetermined conditions of the contract have been met. The types of transactions that can be carried out on the blockchain are agreed between participants through these ‘smart contracts’, which helps ensure everyone is sticking to the set rules. These contracts come in handy when businesses need to self-manage contracts in the absence of a third party. An example could be a logistics company automatically executing a payment once goods are delivered at the port through a smart contract. The designed smart charger will use the blockchain technology for running the smart contracts, to start using the technology, we will use the existing famous blockchain platform providers and then create the our platform. Here are some of the top blockchain platform companies: • Ethereum: The most popular platform for smart contracts and decentralized applications (dApps). • Binance Smart Chain: A high-performance blockchain platform with low transaction fees. • Solana: A high-performance blockchain platform known for its fast transaction speeds. • Cardano: A proof-of-stake blockchain platform focused on security and sustainability. • Polkadot: A multi-chain platform that allows for interoperability between different blockchains. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 After selecting an existing platform (for example, Ethereum), Smart contracts and related tokens shall be defined and then the smart charger will use it to have its functionalities. The followings are the steps to create a Smart Contract and its Token on Ethereum platform: 1. Set Up a Development Environment: • Install Necessary Tools: Install a development environment like Remix, Truffle Suite, or Hardhat. • Choose a Blockchain Network: Select a network like Ethereum • Set Up a Wallet: Create a wallet like MetaMask to interact with the blockchain and manage the smart charger tokens. 2. Write the Smart Contract: • Define the Token Standard: Choose a token standard like ERC-20 or ERC-721, depending on the condition of price payments. • Write Solidity Code: Use Solidity, a programming language for Ethereum, to define the token's properties, functions, and security measures. • Compile the Contract: Compile the Solidity code into bytecode, which can be understood by the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). 3. Deploy the Smart Contract: • Connect to the Blockchain: Use your wallet to connect to the desired network (Ethereum Mainnet). • Deploy the Contract: Send a transaction to the network to deploy the compiled contract bytecode. 4. Test the Smart Contract: • Interact with the Contract: Use tools like web3.js or ethers.js to interact with the deployed contract and test its functionality. • Verify Token Functionality: Test token transfers, balances, and other features to ensure they work as expected. 5. Consider Security Best Practices: • Code Audits: Have your smart contract code audited by security experts to identify vulnerabilities. • Formal Verification: Use formal verification tools to prove the correctness of your contract's logic. • Secure Coding Practices: Follow best practices for writing secure Solidity code, avoiding common pitfalls like reentrancy attacks and integer overflows. Additional Considerations: • Tokenomics: Define the token's total supply, distribution mechanism, and any tokenomics models (e.g., token burning, vesting). • Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, especially for token sales and distribution. • User Interface: Develop a user interface or integrate with existing platforms to allow users to interact with your token. By following these steps and considering the best practices, it can successfully create and deploy your own smart contract on the Ethereum platform. 2024287138 22 Dec 2024 The following codes is a sample of smart contract codes considering the basic considerations. - Track the EV's energy level: Monitor the battery's state of charge (SOC). - Interact with the grid: Communicate with the grid operator or energy market. - Facilitate energy trading: Enable peer-to-peer energy trading with other EV owners. - Securely store transaction data: Record energy transactions on the blockchain. The basic codes are: / / SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT pragma solidity A0.8.0; contract EVCharger { / / ... other contract variables and functions function exportEnergy(uint256 amount) public { / / Check if the EV has sufficient energy to export require(batteryLevel >= amount, "Insufficient battery level"); / / Update the battery level batteryLevel -= amount; / / Trigger the physical hardware to export energy to the grid / / (This part would typically involve interfacing with hardware) triggerExport(amount); / / Emit an event to record the export transaction emit EnergyExported(msg.sender, amount); } Key Considerations: 1. Security: - Access Control: Implement robust access controls to prevent unauthorized access to the charger and its energy. - Secure Communication: Use secure communication protocols to protect data transmission. - Smart Contract Security Audits: Conduct thorough security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities. 2. Interoperability: - Ensure compatibility with different grid operators and energy market protocols. - Consider using standardized communication protocols like Modbus. 3. Scalability: - Design the smart contract to handle a large number of Smart EV chargers and transactions efficiently. - Use efficient data structures and algorithms to optimize performance. 4. Regulatory Compliance: - Adhere to local and national regulations related to energy trading, grid codes, and data privacy.
Claims
1) Bidirectional EV charger that uses Blockchain, Smart load and network stabilizer functionality.This innovative approach adds abilities to the charger to not only charge electric vehicles but also discharge energy back to the grid during network unstable periods. By leveraging blockchain, secure and transparent energy transactions can be facilitated, enabling peer-to-peer energy trading and optimizing grid utilization. Furthermore, the charger can act as a smart load, adjusting its energy consumption based on grid conditions, thereby contributing to grid stability.2) Bidirectional EV charger that acts as a residential load management during the grid unstable condition, is a new concept that I have found it to support the network when utility rules / standards will not led the EV owners to export power to the network during the unstable conditions.This function will disconnect the home from network and manage it as an island till network gets stable.