Charging location selection for incoming electric vehicles for large-scale EV depot infrastructure

Abstract

As the use of renewable energy resources within the charging infrastructure increases, the risk of causing violations of applicable grid codes by charging additional loads within the charging infrastructure also increases. In one embodiment, a charging location is selected for an incoming load based on a load flow analysis, thereby reducing the risk of violations. This selection process may also take into account the charging schedule of the load and the capacity of the available charging stations (e.g., fast charging vs. slow charging).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Government license right This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DOE - OE0000896 awarded by the Department of Energy. The United States government has certain rights in this invention.

Background Art

[0002] Background Field of the Invention Embodiments described herein generally relate to energy management systems, and more particularly to the selection of charging locations for flexible loads such as electric vehicles (EVs) within charging infrastructure such as EV depots.

[0003] Description of Related Art As a result of the increasing use of EVs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the deployment of EV charging stations has been increasing. An EV depot may include a distribution network that includes multiple EV charging stations, auxiliary loads, and distributed energy resources (DERs) such as energy storage. Each EV charging station includes one or more chargers configured to supply electricity to connected electric vehicles (e.g., buses, cars, small trucks, etc.).

[0004] The distribution network may be managed by an energy management system (EMS) generally configured to reduce the cost of power consumption. The distribution network should maintain a certain level of voltage and current to avoid violations of applicable grid codes. Such violations can affect the connected loads and the stability of the grid to which the distribution network is connected. The likelihood of violations increases when distributed energy resources are integrated into an EV depot.

[0005] When distributed energy resources include renewable energy resources (e.g., solar power generators, wind power generators, geothermal power generators, hydroelectric power generators, fuel cells, etc.), energy management systems generally prioritize utilizing the maximum power generation from renewable energy resources because renewable energy resources have a lower unit cost. However, as the use of renewable energy resources increases, the probability of violations such as overvoltage in the distribution grid also increases. In addition, as the EV load increases, the probability of violations such as undervoltage in the distribution grid also increases.

[0006] In existing EV depot grids, electric vehicles are typically scheduled for charging based on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method or based on the type of EV charging required by the vehicle. These conventional methods can lead to violations of applicable grid codes by the grid, which can result in penalties and potentially grid failure. [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] overview Accordingly, a system, method, and non-transient computer-readable medium for a novel approach to selecting charging locations for flexible loads in a charging infrastructure are disclosed. An object of the embodiment is to select charging locations for flexible loads in a load distribution network based on the charging schedule of the flexible loads. A further object of the embodiment is to use load flow analysis during charging location selection to reduce the possibility of voltage violations during charging of the flexible loads. Another object of the embodiment is to consider the capacity of charging stations during charging location selection.

[0008] In one embodiment, the method includes using at least one hardware processor to determine a charging period associated with at least one flexible load, which is charged in a distribution network comprising a plurality of nodes, each of which comprises one or more charging stations; performing a load flow analysis on a distribution network model based on a power schedule for existing loads that are charged in the distribution network during the charging period; determining a charging station for the flexible load to be one of the plurality of nodes in the distribution network based on the results of the load flow analysis; and scheduling the flexible load to be charged at the determined charging station during the charging period.

[0009] The method may further include using at least one hardware processor to control a charging station determined during the charging period in order to output power to a flexible load.

[0010] The flexible load may be an electric vehicle, and the power grid may be equipped with charging depots for electric vehicles.

[0011] The results of the load flow analysis may include an indication of whether or not a voltage violation has occurred. A voltage violation may be a violation of the grid code that defines the voltage requirements that the distribution network must meet.

[0012] The method may further include using at least one hardware processor to exclude any of the nodes where a violation occurs from the determination of which charging station will charge the flexible load, if the results of the load flow analysis indicate that a violation will occur. The violation may include undervoltage.

[0013] Determining the charging period may include receiving a schedule associated with the flexible load and deriving the charging period from the schedule associated with the flexible load. The flexible load may be an electric vehicle, the distribution network may have charging depots for electric vehicles, and the schedule associated with the electric vehicle includes the time when the electric vehicle is scheduled to depart from the charging depot.

[0014] Determining a charging station for a flexible load may include determining whether the flexible load requires fast charging based on the charging period, and selecting a charging station as the determined charging station based on the determination of whether the flexible load requires fast charging. Selecting a charging station may include determining whether at least one fast charging station is available during the charging period if it is determined that the flexible load requires fast charging, and selecting a fast charging station as the determined charging station from at least one fast charging station available during the charging period if it is determined that at least one fast charging station is available during the charging period. Selecting a fast charging station may also include selecting a fast charging station as the determined charging station at one of the two or more nodes with the highest voltage among the two or more nodes if multiple fast charging stations are available at two or more of the nodes. Selecting a charging station may further include selecting a charging station as the determined charging station at one of the multiple nodes with the highest voltage among the multiple nodes in the load flow analysis if it is determined that no fast charging stations are available during the charging period. Selecting a charging station may include selecting a charging station as the determined charging station at one of the nodes with the highest voltage among multiple nodes in the load flow analysis, if it is determined that the flexible load does not require fast charging.

[0015] The distribution network may comprise one or more distributed energy resources, and determining a charging station for a flexible load includes selecting one of a plurality of nodes for charging the flexible load in each of one or more iterations until it is determined that no violation occurs, wherein a different node from the plurality is selected in each iteration, performing economical power supply for the distribution network, performing a load flow analysis on a model of the distribution network based on a power schedule for existing loads to be charged in the distribution network during the charging period and the charging of the flexible load at the selected node, and determining whether a violation occurs based on the load flow analysis. A violation may include undervoltage at the selected node. The power schedule may comprise setpoints for one or more of the plurality of nodes in the distribution network, and the load flow analysis may be performed for each of the setpoints in the power schedule. The one or more distributed energy resources may comprise one or more of solar power generators, wind power generators, fuel cells, thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants, gasoline generators, or batteries.

[0016] It should be understood that any of the features in the methods described above may be implemented individually or in any subset of other features in any combination. Therefore, to the extent that the appended claims suggest specific dependencies between features, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to these specific dependencies. Rather, any feature described herein may be implemented in combination with any other feature described herein, or in any combination of features without any one or more other features described herein. Furthermore, any of the methods described above and elsewhere herein may be implemented individually or in any combination in executable software modules of processor-based systems such as servers, and / or executable instructions stored on non-temporary computer-readable media.

[0017] Brief explanation of the drawing Details of the present invention, both in terms of its structure and operation, can be partially derived by examining the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This figure shows an exemplary infrastructure in which one or more of the processes described herein may be carried out according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an exemplary processing system in which one or more of the processes described herein may be performed, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an exemplary power distribution network according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows a process for selecting a charging location for a flexible load in a power distribution network, according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Detailed explanation In one embodiment, a system, method, and non-transient computer-readable medium are disclosed for selecting a charging location for a flexible load, such as an electric vehicle, within a charging infrastructure such as an EV depot. The term “flexible load” refers to any load that requires occasional charging (e.g., an onboard battery) and can be charged at any of several different locations within the charging infrastructure’s grid. A flexible load may require charging according to a flexible or inflexible schedule. In other words, the term “flexible load” means flexibility with respect to charging location, rather than flexibility in scheduling or any other characteristic. While it is commonly conceivable that the flexible load is an electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure is an EV depot, the disclosed method is not limited to electric vehicles in an EV depot. Rather, the disclosed method may be applied to any flexible load in any type of grid. Alternative examples of flexible loads include, but are not limited to, drones, robotic systems, mobile devices, mobile machines, power tools, etc., and a single charging infrastructure may be configured to charge one or more types of flexible loads. As used herein, the term “grid” refers to the interconnection of electrical components within a charging infrastructure (e.g., an EV depot) that distributes power to a flexible load. These electrical components primarily include distributed energy resources and charging stations, which can be considered “nodes” in the power grid, as well as electrical connections, which can be considered “edges” connecting the nodes within the power grid. The disclosed techniques may be based on the voltage range of the nodes in the power grid, the charging schedule of flexible loads, the capacity of the charging stations, the energy management of existing distributed energy resources within the power grid, etc., which may prevent or reduce violations of applicable grid codes.

[0020] After reading this description, those skilled in the art will be able to clearly understand how to implement the present invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative uses. However, although various embodiments of the present invention are described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented for purposes of example and illustration only and are not limiting. Therefore, this detailed description of the various embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope or breadth of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0021] 1. System Overview 1.1. Infrastructure FIG. 1 shows an exemplary infrastructure in which one or more of the disclosed processes may be implemented, according to one embodiment. The infrastructure may include an energy management system (EMS) 110 that hosts and / or executes one or more of the various functions, processes, methods, and / or software modules described herein (e.g., comprising one or more servers). The EMS 110 may comprise dedicated servers, or alternatively, may be implemented in a computing cloud where the resources of one or more servers are dynamically and elastically allocated to multiple tenants based on demand. In either case, the servers may be collocated and / or geographically dispersed. The EMS 110 may also comprise software 112 and / or one or more databases 114, or may be communicatively connected thereto. In addition, the EMS 110 may be communicatively connected to one or more user systems 130 and / or charging infrastructure 140 (e.g., EV depot) via one or more networks 120.

[0022] The network 120 may include the Internet, and the EMS 110 may communicate with the user system 130 and / or the charging infrastructure 140 via the Internet using standard transmission protocols such as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), HTTP Secure (HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), FTP Secure (FTPS), Secure Shell FTP (SFTP), Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), Open Field Message Bus (OpenFMB), IEEE Smart Energy Profile Application Protocol (IEEE 2030.5), as well as proprietary protocols. Although the EMS 110 is shown as being connected to various systems via a single network set 120, it should be understood that the EMS 110 may be connected to various systems via different sets of one or more networks. For example, the EMS 110 may be connected to a subset of the user system 130 and / or the charging infrastructure 140 via the Internet, but may also be connected to one or more other user systems 130 and / or the charging infrastructure 140 via an intranet. Furthermore, although only a few user systems 130, charging infrastructures 140, one instance of the software 112, and one set of the database 114 are shown, it should be understood that the infrastructure may include any number of user systems, charging infrastructures, software instances, and databases.

[0023] The user system 130 may include, but is not limited to, any type of computing device capable of wired and / or wireless communication, including, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones or other mobile phones, servers, game consoles, televisions, set-top boxes, electronic kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, embedded controllers, and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). However, it is generally conceivable that the user system 130 includes a personal computer, mobile device, or workstation on which an agent of the operator of the charging infrastructure 140 can interact with the EMS 110. These interactions may include inputting data (e.g., parameters for configuring one or more of the processes described herein) and / or receiving data (e.g., outputs of one or more of the processes described herein) via a graphical user interface provided by the EMS 110 or a system between the EMS 110 and the user system 130. A graphical user interface may include a screen (e.g., a web page) that includes a combination of content and elements such as text, images, videos, animations, references (e.g., hyperlinks), frames, inputs (e.g., text boxes, text areas, checkboxes, radio buttons, drop-down menus, buttons, forms, etc.), and scripts (e.g., JavaScript), where these elements include or are derived from data stored in one or more databases (e.g., databases) 114).

[0024] EMS110 may run software 112 comprising one or more software modules that perform one or more of the disclosed processes. Furthermore, EMS110 may have, be communicatively coupled to, or have access to one or more databases 114 that store data input to and / or output from one or more of the disclosed processes. Any suitable database (including cloud-based databases, proprietary databases, and unstructured databases) may be used, including but not limited to MySQL®, Oracle®, IBM®, Microsoft SQL®, Access®, and PostgreSQL®.

[0025] 1.2. Exemplary Processing Devices Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary wired or wireless system 200 that may be used in connection with the various embodiments described herein. For example, system 200 may be used as one or more of the functions, processes, or methods described herein (e.g., for storing and / or running software 112), or in conjunction with them, and may represent components of the EMS 110, user system 130, charging infrastructure 140, and / or other processing devices described herein. System 200 can be a server or any conventional personal computer, or any other processor-enabled device capable of wired or wireless data communication. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, other computer systems and / or architectures may also be used.

[0026] The system 200 preferably includes one or more processors 210. The processors 210 may include a central processing unit (CPU). Additional processors may be provided, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an auxiliary processor for managing inputs / outputs, an auxiliary processor for performing floating-point arithmetic, a dedicated microprocessor with an architecture suitable for high-speed execution of signal processing algorithms (e.g., a digital signal processor), a processor below the main processing system (e.g., a backend processor), an additional microprocessor or controller for a dual or multiprocessor system, and / or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary processors may be separate processors or may be integrated with the processors 210. Examples of processors that may be used with System 200 include, but are not limited to, any processor available from Intel Corporation in Santa Clara, California (e.g., Pentium®, Core i7®, Xeon®, etc.), any processor available from Advanced Micro Devices Corporation (AMD) in Santa Clara, California, any processor available from Apple Inc. in Cupertino (e.g., A-series, M-series, etc.), and any processor available from Samsung Electronics Company in Seoul, South Korea (e.g., Exynos®).

[0027] The processor 210 is preferably connected to a communication bus 205. The communication bus 205 may include data channels to facilitate information transfer between storage and other peripheral components of the system 200. Furthermore, the communication bus 205 may provide a set of signals used for communication with the processor 210, including a data bus, an address bus, and / or a control bus (not shown). The communication bus 205 may include any standard or non-standard bus architecture, such as bus architectures conforming to standards published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), including, for example, industry standard architecture (ISA), extended industry standard architecture (EISA), micro channel architecture (MCA), peripheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus, IEEE 488 general-purpose interface bus (GPIB), IEEE 696 / S-100, etc.

[0028] The system 200 preferably includes main memory 215 and may also include secondary memory 220. The main memory 215 provides storage for instructions and data for programs executed on the processor 210, such as one or more of the functions and / or modules (e.g., software 112) described herein. It should be understood that programs stored in memory and executed by the processor 210 may be written and / or compiled in any suitable language, including but not limited to C / C++, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Visual Basic, .NET, etc. The main memory 215 is typically semiconductor-based memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or static random access memory (SRAM). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), Rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM®), and read-only memory (ROM).

[0029] The secondary memory 220 may optionally include an internal medium 225 and / or a removable medium 230. The removable medium 230 is read and written in any known way. The removable storage medium 230 may be, for example, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disc (CD) drive, a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, another optical drive, or a flash memory drive. The secondary memory 220 is a non-temporary computer-readable medium on which computer executable code (e.g., software 112) and / or other data is stored. The computer software or data stored in the secondary memory 220 is loaded into the main memory 215 for execution by the processor 210.

[0030] In alternative embodiments, the secondary memory 220 may include other similar means for enabling computer programs or other data or instructions to be loaded into the system 200. Such means may include, for example, a communication interface 240 that enables the transfer of software and data from an external storage medium 245 to the system 200. Examples of the external storage medium 245 may include an external hard disk drive, an external optical drive, an external magneto-optical drive, and the like. Other examples of the secondary memory 220 may include semiconductor-based memories such as programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory (block-oriented memory similar to EEPROM).

[0031] As described above, system 200 may include a communication interface 240. The communication interface 240 enables the transfer of software and data between system 200 and external devices (e.g., printers), networks, or other information sources. For example, computer software or executable code may be transferred from a network server (e.g., platform 110) to system 200 via the communication interface 240. Examples of the communication interface 240 include a built-in network adapter, a network interface card (NIC), a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) network card, a CardBus network adapter, a wireless network adapter, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) network adapter, a modem, a wireless data card, a communication port, an infrared interface, an IEEE 1394 FireWire, and any other devices that can interface system 200 with a network (e.g., network 120) or another computing device.The communication interface 240 preferably implements industry-published protocol standards such as Ethernet® IEEE 802 standard, Fibre Channel, digital subscriber line (DSL), asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL), Frame Relay, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), integrated digital services network (ISDN), personal communications service (PCS), transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), and serial line Internet protocol / point to point protocol (SLIP / PPP), but may also implement customized or non-standard interface protocols.

[0032] The software and data transmitted over the communication interface 240 are generally in the form of telecommunication signals 255. These signals 255 may be provided to the communication interface 240 via a communication channel 250. In one embodiment, the communication channel 250 may be a wired or wireless network (e.g., network 120) or any other various communication link. The communication channel 250 carries the signals 255 and can be implemented using a variety of wired or wireless communication means, including, to name just a few, wired or cable, optical fiber, conventional telephone line, cellular link, wireless data, communication link, radio frequency ("RF") link, or infrared link.

[0033] Computer executable code (e.g., computer programs such as software 112) is stored in main memory 215 and / or secondary memory 220. Computer programs can also be received via the communication interface 240 and stored in main memory 215 and / or secondary memory 220. When such computer programs are executed, they enable the system 200 to perform various functions of the embodiments disclosed elsewhere in this specification.

[0034] In this specification, the term “computer-readable medium” is used to refer to any non-temporary computer-readable storage medium used to provide computer executable code and / or other data to or within the system 200. Examples of such medium include main memory 215, secondary memory 220 (including internal memory 225 and / or removable medium 230), external storage medium 245, and any peripheral devices (including network information servers or other network devices) that are communicatively coupled to the communication interface 240. These non-temporary computer-readable media are means for providing executable code, programming instructions, software, and / or other data to the system 200.

[0035] In embodiments implemented using software, the software may be stored on a computer-readable medium and loaded into the system 200 via a removable medium 230, an I / O interface 235, or a communication interface 240. In such embodiments, the software is loaded into the system 200 in the form of telecommunication signals 255. Once executed by the processor 210, the software preferably causes the processor 210 to execute one or more of the processes and functions described elsewhere in this specification.

[0036] In one embodiment, the I / O interface 235 provides an interface between one or more components of the system 200 and one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of input devices include, but are not limited to, sensors, keyboards, touchscreens or other touch-sensing devices, cameras, biosensing devices, computer mice, trackballs, and pen-based pointing devices. Examples of output devices include, but are not limited to, other processing devices, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), plasma displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), printers, vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs), surface-conduction electron-emitter displays (SEDs), and field emission displays (FEDs). In some cases, the input and output devices may be combined, as in the case of a touch panel display (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device).

[0037] System 200 may also include optional wireless communication components to facilitate wireless communication over voice and / or data networks (for example, in the case of user system 130, which is a smartphone or other mobile device). The wireless communication components comprise an antenna system 270, a radio system 265, and a baseband system 260. In system 200, radio frequency (RF) signals are transmitted and received wirelessly by the antenna system 270 under the control of the radio system 265.

[0038] In one embodiment, the antenna system 270 may include one or more antennas and one or more multiplexers (not shown) that perform a switching function to provide the antenna system 270 with a transmit signal path and a receive signal path. In the receive path, the received RF signal can be coupled from the multiplexer to a low-noise amplifier (not shown) that amplifies the received RF signal and transmits the amplified signal to the radio system 265.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment, the wireless system 265 may comprise one or more radios configured to communicate over various frequencies. In one embodiment, the wireless system 265 may combine a demodulator (not shown) and a modulator (not shown) into a single integrated circuit (IC). The demodulator and modulator may also be separate components. In the incoming path, the demodulator removes the RF carrier signal, leaving the baseband received audio signal to be transmitted from the wireless system 265 to the baseband system 260.

[0040] If the received signal contains audio information, the baseband system 260 decodes the signal and converts it to an analog signal. The signal is then amplified and sent to a speaker. The baseband system 260 also receives analog audio signals from a microphone. These analog audio signals are converted to digital signals and encoded by the baseband system 260, which also encodes the digital signals for transmission and generates a baseband transmit audio signal that is routed to the modulator section of the radio system 265. The modulator mixes the baseband transmit audio signal with the RF carrier signal and generates an RF transmit signal that can be routed to the antenna system 270 and pass through a power amplifier (not shown). The power amplifier amplified the RF transmit signal and routed it to the antenna system 270, where the signal is switched to the antenna port for transmission.

[0041] The baseband system 260 is also communicatively coupled to the processor 210. The processor 210 may have access to data storage areas 215 and 220. The processor 210 is preferably configured to execute instructions (i.e., computer programs such as the disclosed software) which can be stored in the main memory 215 or the secondary memory 220. The computer program can also be received from the baseband processor 260, stored in the main memory 210 or the secondary memory 220, or executed upon receipt. When such a computer program is executed, it enables the system 200 to perform various functions of the disclosed embodiment.

[0042] 1.3. Exemplary Charging Infrastructure Figure 3 shows a single-line diagram of an exemplary power distribution network for an exemplary charging infrastructure 140 according to one embodiment. For example, the charging infrastructure 140 may be an EV depot for charging electric vehicles as a flexible load. The charging infrastructure 140 may be connected to a power grid 310 from which electricity is purchased. The cost of purchasing electricity may vary daily (e.g., higher during the day than at night) and over several days (e.g., higher on summer days than on winter days) according to a time-of-use (ToU) rate. The ToU rate may be allocated to peak rates, partial peak rates, and off-peak rates for different periods (e.g., each hourly interval of the day) and represent the cost of electricity during those periods.

[0043] The charging infrastructure 140 may comprise one or more distributed energy resources, including, for example, one or more battery energy storage (BES) systems 320 and / or one or more generators 330, indicated as generators 330A and 330B. The generators 330 may comprise renewable energy resources (e.g., solar power generators, wind power generators, geothermal power generators, hydroelectric power generators, fuel cells, etc.) and / or non-renewable energy resources (e.g., diesel power generators, natural gas power generators, etc.). For example, generator 330A may be a solar power generator that includes multiple solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity, and generator 330B may be a diesel power generator that generates electricity by burning diesel gasoline.

[0044] The charging infrastructure 140 also comprises a distribution network comprising multiple nodes and, optionally, one or more auxiliary loads. Each node comprises, or may consist of, a charging station 340, indicated as charging stations 340A, 340B, 340C, 340D, 340E, 340F, and 340G. Each charging station 340 may comprise one or more chargers 342. For example, charging station 340F is shown with two chargers 342. Each charger 342 is configured to be electrically connected to the flexible load 350 in order to supply power to one or more batteries of the flexible load 350. At any given time, some chargers 342 may be connected to the flexible load 350, while other chargers 342 may not be connected to the flexible load 350 and may be available to accept the incoming flexible load 350. One or more charging stations 340 or individual chargers 342 may be configured to switch the power supply to the flexible load 350 on or off under the control of the EMS 110 or other controller. For example, the charging station 340 and / or charger 342 may include a processing system 200 that receives commands from a controller (e.g., EMS 110) via a communication interface 240, processes the commands using a processor 210 and memory 215, and controls actuators (e.g., one or more switches) to turn the power on or off according to the processed commands. It should also be understood that the power distribution network of the charging infrastructure 140 may also include loads of types other than the flexible load 350, such as auxiliary loads for operating the various functions of the charging infrastructure 140. It should also be understood that each BES system 320 can function as both a power source (i.e., during discharge) and a load (i.e., during charging).

[0045] The parameters of each node in the distribution network of the charging infrastructure 140 (e.g., voltage, current, etc.) may be monitored by the EMS 110 and / or simulated by the EMS 110 (e.g., during load flow analysis). Thus, the EMS 110 may monitor and / or simulate the parameters of the nodes in the distribution network and, based on those parameters, control one or more components of the charging infrastructure, such as the charging station 340, charger 342, generator 330, and BES system 320. This control may be performed periodically or in real time.

[0046] One or more charging stations 340 may include one or more chargers 342 capable of charging significantly faster than other chargers 342. There are several mechanisms for implementing fast charging, primarily by increasing the wattage by increasing the current and / or voltage in the electrical connection. It should be understood that the terms “fast charging” or “fast charging” refer to charging that is relatively fast compared to the overall (e.g., average) charging within the charging infrastructure 140, and “slow charging” or “slow charging” refer to charging that is relatively slow compared to the overall charging within the charging infrastructure 140. Thus, a “fast charger” is a charger 342 capable of fast charging, and a “slow charger” is a charger 342 that is not capable of fast charging. The EMS 110 may maintain a record (e.g., in a database 114) of which charging stations 340 and / or chargers 342 in each charging infrastructure 140 are capable of fast charging. One or more of the disclosed processes may use this record to determine which charging stations 340 and / or chargers 342 are capable of fast charging when selecting a charging location for a flexible load 350 that may require fast charging.

[0047] 2. Process Overview Herein, embodiments of a process for selecting a charging location for a flexible load within a charging infrastructure are described in detail. It should be understood that the described process may be embodied in one or more software modules executed by one or more hardware processors, for example, as software 112 executed by the processor 210 of the EMS 110. The described process may be implemented as instructions represented by source code, object code, and / or machine code. These instructions may be executed directly by the hardware processor 210, or by a virtual machine or container operating between the object code and the hardware processor 210. Furthermore, the disclosed software may be built on or interfaced with one or more existing systems.

[0048] Alternatively, the described processes may be implemented as hardware components (e.g., general-purpose processors, integrated circuits (ICs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, or transistor logic), combinations of hardware components, or combinations of hardware and software components. To clearly illustrate hardware-software compatibility, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described herein in general terms of their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. A person skilled in the art may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the grouping of functions within components, blocks, modules, circuits, or steps is for the sake of clarity. A particular function or step may be moved from one component, block, module, circuit, or step to another component without departing from the invention.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a process 400 for selecting a charging location for a flexible load 350 (e.g., an electric vehicle) in a distribution network of a charging infrastructure 140 (e.g., an EV depot) according to one embodiment. Process 400 may be implemented as software 112 executed by one or more processors 210 of the EMS 110. Although process 400 is shown in a specific arrangement and order of subprocesses, process 400 may be performed with fewer, more, or different subprocesses, as well as different arrangements and / or orders of subprocesses. For example, one or more of the illustrated subprocesses may be omitted so that process 400 includes or consists of any subset of the illustrated subprocesses. Furthermore, even if the subprocesses are described or illustrated in a specific order, any subprocess that does not depend on the completion of another subprocess may be executed before, after, or in parallel with other independent subprocesses.

[0050] Process 400 may be executed when an incoming flexible load 350 needs to be scheduled for charging. Thus, initially, in subprocess 405, process 400 waits for a request to schedule charging for a new incoming flexible load 350. This request may be received from another process (e.g., within the same EMS 110) or another system that manages the scheduling or routing of the flexible load 350, manual input via a graphical user interface (e.g., provided by the EMS 110 or the flexible load 350), the flexible load 350 itself (e.g., a navigation system that is in the current route of an electric vehicle as a flexible load 350 and tracks it), etc. In an alternative embodiment, process 400 may be executed periodically (e.g., every 15 minutes) for batches of new incoming flexible loads 350 that should be scheduled for charging, accumulated since the last execution of process 400. In any case, unless there is a new incoming flexible load 350 (i.e., "no" in subprocess 405), process 400 may continue to wait. If there is a new incoming flexible load 350 (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 405), process 400 may proceed to subprocess 410.

[0051] In subprocess 410, the charging period during which the flexible load 350 should be charged may be determined from the schedule of the new incoming flexible load 350. This schedule may be received in a request in subprocess 405, stored in a database (e.g., 114) accessible to the system performing process 400 (e.g., accessible to EMS 110), and / or retrieved from another system (e.g., via an API provided by another system). The charging period may be determined as the period between the scheduled arrival of the new incoming flexible load 350 and the scheduled departure of the new incoming flexible load 350, or as a part of this period (e.g., considering buffer time before and after charging). In other words, subprocess 410 may check the schedule of the new incoming flexible load 350, including the scheduled arrival time of the flexible load 350 to the charging infrastructure 140 and the scheduled departure time of the flexible load 350 from the charging infrastructure 140, and determine as the charging period the period available to charge the flexible load 350 before its scheduled departure. In determining this time, the subprocess 410 may also take into account other considerations such as whether the departure time is flexible (in which case it may be reversed to lengthen the charging period) or inflexible (in which case it cannot be reversed and the charging period is fixed), the level of charge required by the flexible load 350 upon its departure (e.g., based on how far or how long the flexible load 350 needs to travel before the next charge, as determined by its schedule), the expected level of charge the flexible load 350 will have upon its arrival (e.g., based on its current charge level and the remaining path), the expected delay between the arrival of the flexible load 350 and the start of charging, and the variability of the scheduled arrival time of the flexible load 350.

[0052] In subprocess 415, given an existing charging schedule, a load flow analysis is performed on the existing power schedule of distributed energy resources in the charging infrastructure 140 to identify violations (e.g., voltage violations such as overvoltage or undervoltage, current violations, etc.) during a relevant period including or consisting of the charging period determined in subprocess 410. The existing power schedule and / or charging schedule may be stored in a database (e.g., 114) accessible to the system performing process 400 (e.g., accessible to the EMS 110) and / or retrieved from another system (e.g., via an application programming interface (API) provided by another system). The distribution network of the charging infrastructure 140 may be modeled by a distribution network model representing each node in the distribution network. For example, an IEEE 13 bus system may be used as the distribution network model. The load flow analysis may simulate the power schedule on the distribution network model over a relevant period to determine whether any node in the distribution network will cause a violation during the simulation. For example, a power schedule may include setpoints for nodes in a distribution network, and a load-flow analysis may be performed for each of the setpoints in the power schedule during the relevant period. In particular, the load-flow analysis determines the operating steady state of each node in the distribution network for a given load (e.g., derived from a charging schedule) in the power schedule during the relevant period. The steady state of each node may be expressed as a set of parameters such as voltage, phase angle, active power, and reactive power. The load-flow analysis may solve one or more of these parameters (e.g., voltage and phase angle) at each node in the distribution network using a set of simultaneous algebraic power equations for the nodes in the distribution network, based on the active power and reactive power setpoints, as represented in the distribution network model.

[0053] In subprocess 420, process 400 determines whether the results of the load flow analysis applied in subprocess 415 indicate a violation. For example, an overvoltage violation may occur if the steady-state voltage of a node exceeds a predetermined threshold. Similarly, an undervoltage violation may occur if the steady-state voltage of a node is below a predetermined threshold. Violations of other parameters, such as current, may also be detected (e.g., using predefined thresholds). These predetermined thresholds may be defined by a grid code, such as the IEEE 1547 standard for interconnection and interoperability between distributed energy resources and associated power systems. IEEE 1547 defines the operating range for continuous voltage operation in its abnormal operation performance category III as having a lower limit of 0.88 per unit and an upper limit of 1.1 per unit. Therefore, when IEEE 1547 is used as the grid code, a voltage of 1.1 per unit of a node is determined as an overvoltage violation, and a voltage of 0.88 per unit of a node is determined as an undervoltage violation. If a violation is detected (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 420), process 400 proceeds to subprocess 425. Otherwise, if no violation is detected (i.e., "no" in subprocess 420), process 400 proceeds to subprocess 445. It should be understood that a violation may be detected (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 420) if the results of the load power flow analysis include a violation or indicate that a violation will occur, but a violation may not be detected (i.e., "no" in subprocess 420) if the results of the load flow analysis do not include a violation or indicate that a violation will occur. In one embodiment, subprocess 420 may determine only whether the results of the load power flow analysis include a specific violation such as undervoltage, and ignore other types of violations such as overvoltage.

[0054] In subprocess 425, nodes that have experienced specific violations during the load flow analysis in subprocess 420, as detected in subprocess 415, may be discarded from consideration. It should be understood that each node in the load flow analysis represents a specific charging station 340. In one embodiment, the only specific violation that causes a node to be discarded in subprocess 425 is undervoltage at charging station 340. In this embodiment, nodes experiencing overvoltage are not discarded in subprocess 425. However, in an alternative embodiment, it should be understood that a node may be discarded based on a grid code violation indicating that the node may not be a suitable charging location for a new incoming flexible load 350.

[0055] Prior to subprocess 425, process 400 may initialize a list containing all available nodes (i.e., charging stations 340). This list may represent all available nodes from which a charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350 could be selected. In subprocess 425, nodes that violated the load flow analysis in subprocess 415 may be removed from this list, thereby preventing them from being selected as charging locations for the new incoming flexible load 350. In other words, only the nodes remaining in the list are considered in subsequent subprocesses, and all other nodes are excluded from determining the charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350. This is merely one embodiment of how the set of possible charging locations may be filtered or narrowed during process 400, and it should be understood that equally suitable alternative embodiments are possible.

[0056] In subprocess 430, process 400 determines whether the new incoming flexible load 350 requires fast charging. If the charging period determined in subprocess 410 is too short and the new incoming flexible load 350 is not charged to the level required by slow charging, subprocess 430 may determine that the new incoming flexible load 350 requires fast charging. Otherwise, if the charging period determined in subprocess 410 is sufficient and the new incoming flexible load 350 is charged to the level required by slow charging, subprocess 430 may determine that the new incoming flexible load 350 does not require fast charging. For example, if the charging period does not meet a predetermined threshold (e.g., is less than 1), subprocess 430 may determine that fast charging is required (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 430) and proceed to subprocess 435. Otherwise, if the charging period meets a predetermined threshold (for example, is greater than or equal to), subprocess 430 may determine that fast charging is not necessary (i.e., "no" in subprocess 430, indicating that slow charging is sufficient) and proceed to subprocess 445.

[0057] In subprocess 435, process 400 determines whether any fast chargers are available. The charging schedule may indicate which chargers 342 are in use (from which unused chargers 342 may be derived) and / or which chargers 342 are not in use. Thus, subprocess 435 may analyze the charging schedule to determine whether there are any unused fast chargers 342 available (i.e., fast charging is possible) for a sufficient period within the charging period, and charge the new incoming flexible load 350 to a sufficient charge level before its departure. If such a fast charger is available (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 435), process 400 may proceed to subprocess 440. Otherwise, if such a fast charger is not available (i.e., "no" in subprocess 435), process 400 may proceed to subprocess 445.

[0058] In subprocess 440, any node that does not have an available fast charger, as determined as a requirement in subprocess 435, may be discarded from consideration. For example, in embodiments using a list of available nodes, those nodes that do not have such fast chargers may be removed from the list, thereby preventing them from being selected as charging locations for the new incoming flexible load 350. In other words, nodes that do not have an available fast charger are excluded from determining the charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350.

[0059] In subprocess 445, among the remaining nodes under consideration, a node with a relatively high voltage during the preceding load flow analysis may be selected as the charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350. In embodiments using a list of available nodes, the remaining nodes under consideration are those remaining in the list at the time subprocess 445 is executed. In one embodiment, subprocess 445 selects the node with the highest voltage among the remaining nodes under consideration during the most recent load flow analysis. Alternatively, subprocess 445 may select the node with the highest voltage during the most recent load flow analysis from among nodes that meet one or more other criteria (e.g., connector type, sufficient space to accommodate the flexible load 350, etc.). It should be understood that a node with a higher voltage during the load flow analysis generally means that the node is handling a lower load than a node with a lower voltage during the load flow analysis. Therefore, generally, charging the new incoming flexible load 350 at a node with a higher voltage minimizes the possibility of undervoltage violations in the distribution network of the charging infrastructure 140.

[0060] In subprocess 450, economic power supply is performed for an associated period, including or consisting of a charging period, based on a modified charging schedule resulting from the addition of a new incoming flexible load 350 being charged at a node selected in subprocess 445 at a scheduled time. Economic power supply may be implemented as a software application integrated into the software implementing other subprocesses of process 400. Alternatively, economic power supply may be implemented as a separate software application from the software implementing one or more other subprocesses of process 400, providing its output via an API (e.g., to subprocess 455). For example, the modified charging schedule may be pushed via an API in the software implementing subprocess 450, or pulled via an API by the software implementing subprocess 450.

[0061] Economic dispatch refers to the allocation of electricity demand from a load (e.g., flexible load 350) to distributed energy resources (e.g., BES system 320 and / or generator 330) in order to achieve the most economical use of electricity. Typically, economic dispatch is formulated as an optimization problem aimed at minimizing the cost of purchasing electricity from the grid 310. The basic idea is to prioritize the use of distributed energy resources with lower marginal costs over the use of distributed energy resources and the grid 310 with higher marginal costs.

[0062] In one embodiment, economical power supply is performed for a relevant period, including the charging period of a new incoming flexible load 350, based on a charging schedule that covers at least the relevant period and includes charging a new incoming flexible load 350 at a node selected in subprocess 445 at a scheduled time. The charging schedule may include, for each of the one or more flexible loads 350 to be charged within the relevant period, the location (e.g., node / charging station 340 and / or charger 342), the time at which charging of the flexible load 350 is scheduled to begin, the duration for which the flexible load 350 is scheduled to be charged, the amount of charge to be supplied to the flexible load 350 and / or the charge level at which the flexible load 350 should be charged (e.g., having enough charge to complete a scheduled route), the amount of charge that the flexible load 350 should be charged (e.g., having enough charge to complete a scheduled route), and the time at which the flexible load 350 must be charged (e.g., to complete a route as scheduled). The charging schedule may be updated periodically (e.g., every 15 minutes) to reflect the current or expected state of each flexible load 350. It should be understood that the charging schedule may include schedules for multiple periods to be considered (e.g., all future periods during which charging is scheduled), insofar as it includes the schedule for the relevant period during which a new incoming flexible load 350 will be charged.

[0063] The economic power supply in subprocess 450 may generate a power schedule that specifies the power to be output from each of the distributed energy resources (e.g., BES system 310 and / or generator 330) in the charging infrastructure 140 during the relevant period under consideration, while minimizing the power costs during the relevant period under consideration, in order to satisfy the flexible load 350 in the charging schedule for the relevant period under consideration, including charging the new incoming flexible load 350 at the node selected in subprocess 445. The power schedule may include, for each distributed energy resource to be used during the relevant period under consideration, identification information of the distributed energy resource, the period during which the distributed energy resource is scheduled to output power (e.g., discharged from BES system 320 or generated by generator 330), the amount of power to be output by the distributed energy resource, and one or more setpoints of the distributed energy resource. During implementation, economic power supply may take into account equality constraints (e.g., power balance, charge state balance of flexible load 350, etc.) and inequality constraints (e.g., maintaining loads at specific values ​​at common connection points, maintaining threshold levels for the charge state of flexible load 350, pre-adjusting flexible load 350, availability of flexible load 350, etc.).

[0064] In subprocess 455, given a charging schedule modified by the charging of a new incoming flexible load 350 at a node selected in subprocess 450, a load flow analysis is performed on the power schedule generated by economic power supply in subprocess 410 for a related period including or consisting of the charging period determined in subprocess 445. The load flow analysis in subprocess 455 may be the same as or identical to the load flow analysis in subprocess 450, except that the charging schedule is modified to take into account the charging of a new incoming flexible load 350 at a node selected in subprocess 415, and the power schedule is updated by economic power supply in subprocess 445. Therefore, the description of the load flow analysis for subprocess 415 applies equally to the load flow analysis for subprocess 455.

[0065] In subprocess 460, process 400 determines whether the results of the load flow analysis applied in subprocess 455 include or indicate a specific violation at the node selected in subprocess 445 as the charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350. In particular, subprocess 460 may determine whether a voltage undervoltage occurred at the selected node during the load flow analysis. A voltage undervoltage at the selected node may indicate that the selected node is not suitable for charging the new incoming flexible load 350 during the scheduled time. Conversely, the absence of a voltage undervoltage at the selected node may indicate that the selected node is suitable for charging the new incoming flexible load 350 during the scheduled time. Therefore, if a specific violation is detected at the selected node (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 460), process 400 proceeds to subprocess 465. Otherwise, if no specific violation is detected at the selected node (i.e., "no" in subprocess 460), process 400 proceeds to subprocess 470. It should be understood that a violation may be detected (i.e., "yes" in subprocess 460) if the results of the load flow analysis include an undervoltage violation or otherwise indicate that an undervoltage will occur at the selected node, but a violation may not be detected (i.e., "no" in subprocess 460) if the results of the load flow analysis do not include an undervoltage violation or otherwise indicate that an undervoltage violation will occur at the selected node. Although an example of an undervoltage violation is used as a specific violation detected in subprocess 460, it should be understood that in an alternative embodiment, a grid code violation indicating that the selected node may not be the appropriate charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350 may also be detected in subprocess 460.

[0066] In subprocess 465, selected nodes that face a specific violation (e.g., undervoltage) determined in subprocess 460 are discarded from consideration. For example, in an embodiment using a list of available nodes, a node selected in a previous iteration of subprocess 445 may be removed from the list, thereby preventing that node from being selected again as a charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350. In other words, the node is excluded from determining the charging location for the new incoming flexible load 350. Thus, process 400 may return to subprocess 445 to select a different available node.

[0067] In some cases, the list of available nodes may become empty, meaning there may be no nodes left for selection in subprocess 445. Process 400 may address such a scenario by initiating an exception handling process or other mechanism. For example, the exception handling process may modify the existing schedule to move loads 350 with flexible charging times to different charging times in order to free up charging stations 340 during the charging period for a new incoming flexible load 350; to move flexible loads 350 scheduled for fast charging but not requiring fast charging to slow chargers in order to free up fast chargers for the new incoming flexible load 350; to reroute the new incoming flexible load 350 or another flexible load 350 in the charging schedule to another charging infrastructure 140 (e.g., under the management of the same EMS 110); to relax the fast charging requirement for the new incoming flexible load 350 (i.e., if fast charging is determined as otherwise required in subprocess 430); and to select the node least likely to have an undervoltage violation for the new incoming flexible load 350 if the load flow analysis in subprocess 455 predicts an undervoltage violation at all possible nodes.

[0068] In subprocess 470, when a node is selected that does not produce any violations detected by the load flow analysis in subprocess 455, the charging of the new incoming flexible load 350 at the node selected in the last iteration of subprocess 445 is added to the existing charging schedule. This final charging schedule may be used to schedule various loads, including the flexible load 350, within the relevant period. In addition, the final power schedule output by the latest iteration of economic power supply in subprocess 450 may be used to schedule power output from distributed energy resources (e.g., BEM system 320, generator 330, etc.) during the relevant period. The final charging schedule and / or final power schedule may be used to notify control decisions during the relevant period.

[0069] In one embodiment, the final charging schedule is used to route the flexible load 350. For example, the EMS 110 or another system may generate text, visual, and / or navigation commands to route the electric vehicle, as the flexible load 350, to a scheduled EV depot, a scheduled charging station 340 and / or charger 342 within the EV depot 140, and / or other scheduled destinations, as the charging infrastructure 140. In particular, the commands may be provided on a console in the electric vehicle to display visual aids to guide the driver of the electric vehicle to the scheduled destination. In the case of an autonomous electric vehicle or drone, navigation commands may be provided to the control system of the electric vehicle or drone (e.g., an electronic control unit (ECU)) to automatically guide the autonomous electric vehicle or drone to the scheduled destination as the flexible load 350.

[0070] In one embodiment, the final power schedule may be used by the EMS 110 or another system to generate control commands for one or more BES systems 320, generators 330, charging stations 340, and / or other electrical components of the charging infrastructure 140. Specifically, the EMS 110 may generate control commands and transmit them to the relevant electrical components in the charging infrastructure via the network 120, and the charging infrastructure 140 may then execute the received control commands. For example, the EMS 110 may control distributed energy resources (e.g., BES systems 320, generators 330, etc.) by sending control commands to them to generate and / or output power during one or more scheduled periods and not output power outside of one or more scheduled periods. As another example, the EMS 110 may control the charging station 340 by sending control commands to it to output power to connected flexible loads 350 during one or more scheduled periods and not output power outside of one or more scheduled periods.

[0071] 3. Usage example The charging infrastructure 140 may include EV depots for charging a fleet of electric vehicles (e.g., operated by urban mass transit systems, utility companies, trucking companies, construction companies, taxi companies, waste management companies, etc.) and personal electric vehicles as flexible loads 350. For example, in the case of an urban mass transit system such as a bus stop, each electric bus has a route that it must serve according to a route schedule. Therefore, each electric bus must be charged to at least a sufficient level to complete its scheduled route and must leave the EV depot by a certain time in order to follow the route schedule.

[0072] The disclosed embodiments may be applied to a microgrid comprising a single charging infrastructure 140 or a system of two or more separate charging infrastructures 140. For example, a single EMS 110 may manage the power and charging schedules of multiple charging infrastructures 140 (e.g., operated by the same operator). In this case, the charging schedule may encompass charging at charging stations 340 across multiple charging infrastructures 140, and the power schedule may encompass power generation at distributed energy resources across multiple charging infrastructures 140. Furthermore, if a new incoming flexible load 350 can be easily charged at two or more different charging infrastructures 140, the available nodes considered by process 400 for the charging location of the new incoming flexible load 350 may include nodes across two or more charging infrastructures 140.

[0073] The disclosed embodiments may select a charging location for an incoming flexible load 350 within one or more charging infrastructures 140, taking into account the voltage range of nodes in the distribution grid (e.g., in subprocesses 415-425, 445, and 455-465), the charging schedule of the flexible load 350 (e.g., in subprocess 430), the capacity of the charging station 340 (e.g., in subprocesses 435-445), and the energy management of distributed energy resources in the distribution grid (e.g., in subprocesses 415, 450, and 455). Advantageously, considering one or more of these factors helps the charging infrastructure 140 to avoid violations of applicable grid codes by maintaining voltage and / or current levels within acceptable limits. This, in turn, enables the operator of the charging infrastructure 140 to avoid penalties resulting from violations and to ensure adherence to the schedule of the flexible load 350.

[0074] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to construct or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It should be understood that the descriptions and drawings presented herein represent currently preferred embodiments of the invention and, therefore, represent the subject matter broadly intended by the invention. It should be further understood that the scope of the invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and therefore the scope of the invention is not limited.

[0075] The combinations described herein, such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof,” include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A's, multiple B's, or multiple C's. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, and any such combination may include one or more members of its constituent A, B, and / or C. For example, a combination of A and B may include one A and multiple B's, multiple A's and one B's, or multiple A's and multiple B's.

Claims

1. Using at least one hardware processor, Each of the multiple nodes includes one or more charging stations, and for at least one flexible load that is charged by a power distribution network comprising the multiple nodes, Determine the charging period associated with the aforementioned flexible load. Based on the power schedule for existing loads to be charged within the distribution network during the aforementioned charging period, a load flow analysis is performed on the distribution network model. Based on the results of the load flow analysis, the charging station for charging the flexible load is determined to be one of the multiple nodes in the power distribution network. A method for scheduling the flexible load to be charged at the determined charging station during the charging period.

2. Using the aforementioned at least one hardware processor, The method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling the determined charging station during the charging period in order to output power to the flexible load.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flexible load is an electric vehicle, and the power distribution network includes a charging depot for electric vehicles.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the result of the load power flow analysis includes an indication of whether or not a voltage violation occurs.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the voltage violation is a violation of a grid code that specifies the voltage requirements that the power distribution network must satisfy.

6. Using the aforementioned at least one hardware processor, The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if the result of the load flow analysis indicates that a violation occurs, excluding from the determination of the charging station that charges the flexible load a node among the plurality of nodes in which the violation occurs.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the violation includes undervoltage.

8. Determining the aforementioned charging period is Receiving the schedule associated with the aforementioned flexible load, To derive the charging period from the schedule associated with the flexible load. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the flexible load is an electric vehicle, the power grid comprises a charging depot for the electric vehicle, and the schedule associated with the electric vehicle includes a time for which the electric vehicle is scheduled to depart from the charging depot.

10. Determining the charging station for charging the flexible load is: Based on the aforementioned charging period, it is determined whether the flexible load requires fast charging. Based on the determination of whether the flexible load requires fast charging, a charging station is selected as the determined charging station. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

11. Selecting the aforementioned charging station is done when it is determined that the flexible load requires fast charging. To determine whether at least one fast-charging station is available during the aforementioned charging period, If it is determined that at least one fast-charging station is available during the charging period, then a fast-charging station is selected from the at least one fast-charging station available during the charging period as the determined charging station. The method according to claim 10, including the method described in claim 10.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selection of the fast charging station includes, if multiple fast charging stations are available at two or more of the multiple nodes, selecting the fast charging station located at one of the two or more nodes having the highest voltage as the determined charging station.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selection of the charging station further comprises, if it is determined that there are no fast charging stations available during the charging period, selecting as the determined charging station a charging station located at one of the nodes having the highest voltage among the nodes in the load flow analysis.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the selection of the charging station includes, if it is determined that the flexible load does not require fast charging, selecting as the determined charging station a charging station located at one of the nodes having the highest voltage among the nodes in the load flow analysis.

15. The distribution network comprises one or more distributed energy resources, and determining the charging station for charging the flexible load is done in each of one or more iterations until it is determined that no violation occurs. Selecting one of the plurality of nodes to charge the flexible load, wherein a different node is selected in each iteration. To implement economical power supply for the aforementioned power distribution network, The load flow analysis is performed on the model of the distribution network based on the power schedule for existing loads to be charged in the distribution network during the charging period and the charging of the flexible loads at the selected nodes, To determine whether or not the violation occurs based on the load flow analysis. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the violation includes an undervoltage at the selected node.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the power schedule comprises setting points for one or more of the plurality of nodes in the distribution network, and the load flow analysis is performed for each of the setting points in the power schedule.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the one or more distributed energy resources include one or more of a solar power generator, a wind power generator, a fuel cell, a thermal power plant, a hydroelectric power plant, a gasoline generator, or a battery.

19. At least one hardware processor, When executed by the at least one hardware processor, each of the plurality of nodes includes one or more charging stations, and for at least one flexible load that is charged in a power distribution network comprising the plurality of nodes, Determine the charging period associated with the aforementioned flexible load. Based on the power schedule for existing loads to be charged within the distribution network during the aforementioned charging period, a load flow analysis is performed on the distribution network model. Based on the results of the load flow analysis, the charging station for charging the flexible load is determined to be one of the multiple nodes in the power distribution network. The flexible load is scheduled to be charged at the determined charging station during the aforementioned charging period. Software configured in such a way An energy management system equipped with the following features.

20. A non-temporary computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored, wherein, when executed by a processor, the instructions relate to at least one flexible load that is charged in a power distribution network comprising a plurality of nodes, each of which includes one or more charging stations. Determine the charging period associated with the aforementioned flexible load. Based on the power schedule for existing loads to be charged within the distribution network during the aforementioned charging period, a load flow analysis is performed on the distribution network model. Based on the results of the load flow analysis, the charging station for charging the flexible load is determined to be one of the multiple nodes in the power distribution network. The flexible load is scheduled to be charged at the determined charging station during the aforementioned charging period. A non-temporary computer-readable medium that causes the processor to perform the aforementioned action.

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