Building Load Control for EV Charging Without Feeder Overload
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of electric vehicle charging stations in multi-unit buildings exceeds the electrical infrastructure's design capacity, leading to potential electrical overload and infrastructure protection issues, as existing systems only monitor the main feeder and branch for charging stations without comprehensive management of energy consumption across the building's electrical network.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising power monitoring devices and control units that manage energy consumption on the main feeder, secondary feeders, and unit feeders, including load shedding and reconnection mechanisms to prevent exceeding energy thresholds, with an interface module for user interaction and communication with charging station controllers to dynamically adjust the connection status of branches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If charging stations are added to meet electric vehicle owners' needs, then the quantity of charging equipment increases, but the electrical infrastructure exceeds its design capacity and risks overload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic load management by continuously monitoring energy consumption on main feeders and secondary feeders, and adjusting the connection status of charging stations in real-time. The control unit dynamically connects or disconnects charging stations based on available capacity, transforming the static electrical infrastructure into a dynamic system that adapts to varying load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where power monitoring devices continuously measure energy consumption and feed this information back to the control unit. The control unit processes this feedback and adjusts the connection status of charging stations accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains electrical infrastructure safety while maximizing charging availability.
2Device complexity
If charge controllers monitor only the unit's main feeder and branch, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of total energy consumption is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into multiple independent monitoring points: power monitoring devices on the main feeder, power monitoring devices on secondary feeders, and charge controllers on individual unit branches. Each segment monitors its local energy consumption independently, and the control unit aggregates this segmented data to achieve comprehensive and precise total energy consumption measurement.
3Productivity
If the system dynamically adjusts connection status of charging stations, then the energy distribution efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it receives energy consumption data from power monitoring devices, calculates available capacity, determines connection status of charging stations, and sends control signals to execute connections or disconnections. This multi-functional design consolidates complex control operations into a single universal device, improving energy distribution efficiency while managing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for managing loads and protecting the electrical infrastructure of a building comprising of several units, configured to generate control signals when the current or power consumed on the main feeder of the building, on the secondary feeders, or on the main feeders of units exceeds the protection thresholds configured for each of these connections.