Charging Station Assignment for Electric Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of motor vehicles with energy storage devices face uncertainty and inefficiency in finding available charging stations and estimating charging duration, leading to waiting times and unpredictable power supply loads for operators, while existing systems lack efficient station utilization and accurate charging period estimation.
Innovation Solution
A data processing unit with interfaces for motor vehicles and charging stations manages and assesses information to strategically assign vehicles to charging stations based on total required charging current and available power, considering user and operator parameters, to optimize charging station usage and reduce waiting times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users independently contact individual charging stations to check availability, then users can find a charging station, but users experience expense and uncertainty with waiting times
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically checking charging station availability and calculating accurate charging durations before users arrive. The data processing unit proactively assesses which charging stations will be available and prepares charging assignments in advance, eliminating the need for users to repeatedly contact stations and reducing waiting times.
2Ease of operation
If users make reservations based on self-estimated charging duration, then users can reserve a charging station, but accurate calculation of total charging duration is only done when charging
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring actual charging durations and using this data to improve future duration calculations. The data processing unit learns from actual charging sessions and adjusts its estimation algorithms, providing increasingly accurate charging duration predictions that improve reservation accuracy without requiring manual input from users.
3Adaptability or versatility
If charging stations operate without centralized management, then charging stations maintain operational independence, but power supply system load is unpredictable and overloads may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The data processing unit acts as an intermediary between charging stations and the power supply system. It centrally manages charging assignments, monitors total load across all stations, and coordinates charging schedules to prevent overloads while maintaining the operational independence of individual charging stations. This mediator role ensures both adaptability and reliability.
4Ease of operation
If charging stations are not efficiently occupied, then users have more flexibility in choosing charging stations, but additional waiting times and detours arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by continuously optimizing charging station assignments based on real-time conditions. The data processing unit dynamically adjusts recommendations to balance user flexibility with efficient occupation, using algorithms that consider user preferences while minimizing waiting times and detours through intelligent routing and timing suggestions.
Data Source
AI summary
A data processing unit comprises a first interface for exchanging first information with at least one motor vehicle and a second interface for exchanging second information with a plurality of charging stations for charging an energy storage device of a first motor vehicle. The first interface is configured to exchange the first information with a plurality of motor vehicles, and the data processing unit is configured, when receiving the first information relating to a charge status at the point in time of a desired charging of the energy storage device and a maximum charging power of the at least one motor vehicle, and the second information relating to a charging power available from at least at one charging station at a predetermined point in time, to create a strategy by which a particular motor vehicle is assigned to a particular charging station for a point in time for charging-start.