EV Charging Schedule Control for Power Grid Border Crossings

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electric vehicle charging and discharging systems lack efficient and cost-effective management, particularly in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems, as they fail to dynamically adjust charging schedules based on regional fee rates and travel patterns, leading to suboptimal energy usage and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine whether an electric vehicle has crossed a power grid border, update the charging/discharging schedule based on new area codes and fee rates, and dynamically manage charging/discharging operations by optimizing time periods for minimum fees, using a server to transmit and receive information on travel paths, battery states, and system parameters, allowing for real-time fee rate adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the charging/discharging schedule is dynamically adjusted based on regional fee rates and travel patterns, then cost-effectiveness and efficiency are improved, but system complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging/discharging efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A server acts as an intermediary between the electric vehicle and the power grid system. The server receives travel path information and current area code from the vehicle, determines the appropriate fee rate policy based on these inputs, and returns the optimized charging/discharging schedule to the vehicle. This intermediary approach centralizes the computational complexity in the server rather than requiring complex processing in the vehicle's onboard system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by determining the fee rate policy and optimizing the charging/discharging schedule in advance based on the vehicle's travel path and current location. The server calculates the optimal schedule before the vehicle actually charges or discharges, taking into account future area transitions and varying fee rates across different regions and time periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If real-time border crossing detection and schedule updates are implemented, then cost optimization is improved, but response time and communication overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecost optimizationVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle's area code information serves as feedback about its current location and travel status. This feedback mechanism allows the system to continuously monitor the vehicle's position relative to power grid borders and trigger schedule updates only when necessary (when crossing into a new area), rather than continuously communicating. The server uses this area code feedback to determine whether the fee rate policy needs to be recalculated.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous real-time monitoring and communication, the system uses periodic action triggered by discrete events - specifically when the vehicle crosses a power grid border and the area code changes. This event-driven approach reduces communication overhead and response time requirements compared to continuous monitoring, while still capturing all opportunities for cost optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Productivity

If charging/discharging operations are optimized based on fee rate policies, then operational costs are reduced, but power system stability and battery longevity may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational cost efficiencyVSAvoidpower system stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes operational parameters (charging/discharging schedules) based on varying fee rate parameters across different regions and time periods. By adjusting when charging and discharging occur according to the fee rate policy, the system reduces operational costs while the server coordinates these changes to ensure they align with power system stability requirements and do not create harmful fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4292869A1Method, device and system for charging/discharging electric vehicle
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 HYUNDAI MOBIS CO LTD
  • EP4292869A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4292869A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4292869A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a method for charging/discharging an electric vehicle. The method includes determining whether the electric vehicle has passed a power grid border during travel, transmitting information on a current travel path and information on a currently set area code to a server in response to a determination that the electric vehicle has passed the power grid border, receiving an area code update request message containing information on a new area code and a charging/discharging fee rate policy corresponding to the new area code from the server, updating a charging/discharging schedule based on the charging/discharging fee rate policy corresponding to the new area code, and performing the charging/discharging with a charging station based on the updated charging/discharging schedule.