Electric Vehicle Battery Sizing Using Route Planning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sizing electric vehicle batteries focus on average energy consumption and overlook long-distance journeys, leading to oversizing, which increases CO2 emissions and is inefficient for daily use.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a route planner to determine optimal battery capacity based on physical characteristics of the vehicle, road network, charging stations, and travel routes, considering travel time, energy consumption, and cost, to identify the smallest necessary battery size for long-distance journeys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the battery capacity is increased to cover long-distance trips, then the travel range is improved, but the battery size becomes oversized for everyday use and CO2 emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the battery sizing adaptive rather than static. The system dynamically adjusts the recommended battery capacity based on the user's actual driving patterns, journey frequencies, and trip distances. By continuously analyzing usage data and recalculating optimal battery size, the system ensures the battery is neither oversized nor undersized, resolving the contradiction between sufficient range and reduced emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of battery capacity from a fixed manufacturer-specified value to a variable determined by actual usage patterns. The system analyzes multiple parameters including daily journey distances, frequency of long-distance trips, and charging opportunities to dynamically determine the optimal battery capacity. This parameter change allows the battery size to be precisely matched to actual needs, avoiding the CO2 emissions associated with oversized batteries while ensuring sufficient range.
2Loss of time
If the battery capacity is increased to allow complete trips with minimum recharges, then the travel time is reduced, but the battery becomes unsuitable for everyday use
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically determines battery capacity based on the user's actual long-distance travel needs rather than assuming maximum possible range is always required. By analyzing the frequency and distance of long-distance trips, the system calculates the minimum necessary battery capacity to achieve acceptable travel times for those specific journeys, while avoiding the excessive capacity that would be unsuitable for everyday use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by providing charging recommendations for only the necessary portion of the journey. Rather than designing the battery for complete coverage of all possible trips, the system identifies specific charging opportunities along the user's actual routes and recommends charging only when and where necessary. This partial charging approach allows smaller batteries to achieve the same effective range for long-distance trips.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the battery capacity is oversized for rare long-distance trips, then the energy consumption for those trips is reduced, but the environmental impact increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the energy consumption parameter from being solely dependent on battery capacity to being optimized through a combination of battery size and charging strategy. The system calculates energy consumption for long-distance trips by considering the actual battery capacity matched to usage patterns, plus recommended charging stops. This approach reduces environmental impact by avoiding oversized batteries while maintaining acceptable energy consumption through strategic charging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces charging stations as intermediaries in the energy supply chain. Rather than relying solely on a large battery to provide all energy for long-distance trips, the system uses charging stations as intermediate energy sources along the route. This mediator approach allows the use of smaller batteries with frequent charging stops, reducing the environmental impact of battery manufacturing while ensuring sufficient energy availability for long-distance travel.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for sizing and constructing an electric vehicle battery, the sizing method comprising at least the following steps: a) several potential capacities (Capo) of the battery are defined; b) for each potential battery capacity, a route planner (Plan) is used to determine at least one possible route for said journey, each possible route being defined by a succession of road segments, and the travel time and/or energy consumption, as well as the location of the charging stations to be used by the electric vehicle on each possible route to recharge its battery and the associated charge level, are determined; c) from these data for each potential battery capacity, the battery capacity (Dim) is identified from among said potential capacities.