EV Charging Current Staging for Surplus Power Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle charging systems are inefficient in utilizing renewable energy sources due to limitations in regulating charging currents, especially in small-scale renewable power generating plants, leading to suboptimal charging power and increased energy costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that dynamically adjust charging currents based on surplus power from the domestic mains supply and power grid, using preset charging currents and threshold values to optimize energy utilization, allowing for staged power supply adjustments without requiring complex communication devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If continuously variable regulation of charging current is used, then charging power can be precisely adapted to surplus power, but device complexity and procurement costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The charging current is divided into multiple preset levels (e.g., first, second, third charging currents) that can be selectively activated. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different surplus power conditions without requiring complex continuous regulation, resolving the contradiction by providing discrete adaptation steps that balance flexibility with simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the charging current parameter between predefined levels based on surplus power conditions. By switching between discrete current levels rather than implementing continuous variable regulation, the system achieves adequate adaptation to power conditions while avoiding the complexity and cost of precise continuous control mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If simple switching of charging current on and off is used, then device complexity is reduced, but regulation precision and economic optimality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of simple binary switching, the charging current is segmented into multiple preset levels that can be independently activated. This allows the system to achieve better regulation precision and economic optimality by selecting from multiple current levels while still using simple switching mechanisms, thus improving productivity without significantly increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If minimum charging current requirements are enforced, then vehicle battery charging needs are met, but utilization of small-scale renewable power plants with limited surplus power is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The charging current is segmented into multiple levels including a minimum charging current and additional higher levels. This allows the system to reliably meet minimum charging requirements while also being adaptable to higher surplus power conditions, thus improving both reliability and adaptability for small-scale renewable power plants with variable surplus power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects from multiple preset charging current levels based on real-time surplus power conditions. This dynamic selection allows the charging current to adapt to the available power from small-scale renewable plants while ensuring minimum charging requirements are always met, resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.
4Productivity
If multiple preset charging currents with activation and deactivation threshold values are used, then economic optimality and energy utilization are improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from surplus power detection to automatically select appropriate charging current levels. By implementing simple threshold-based control where activation and deactivation values trigger specific charging levels, the system achieves improved energy utilization efficiency without excessive control complexity, as the feedback mechanism automatically manages the multi-level current selection.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method and a device for charging an electric vehicle with a charging current, having: a connection for connecting to a domestic mains supply connected to a power generating plant, a power supply grid, an energy management device, and possibly an energy storage; a charging connection for connecting to the electric vehicle (11) to be charged; and a control device for controlling the charging current for charging the electric vehicle, at least one device determines the surplus power of the domestic mains supply and the power drawn from the power supply grid and compares them with at least one activation threshold and/or deactivation threshold. The control device is designed so that the charging current for charging the electric vehicle is according to the at least two preset charging currents, by activating or deactivating the corresponding preset charging current when upon reaching the corresponding activation threshold values or deactivation threshold values.