EV Charging Station Dynamic Power Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure does not effectively manage the load factor of AC-DC converters, leading to inefficiencies as the AC-DC converter's load factor is often lower than optimal due to the fixed design of AC-DC and DC-DC converters, resulting in underutilization of charging capacity.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle charging station with a control device that schedules AC-DC power to DC-DC converters using a managing algorithm, allowing for dynamic power distribution across a DC-bus, ensuring the sum of DC-DC capabilities exceeds AC-DC capabilities, thereby increasing the AC-DC converter's load factor and optimizing power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If AC-DC converters are designed with fixed power capacity to match DC-DC converter requirements, then the system ensures sufficient power supply capability, but the AC-DC converter's load factor decreases and charging capacity is underutilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power allocation where the AC-DC converter's power distribution to multiple DC-DC converters is not fixed but dynamically adjusted based on real-time charging demands. The control device continuously monitors the output power requests from multiple DC-DC converters and dynamically schedules the AC-DC power distribution, allowing the system to adapt to varying load conditions and maximize the utilization of AC-DC converter capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The AC-DC converter is designed to serve multiple DC-DC converters simultaneously through a common DC-bus, making it a multi-functional power source. Instead of dedicating one AC-DC converter to a single DC-DC converter, the system allows one AC-DC converter to dynamically serve multiple downstream converters based on demand, increasing overall system efficiency and load factor.
2Reliability
If AC-DC converter capacity is increased to handle peak demand, then power supply reliability improves, but system complexity and converter size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple DC-DC converters into a common electrical architecture sharing a single AC-DC converter through a DC-bus. This consolidation allows the system to handle peak demand from multiple converters without requiring each converter to have dedicated AC-DC capacity, thereby reducing overall system complexity and converter size while maintaining reliability through dynamic power sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic power scheduling to allocate AC-DC converter capacity to multiple DC-DC converters based on real-time needs. This dynamic allocation allows the system to handle peak demand reliably without over-provisioning the AC-DC converter capacity, optimizing the balance between reliability and device size.
3Productivity
If multiple AC-DC converters are used to supply multiple DC-DC converters, then power distribution capability increases, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal power distribution architecture where a single AC-DC converter serves multiple DC-DC converters through a common DC-bus. This multi-functional setup increases power distribution capability without proportionally increasing the number of AC-DC converters, thereby reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining high productivity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention is concerned with an electric vehicle charging station (10), comprising an electric power interface (20), configured for receiving electrical power from an electric power source, a plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30), electrically supplied by the electric power source (20); wherein each AC-DC-voltage converter (30) comprises an AC-DC-power capability relating to a maximal possible AC-DC-power provided by the AC-DC-voltage converter (30), a plurality of DC-DC-voltage converters (40), electrically supplied by the plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30) over at least one DC-bus (50); wherein each DC-DC-voltage converter (40) comprises a DC-DC-power capability relating a possible DC-DC-power provided by the DC-DC-voltage converter (40), a plurality of charging terminals (60), configured for charging an electric vehicle (EV); wherein each DC-DC-voltage converter (40) provides electric power to one charging terminal (60), a control device (70), configured for scheduling the AC-DC-power of the plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30) to the plurality of DC-DC-voltage converters (40) based on a managing algorithm, and a communication channel (71), connecting the plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30) and the plurality of DC-DC-voltage converters (40) with the control device (70), wherein a sum of the DC-DC-capabilities of the plurality of DC-DC-voltage converters (40) is equal or higher than a sum of the AC-DC-power capabilities of the plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30), wherein the control device (70) is configured for determining the AC-DC-power capability of the plurality of AC-DC-voltage converters (30) and an output power, requested by the plurality of charging terminals (60) over the communication channel (71) and wherein the managing algorithm uses the determined AC-DC-power capability and the requested output power.