Integrated EV Charging and Fueling Management for Fleet Billing
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of systematic approaches to manage electricity as fuel for electric vehicles (EVs), which differs significantly from standard fuels in terms of delivery and pricing, making it challenging for fleet managers to monitor and control usage and costs effectively.
Innovation Solution
A multivehicle fueling system that integrates EV charging stations with non-electric vehicle fueling stations, utilizing an integrated fuel management system with control units, switching units, and cloud-based reporting to manage electrical power dynamics as part of a full-featured fuel management system, providing timely access control, uniform billing, and detailed reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electricity is managed separately from standard fuels, then EV charging can be controlled independently, but fleet management complexity increases and uniform billing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines EV charging management with the existing fuel management system into a single integrated platform. The fuel management system is extended to handle both liquid fuel dispensing and electric vehicle charging through unified hardware and software architecture, allowing fleet managers to monitor and control both fuel types through one system interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel management system is designed to perform multiple functions: it can manage both liquid fuel dispensing and EV charging operations, provide uniform billing for different fuel types, and generate consolidated reports. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate management systems while maintaining adaptability for different fueling needs.
2Measurement precision
If power metering and control are separated from the rest of the power infrastructure, then EV charging can be monitored accurately, but system complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power infrastructure by introducing dedicated metering and control components specifically for EV charging circuits. These components separately measure power consumption, voltage, and current for EV charging while leaving the main power infrastructure intact. This segmentation enables accurate monitoring without requiring complete system replacement or complex integration.
3Measurement precision
If demand charges are assessed based on 15-minute peak demand intervals, then utility billing accuracy improves, but cost management difficulty increases for fleet managers
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel management system incorporates real-time feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor power consumption and calculate demand charges based on 15-minute peak demand intervals. The system provides immediate feedback to fleet managers through the user interface, showing current demand charge status and providing alerts when approaching threshold limits, enabling proactive cost management decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations and projections of demand charges based on current power consumption trends. By analyzing real-time data and predicting future peak demand charges, the system allows fleet managers to make informed decisions about charging schedules and power usage before peak demand charges are incurred, thereby simplifying cost management.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated fuel management system can include a switching unit coupled to an electric vehicle (EV) charging station, a computer system, a first electronic unit, and a second electronic unit. The first electronic unit can be coupled to the switching unit and operable for providing state information for the EV charging station to the computer system. The second electronic unit can be coupled to a fueling station for types of vehicles that use fuel and operable for providing state information for the fueling station to the computer system. Further, the computer system can be operable for displaying the state information for the EV charging station and for displaying the state information for the fueling station.