EV Charging Gateway Redundancy for Cellular Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing EV charging networks are prone to disruption due to natural hazards, service provider failures, and equipment inoperability, leading to the inoperability of individual charging stations connected to an inoperable gateway.
Innovation Solution
A redundancy protocol is implemented in the EV charging communication network, utilizing multiple gateways with different cellular communication providers and a network server that switches communication paths automatically to ensure continuous operation, allowing individual charging stations to switch from one gateway to another in case of failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single gateway is used for EV charging station communication, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to natural hazards, service provider failures, and equipment inoperability
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication path by introducing multiple gateways (primary gateway and backup gateway) with different cellular communication providers. Each gateway operates independently, allowing the system to divide the communication risk across multiple separate channels rather than relying on a single point of failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup gateway is pre-configured and maintained in standby mode before any failure occurs. The system establishes redundant communication paths in advance, so that when the primary gateway fails, the charging stations can immediately switch to the pre-prepared backup gateway without requiring real-time configuration or setup.
2Reliability
If multiple gateways with different cellular providers are implemented, then reliability is improved through redundancy, but device complexity increases due to additional hardware and communication protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the functionality of multiple gateways into a unified communication architecture where the primary gateway and backup gateway operate as an integrated team. The charging stations communicate with both gateways simultaneously, and the system combines their capabilities to provide seamless redundancy, presenting a single coherent communication interface to the charging stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The network server acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multiple gateways. It handles the logic of determining which gateway is operational and routes communications accordingly, shielding the charging stations from the complexity of gateway management while ensuring reliable communication through the appropriate gateway.
3Loss of time
If automatic gateway switching is implemented, then loss of time is reduced during failures, but ease of operation deteriorates due to automated control complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous monitoring of gateway operational status through feedback mechanisms. The network server and gateways exchange status information, allowing the system to automatically detect when the primary gateway fails and trigger the switching process to the backup gateway based on real-time conditions, eliminating manual intervention while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway switching system is self-managing and automatically handles failover without requiring operator intervention. The charging stations and network server work together to detect failures, evaluate gateway status, and execute the switching process autonomously, reducing the need for human operation while maintaining system simplicity from the user perspective.
Data Source
AI summary
An Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging station and communication network with redundancy protocol including a network server, a plurality of gateways with at least a first and second gateway, and a plurality of EV charging stations structured to be in WiFi communication with the plurality of gateways. First gateway, by default is the primary gateway and structured to be in cellular communication with the network server via first cellular communication provider. Second gateway by default is available as a charger, but in standby and structured to be in cellular communication with the network server via second cellular communication provider. The plurality of EV charging stations is structured to send and receive charging information via WiFi first gateway when it is the active primary gateway. They are structured to switch to second gateway when it has become the primary gateway due to communication failure of the first gateway with the network server.