EV Charging System Grid Load Management

Solution Overview

Problem

Charging electric vehicles at peak demand times leads to increased air pollution and fossil fuel depletion, as existing grid adjustment systems, particularly those using sustainable sources like solar and wind, cannot readily adapt to lower demand periods, resulting in wasted excess energy.

Innovation Solution

A charging system with multiple stages, each equipped with a battery charger, controller, and charging relay, that actively charges electric vehicle batteries during low grid usage and consecutively deactivates chargers as grid usage increases, utilizing excess grid capacity efficiently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electric vehicles are charged at peak demand times, then vehicle availability is improved, but air pollution and fossil fuel consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle availabilityVSAvoidair pollution

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs charging actions in advance during off-peak hours when grid demand is low, before the peak demand period occurs. Electric vehicles are charged when sustainable energy sources have excess capacity, so that vehicles are ready for use during peak times without requiring peak-time charging that would increase pollution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors grid demand levels and sustainable energy source availability, using this feedback to dynamically control charging operations. When sustainable sources have excess capacity and grid demand is low, charging is activated; when demand increases, charging is reduced or stopped, thus avoiding pollution while ensuring vehicle availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If electric vehicles are charged at peak demand times, then vehicle availability is improved, but fossil fuel depletion increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle availabilityVSAvoidfossil fuel

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs charging actions in advance during off-peak hours when grid demand is low, before the peak demand period occurs. Electric vehicles are charged when sustainable energy sources have excess capacity, so that vehicles are ready for use during peak times without requiring peak-time charging that would increase pollution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors grid demand levels and sustainable energy source availability, using this feedback to dynamically control charging operations. When sustainable sources have excess capacity and grid demand is low, charging is activated; when demand increases, charging is reduced or stopped, thus avoiding pollution while ensuring vehicle availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If sustainable energy sources operate at constant capacity, then energy waste is reduced, but grid adaptability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy wasteVSAvoidgrid adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and utilizes the excess energy that sustainable sources produce during low-demand periods, before this energy would be wasted. By tapping into this excess capacity through controlled charging operations, the system converts what would be wasted energy into useful charging service, thereby reducing energy waste while maintaining the constant operation of sustainable sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If multiple battery chargers operate simultaneously, then charging capacity is improved, but grid load increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging capacityVSAvoidgrid load

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the number of active chargers based on real-time grid demand conditions. During off-peak hours when grid load is low, multiple chargers operate simultaneously to maximize charging capacity. As grid demand increases toward peak levels, the system automatically reduces the number of active chargers, thus adapting charging capacity to grid conditions and avoiding excessive load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system maximizes electric grid usage by efficiently utilizing spare capacity, reducing waste and pollution by charging electric vehicle batteries during off-peak hours, and is scalable for large-scale implementation along transportation routes.

Implementation Method 1

A current sensing unit inductively measures the current on the charging conductor and provides a sensed current to the controllers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS10500979B1Charging system utilizing excess grid electricity

Publication Date: 2019.12.10 PIRIJA SULJO

AI summary

An electric vehicle charging system, for use with an electric grid having live conductors including a charging conductor, and a neutral conductor. The electric grid has a grid usage level and a grid capacity. The charging system includes a plurality of stages that each include a battery charger for charging an electric vehicle battery, a controller, and a charging relay. A current sensing unit inductively measures the current on the charging conductor and provides a sensed current to the controllers. When the grid usage level is low the battery chargers on all stages are active. As the grid usage increases toward peak usage, in response to an increase in the sensed current, the controllers consecutively deactivate the battery chargers at predetermined threshold levels.