Central Control System for Electric Vehicle Charging Power Increase

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for controlling the electrical charging of vehicles do not efficiently account for increased power output requirements, leading to user disincentives and unnecessary recalculations when parameters are changed, especially during power increase processes.

Innovation Solution

A method and control system that allow for a power boosting operation based on a boosting scheme, where vehicles can temporarily increase their charging power, with the central control system selecting participating vehicles and allowing deviations from predetermined parameters, ensuring the desired power increase is maintained without recalculating the scheme unless necessary.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the central control system recalculates the power reduction scheme whenever a user manually changes charging parameters, then the charging parameters can be flexibly adjusted by users, but computing resources in the central control system are wasted due to unnecessary recalculations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparameter adjustment flexibilityVSAvoidcomputing resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by notifying users about the impact of parameter changes on power reduction participation. The control system evaluates whether parameter changes would cause vehicle dropout and provides this information back to the user, enabling informed decision-making without triggering unnecessary recalculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Users are empowered to make informed decisions about their parameter changes by providing them with impact information. The system serves the users by giving them the knowledge needed to adjust parameters without causing unwanted dropout, allowing them to self-manage their charging preferences responsibly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If users are rewarded for participating in power reduction processes, then user participation is incentivized, but users have no incentive to manually adjust charging parameters to maintain participation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser participation incentiveVSAvoidparameter adjustment motivation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users about how their parameter changes affect their participation status in power reduction processes. This feedback loop helps users understand the consequences of their adjustments and motivates them to make parameter changes that maintain their participation and earn rewards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If the control system allows vehicles to temporarily increase charging power during power increase processes, then grid excess capacity can be absorbed efficiently, but the system lacks mechanisms to handle parameter changes during power increase processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower absorption efficiencyVSAvoidparameter change handling capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The control system applies a universal evaluation mechanism that works for both power reduction and power increase processes. The same logic for evaluating parameter change impacts and determining whether to recalculate schemes is used across different operational modes, making the system adaptable to various grid conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on the type of power process (reduction or increase) and the specific parameter changes made by users. The control system can switch between maintaining existing schemes and triggering recalculations based on real-time conditions and parameter modifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3526072B1Method for charge control of a plurality of vehicles
Publication Date: 2023.04.26 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3526072B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3526072B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for controlling the electrical charging of a group of vehicles (1) that are electrically connected to an electricity grid of an electricity grid operator, wherein the respective vehicles (1) draw power from the electricity grid for the purpose of charging a vehicle-based energy store for driving the respective vehicle (1), one or more parameters (PA) to be observed for the charging process of the energy store of the respective vehicles (1) being stipulated and a user of a respective vehicle (1) being able to use a respective user interface to alter at least some of these parameters (PA). According to the invention, the central control system (CO) responds to a received increase command (EB) by performing a power increase operation according to an increase scheme (ES), wherein the increase command (EB) comes from a server (SE') of the electricity grid operator and stipulates an amount of power (LB) by which the power draw by the group of vehicles (1) from the electricity grid needs to be increased, and wherein the increase scheme (ES) is ascertained by the central control system (CO) on the basis of the amount of power (LB) in the increase command (EB) and specifies a temporary increase in the charging power for the energy store of one or more vehicles (1) in a number of prescribed vehicles (1) of the group. In the event of the charging operation for the energy store of at least one prescribed vehicle (1) being altered by the user by means of a change to at least one of its parameters (P) after reception of the increase command (EB) and before or during the power increase operation, the central control system (CO) checks whether the observance of the parameter(s) (PA) of the altered charging operation does not decrease the amount of power (LB) according to the increase command (ES). In that case, the central control system (CO) begins or continues the power increase operation according to the increase scheme (ES) while observing the parameter(s) (PA) of the altered charging operation.