EV Charging Station Routing for Shared Parking Queues
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Solution Overview
Problem
The scarcity of charging stations relative to the number of vehicles in parking areas, such as offices and shopping centers, necessitates an efficient system for managing the charging and movement of electric vehicles to optimize utilization of available charging infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an offboard vehicle control module, a charging station management module, and sensors that plan routes, manage charging sequences, and communicate with onboard control modules and mobile devices to direct vehicles to charging stations, monitor charging status, and coordinate drop-off and pick-up operations, utilizing robotic arms for charging operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of charging stations is increased to serve more vehicles, then the charging capacity is improved, but the cost and space requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple functions into a single charging station: charging, parking management, and vehicle routing. The charging station serves as a multi-functional hub that coordinates with the parking area management system to handle multiple vehicles sequentially, thereby improving charging capacity without proportionally increasing the number of charging stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging station system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time conditions. The parking area management system monitors vehicle locations, charging status, and queue positions, then dynamically routes vehicles to charging stations when available, optimizing the utilization of existing charging infrastructure without requiring additional stations.
2Productivity
If vehicles wait in queue for charging stations, then charging capacity is optimized, but the time required for charging increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary routing and queue management before vehicles reach the charging station. The parking area management system pre-plans routes for vehicles in the queue and notifies them in advance when charging stations become available, reducing actual waiting time at the charging location while maintaining high utilization rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the parking area management system monitors charging station status, vehicle queue positions, and charging completion. This real-time feedback enables dynamic re-routing and notification of vehicles when charging becomes available, optimizing both utilization and reducing perceived waiting time through proactive communication.
3Productivity
If manual management of charging queues is used, then system complexity is reduced, but the efficiency of charging management deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The parking area management system serves multiple functions: it manages parking spaces, routes vehicles, monitors charging status, and coordinates charging queue management. This universal system handles diverse tasks through a unified control architecture, improving charging management efficiency while containing overall system complexity through functional integration rather than separate specialized systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for charging a plurality of vehicles parked in a parking area. The system includes an offboard vehicle control module configured to plan routes for each one of the plurality of vehicles in the parking area, and send drive instructions to an onboard control module of each one of the plurality of vehicles for driving the plurality of vehicles along the planned routes, the drive instructions including steering instructions, acceleration instructions, and brake instructions. A charging station management module is configured to execute a charging sequence for managing charging of the plurality of vehicles at a charging station, select a subject vehicle for charging from the plurality of vehicles according to the charging sequence, and send a charging notification to the offboard vehicle control module indicating that the subject vehicle has been selected for charging.