EV Parking and Charging Plans for Feasible Fleet Operations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fleet management systems (FMS) designed for internal combustion engine vehicles fail to account for the unique restrictions of electric vehicles (EVs), such as charging requirements, leading to the creation of infeasible operation plans when applied to EV operations.
Innovation Solution
A parking/charging management system that calculates a parking/charging plan considering EV-specific restrictions, including charger availability and battery state of charge, to determine a feasible operation plan by adjusting departure and arrival times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an existing FMS designed for internal combustion engine vehicles is used to create operation plans, then the system can operate with existing infrastructure and familiar processes, but it cannot handle EV-specific restrictions such as charging requirements and battery state of charge
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent modules: an existing FMS for creating operation plans and a new parking/charging management system for calculating charging schedules. This segmentation allows the FMS to remain simple while the parking/charging system handles EV-specific restrictions, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The parking/charging management system acts as an intermediary between the FMS and EV operations. It receives operation plans from the FMS, calculates feasible parking/charging schedules considering EV restrictions, and returns adjusted plans. This intermediary approach enables EV-specific handling without modifying the existing FMS structure.
2Reliability
If EV operation plans are created without considering charging requirements, then operation planning is simpler and faster, but the resulting plans are infeasible for EV operations
Solution Approach 1:
The parking/charging management system performs preliminary calculations to determine feasible parking spots and charging schedules before finalizing operation plans. By pre-calculating charging requirements based on battery state of charge and charger availability, the system ensures plan feasibility without requiring multiple revision cycles, thus maintaining planning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the parking/charging management system evaluates operation plans against EV restrictions and provides corrective adjustments. This feedback loop ensures that plans meet charging requirements while maintaining overall operational efficiency through iterative optimization.
3Reliability
If departure and arrival times are adjusted to meet charging requirements, then EV operation plans become feasible, but operational flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The parking/charging management system dynamically adjusts departure and arrival times based on real-time charger availability and battery state of charge. Rather than using fixed schedules, the system optimizes timing flexibly to meet charging requirements while minimizing impact on operational flexibility, allowing adjustments within acceptable ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as departure time, arrival time, and parking duration to achieve feasible charging schedules. By systematically adjusting these parameters within operational constraints, the system maintains feasibility while preserving adequate operational flexibility for service requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A parking/charging management system (5) includes: a parking/charging plan calculation unit (71) that calculates a parking/charging plan, using an operation plan including a departure time at which an electric vehicle departs from a parking spot and an arrival time at which the electric vehicle arrives at the parking spot, a restriction on the electric vehicle, and a restriction on the charger, as restriction conditions. The parking/charging management system (5) further includes an operation plan setting up determination unit 72 that when calculating the parking/charging plan is possible, determines the operation plan to be executable, and that when the operation plan is executable, outputs the parking/charging plan. The parking/charging plan calculation unit (71) calculates the parking/charging plan, using a restriction on a layout of a parking lot in which the electric vehicle is parked at the parking spot, as a restriction condition.