Bidirectional EV-Trailer Charging Priority Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for electrified vehicles lack efficient methods to prioritize and manage bidirectional energy transfers between vehicles and charging trailers, especially during dynamic conditions such as movement, which can lead to suboptimal energy distribution and charging strategies.
Innovation Solution
A bidirectional energy transfer system with a control module that executes an energy transfer prioritization control strategy based on user-input charge priority, allowing for coordinated energy flow between electrified vehicles and charging trailers, including recreational/industrial vehicles, using a bidirectional power transfer system and telecommunications module to manage energy transfers effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bidirectional energy transfer is enabled between electrified vehicles and charging trailers, then energy distribution flexibility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments energy management into hierarchical levels: vehicle-level control modules manage individual battery packs, while trailer-level control modules coordinate multiple vehicles. This segmentation allows complex bidirectional energy transfer to be broken down into manageable local decisions, improving flexibility without overwhelming system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized energy management platform acts as an intermediary, receiving charge priority inputs from users and coordinating energy flow between vehicles and trailers. This mediator simplifies the control architecture by centralizing decision-making logic, enabling flexible energy distribution while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized communication protocols
2Ease of operation
If manual charge priority selection is implemented, then user control over energy distribution is improved, but response time during dynamic conditions may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Users pre-configure charge priority levels for different vehicles and battery packs before energy transfer events. These preliminary settings are stored and automatically retrieved during dynamic conditions, eliminating the need for real-time manual adjustments while maintaining user control preferences
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors battery state of charge, power availability, and transfer status, providing real-time feedback to users about energy distribution. This feedback loop allows users to adjust priorities based on current conditions, balancing manual control with rapid system response during dynamic events
3Productivity
If prioritized energy transfer strategy is executed, then charging efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control modules prioritize energy transfer based on configurable parameters such as charge priority levels, battery state of charge thresholds, and power availability. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system optimizes charging efficiency without requiring complex hardware modifications, achieving improved productivity through software-based parameter management
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for coordinating and controlling power flow during bidirectional energy transfer events between an electrified vehicle and one or more charging trailers. The systems and methods may prioritize energy transfers between each connected energy based on a charge priority selection that may be manually input by a user of the system. Charge energy may be transferred to the appropriate energy unit using such a manual approach to meet customer needs with varying levels of priority according to an energy transfer prioritization control strategy that is derived from various inputs that are considered.