Home EV Charging Current Control Under Service Panel Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rapid adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) poses a challenge due to the significant electrical load they impose on home and commercial electrical systems, often requiring costly upgrades to service panels, and existing Level II charging infrastructure is underutilized as EVs occupy charging spots even after batteries are fully charged.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle charging system that includes logic collocated with the service panel to monitor and manage electric current consumption, dynamically allocating charging power among multiple EVs based on their charging requirements, battery status, and usage patterns, allowing for load sharing and time-sharing of charging capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If Level II charging infrastructure is installed to provide 220V charging capability at 30-40 Amps, then EV charging requirement is met, but home electric service capacity is exceeded and costly upgrades are required
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system dynamically adjusts the charging rate based on real-time monitoring of home electric service panel capacity and current load conditions. The controller modulates the charging current to match available capacity, enabling Level II charging capability without requiring permanent infrastructure upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of the charging process by varying voltage, current, and power delivery based on detected service panel capacity. This allows the same charging infrastructure to adapt to different service panel configurations (100A, 125A, 200A) without physical modifications.
2Productivity
If multiple EVs are charged simultaneously at home, then fleet charging requirement is met, but electric service panel capacity is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic monitoring and control cycles where the controller continuously assesses service panel capacity and adjusts charging rates accordingly. This periodic action enables multiple EVs to share limited capacity through time-multiplexed charging, achieving fleet charging goals without exceeding panel limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The total available service panel capacity is segmented and allocated among multiple EVs based on their charging needs and priority. The controller divides the limited power resource into manageable portions for each vehicle, enabling simultaneous charging of multiple EVs within the constraints of the existing service panel.
3Reliability
If EVs occupy parking spaces after charging is complete, then charging requirement is met, but charging infrastructure utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor charging status, vehicle occupancy, and infrastructure utilization. When charging is complete and the vehicle remains parked, the system can notify the owner or automatically adjust parking space allocation, ensuring that occupied spaces are truly needed and maximizing infrastructure utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle charging system includes logic collocated with an electric service panel to monitor a total present electric current consumption value for all electric consumers below a point in the service panel; a first input to receive the present electric current consumption value from the logic collocated with the service panel, and to compare the present electric current consumption value with a maximum current capacity value for the service panel; a second input to receive electric current from the service panel; an output to supply electric charging power to at least one electric vehicle; and logic to set an electric charging current drawn from the service panel through the second input and provided to the electric vehicle charging output to a value less than a difference between the maximum current capacity for the service panel and a sum of the present electric current consumption value and the current consumption value of a largest expected electric consumer.