Mobile Energy Storage Routing for EV Surplus Grid Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric grids face challenges during peak energy demand, particularly in summer when increased cooling demands overwhelm the system, leading to potential power failures. There is a need for a method to efficiently collect surplus energy from electric vehicles during these times.
Innovation Solution
A Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU) is deployed to maneuver to idle, uncharged electric vehicles, retrieve a minimum amount of energy, and transfer it to the grid when needed, using wireless or wired connections, optimizing routes based on available surplus energy and distance to ensure efficient energy distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a Mobile Energy Storage Unit maneuvers to idle electric vehicles to retrieve energy, then energy collection efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the energy management function into two parts: stationary charging infrastructure and mobile energy storage units. The MESU acts as an independent mobile entity that can autonomously travel to collect energy from idle vehicles, separating the energy collection function from fixed charging stations and enabling flexible deployment without requiring complex centralized control infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The MESU is designed with autonomous capabilities to self-navigate to idle electric vehicles, self-identify suitable targets based on available surplus energy, and self-execute energy retrieval operations. This self-service approach reduces the need for complex external control systems while improving energy collection efficiency through autonomous decision-making.
2Quantity of substance
If the MESU travels to collect energy from distant vehicles, then energy retrieval capacity increases, but energy loss during transfer increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system retrieves only the minimum necessary amount of energy from each idle vehicle, rather than attempting to collect maximum energy. This partial action approach ensures that sufficient energy is collected to meet grid needs while minimizing the number of vehicles visited and reducing cumulative transfer losses, as each energy transfer operation incurs some efficiency loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The MESU serves as a mobile intermediary between idle electric vehicles and the electric grid. By positioning the MESU as an intermediate energy storage node that travels to vehicles, the system enables direct energy transfer from vehicles to the MESU with minimal loss, then transfers from MESU to grid when needed, reducing overall transfer losses compared to direct vehicle-to-grid connections from distant locations.
Data Source
AI summary
An example operation includes one or more of maneuvering, by a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), to a transport that is stationary for an amount of time, that is not currently being charged, that is at a distance between the transport and the MESU and that is within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport, and retrieving, by MESU, a minimum amount of energy from the transport.