Modular EV Docking With Battery Buffering for Urban Space Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current docking stations for electric scooters and bicycles are rigid, costly, and inefficient in space usage, and city grid power systems face fluctuating energy demands and high charging costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular docking and energy management system with polygonal frames and universal ports, incorporating internal battery modules and smart charging protocols, allowing versatile vehicle docking and adaptable power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional rigid docking stations are used, then they can provide dedicated charging points, but they take up a great deal of space and require expensive real estate
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is divided into modular components including a core device with polygonal frame and multiple interchangeable docking modules. Each module can be independently attached or detached from the frame, allowing the system to be configured in different sizes and shapes to fit various spaces while maintaining reliable charging capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The core device with its polygonal frame and universal coupling mechanism serves multiple functions by accommodating different types of docking modules (scooter docking, bicycle docking, e-bike docking). This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated docking stations for each vehicle type, reducing overall space requirements
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional docking stations are designed for specific vehicle types, then they can provide dedicated service, but they cannot accommodate different brands or types of vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The core device incorporates universal ports with coupling mechanisms that can interface with multiple types of docking modules. The system can be configured to service scooters, bicycles, e-bikes, and other personal electric vehicles through interchangeable modules, providing dedicated service for each vehicle type while maintaining overall versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The docking station configuration is dynamic and adaptable rather than fixed. Modules can be added, removed, or swapped based on the specific vehicle types needed in a particular location, allowing the system to evolve and adapt to changing demands while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized interfaces
3Ease of operation
If docking stations are installed in various locations throughout a city, then they can meet users' needs, but they are costly and take up expensive real estate
Solution Approach 1:
The station's modular design allows it to be segmented into compact configurations that can fit into small urban spaces such as sidewalk corners, parking garage levels, or building lobbies, maintaining user accessibility without requiring large real estate footprints
Solution Approach 2:
The polygonal frame structure efficiently utilizes two-dimensional space by creating a compact geometric footprint. The modular modules extend functionality outward from the compact core, allowing the system to provide extensive vehicle docking capacity while maintaining a small overall footprint suitable for dense urban environments
4Productivity
If city grid power supply is used directly, then charging can be provided, but fluctuating energy prices and demands lead to enormous charging costs and grid failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by charging battery modules during off-peak hours when energy prices are lower and grid demand is reduced. These pre-charged batteries then serve as local energy reserves during peak demand periods, avoiding expensive grid charging and preventing grid overload
Solution Approach 2:
Battery modules serve as an intermediary energy storage medium between the grid and the docking modules. This intermediary layer buffers the direct connection, allowing the system to decouple from real-time grid price fluctuations and demand variations, thereby reducing charging costs and preventing grid failures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and adaptable storage of various vehicles while optimizing energy usage and reducing costs through smart charging and grid balancing.
Implementation Method 1
a battery module disposed within the frame and coupled to a grid power source
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a modular system for energy management and distribution, and for the docking of personal electric vehicles such as electric scooters and bicycles. The system comprises one or more core devices with polygonal frames. The edges of each frame are fitted with universal ports configured to couple with various external modules, including docking modules for different types of vehicles, to meet the demands of the space in which they are installed. The core devices have their own internal battery modules coupled to a power supply grid and implement smart charging protocols to store and discharge energy from their battery modules to connected external modules in an optimal manner. The system thus provides a versatile solution to the complex demands of city environments, both in terms of efficient and adaptable physical storage and varying power demands.