Multi-Tenant EV Depot Charging Control for Cross-Site Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solutions for optimizing electric vehicle charging across multiple fleets and power depots are sub-optimal, leading to under-utilization of resources and potential disruptions due to uncertainties like weather and battery wear, resulting in increased energy costs and delays.
Innovation Solution
A multi-tenant charging system-of-systems that aggregates models of power infrastructure sites into a virtual site model, generates an optimization model to determine optimal charging schedules and power flow rates for electric vehicles across multiple depots, and initiates control of physical components to minimize energy costs and maximize resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional single-fleet charging optimization is used, then charging control is simple to implement, but resource utilization is low and energy costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent fleet charging systems into a unified multi-tenant charging platform that shares infrastructure assets (charging stations, energy storage, power generators) across multiple fleets. This consolidation enables centralized optimization of charging schedules and resource allocation, improving overall resource utilization and reducing energy costs while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging platform is designed with universal infrastructure assets that can serve multiple fleets simultaneously. The system provides multi-functional capabilities including charging services for different fleets, energy storage management, distributed power generation integration, and centralized optimization across all tenants, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Productivity
If charging is optimized for a single fleet, then fleet schedule requirements are met, but resource under-utilization occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fleets share common infrastructure assets including charging stations, energy storage systems, and distributed power generators. By combining resource pools across fleets, the system achieves higher utilization rates of existing assets rather than requiring separate dedicated infrastructure for each fleet, thereby improving productivity without increasing the total quantity of infrastructure assets.
3Reliability
If peak power demand is limited, then grid stability is maintained, but charging time increases and fleet delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging of electric vehicles during off-peak hours when power demand is lower and electricity costs are reduced. The centralized optimization platform forecasts charging needs and schedules charging activities in advance to complete before departure times, thereby reducing actual charging time during peak periods and maintaining fleet schedule reliability without increasing total charging time.
Solution Approach 2:
Energy storage systems serve as intermediary components that store excess power during low-demand periods and discharge during peak charging demands. This mediation allows the system to maintain reliable charging schedules and reduce charging times during critical periods while respecting grid peak power demand limits, thereby improving fleet schedule reliability without proportionally increasing charging time.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fleets share infrastructure, then resource utilization improves, but coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is designed with universal, standardized interfaces and protocols that enable multiple fleets to share infrastructure assets through a common management system. This universal design allows the system to support diverse fleet requirements while maintaining manageable coordination complexity through standardized communication and control mechanisms rather than custom solutions for each fleet.
Data Source
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AI summary
Optimization of independently operated power infrastructure sites, such as electric vehicle (EV) depots, can result in sub-optimal operation across a plurality of power infrastructure sites. Disclosed embodiments aggregate a plurality of power infrastructure sites, which support flexible loads, into a virtual site model, representing a multi-tenant charging system-of-systems, that can be optimized as a single unit, across one or more criteria, to maximize utilization of infrastructure assets and provide robustness against uncertainties during operation of the power infrastructure sites, while minimizing energy costs. When applied to EV depots, embodiments can mitigate or reduce delays in the operation of EV fleets.