Peer-to-Peer EV Charger Network Current Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle charging systems often exceed the current limit of electrical distribution components, leading to potential damage and shutdowns, as they lack efficient management of current distribution among multiple charging devices connected to the same network.
Innovation Solution
A peer-to-peer network of charging devices that dynamically adjusts current supply based on network tokens and charging parameters, allowing each device to determine its current draw from a common electrical distribution device without a dedicated master controller, ensuring balanced current distribution and preventing overload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple charging devices operate concurrently to supply charging current to electric vehicles, then the charging service capacity is improved, but the current supplied to the electrical distribution component may exceed its rated current limit causing damage or shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
Each charging device autonomously determines whether to operate and at what power level by monitoring network conditions and receiving acknowledgments from a master charging device, eliminating the need for external coordination while preventing overload
Solution Approach 2:
The master charging device sends acknowledgment messages to slave charging devices indicating whether they should operate based on current network conditions, creating a feedback loop that dynamically adjusts charging capacity to prevent exceeding distribution component limits
2Reliability
If a dedicated master control device is used to manage current draw from multiple EVSEs, then current distribution control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The functions of master and slave charging devices are merged into a single unified system where any charging device can assume the master role dynamically, eliminating the need for separate dedicated master control hardware while maintaining coordinated current management
3Productivity
If the group of EVSE chargers exceeds a predetermined current limit for the distribution network, then more vehicles can be charged simultaneously, but circuit protection devices trip or open shutting off current flow to all chargers
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows charging devices to attempt operation beyond what would traditionally be considered safe limits, but dynamically restricts actual current draw based on real-time network conditions, enabling partial utilization of available capacity while preventing harmful overload
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operating state of charging devices based on real-time monitoring of distribution network conditions, allowing the charging capacity to flexibly adapt to available power supply without static predetermined limits
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for use in supplying current to a plurality of power storage devices includes a first charging device configured to supply current to a first power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices. The system also includes at least one other charging device coupled to the first charging device to form a network. The at least one other charging device is configured to supply current to at least one other power storage device of the plurality of power storage devices. The first charging device includes a processor programmed to determine whether said first charging device possesses a network token, and if so, to determine a second charging parameter associated with said second charging device, determine a second amount of current to be at least one of received from the electrical supply or supplied to the first power storage device, based at least in part on said determined first and second charging parameters.