Portable Battery Exchange System for Electric Vehicle Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The adoption of all-electric vehicles has been hindered by high costs, limited driving range, and the inconvenience of recharging, particularly in densely populated cities with limited financial resources.
Innovation Solution
A system of portable electrical power storage device collection, charging, and distribution machines is implemented, allowing for the exchange of batteries or power storage devices at various locations, such as convenience stores or gas stations, to address the issues of cost, range, and recharging time, enabling convenient access to electric vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If all-electric vehicles are adopted, then zero tailpipe emission benefit is achieved, but high cost particularly of secondary batteries limits adoption
Solution Approach 1:
The battery system is segmented into modular portable power storage devices that can be independently exchanged. This allows the vehicle to be rented without including expensive batteries, as users can swap depleted devices at collection machines for charged ones, significantly reducing the overall system cost while maintaining zero emission benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Portable electrical power storage device collection, charging and distribution machines serve as intermediaries between battery charging infrastructure and electric vehicles. These machines automatically charge and distribute power storage devices, eliminating the need for users to directly manage expensive battery charging, thus reducing adoption barriers
2Object-affected harmful factors
If all-electric vehicles are adopted, then zero tailpipe emission benefit is achieved, but limited driving range available on a single charge restricts usability
Solution Approach 1:
Power storage devices are pre-charged at collection machines before being distributed to vehicles. Users can exchange depleted devices for pre-charged ones at any collection machine location, ensuring continuous availability of charged power sources and effectively extending the practical driving range without requiring large onboard battery capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The collection machine network acts as an intermediary infrastructure that provides distributed charging capacity across multiple locations. This allows users to access charged power storage devices anywhere in the network, effectively extending driving range beyond what a single vehicle battery could provide
3Object-affected harmful factors
If all-electric vehicles are adopted, then zero tailpipe emission benefit is achieved, but relatively long time necessary to recharge secondary batteries when depleted creates inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
Power storage devices are charged in advance at collection machines while users are using their vehicles. When a user returns a depleted device, a pre-charged one is already available for immediate exchange, eliminating recharging wait time and making the process as convenient as refueling a combustion engine vehicle
Solution Approach 2:
The collection machine serves as an intermediary that handles all charging operations automatically in the background. Users interact only with the simple exchange process, while the machine manages the time-consuming charging operations, effectively removing recharging time from the user experience
4Object-affected harmful factors
If all-electric vehicles are adopted, then zero tailpipe emission benefit is achieved, but limited locations to recharge secondary batteries reduces accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The charging infrastructure is segmented into multiple distributed collection machines placed at various convenient locations such as convenience stores and gas stations. This distribution network provides widespread access to charging services, making the system as accessible as traditional fueling infrastructure while maintaining zero emission benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Collection machines serve multiple functions: they charge power storage devices, distribute charged devices to vehicles, and collect depleted devices for recharging. This multi-functional approach creates a versatile infrastructure that can serve multiple purposes and locations, greatly expanding accessibility compared to dedicated charging stations alone
Data Source
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AI summary
A network of collection and distribution machines may collect, charge and/or distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Electric vehicles available for sharing, renting or otherwise available for temporary use may be located at such collection and distribution machines or other designated areas. Users may request temporary use of such electric vehicles via a user interface of the collection and distribution machine, the user's mobile device or that of the electric vehicle itself. During temporary use, the user may exchange depleted portable electrical energy storage devices of the vehicle being used for charged portable electrical energy storage devices at the collection and distribution machines and may be offered the opportunity to terminate the temporary use session or continue the temporary use session in conjunction with the portable electrical energy storage device exchange.