Mobile Robotic EV Charging for Flexible Parking Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is often expensive, time-consuming, and requires significant modifications to existing buildings, and there is a need for flexible and efficient charging solutions that can accommodate various environments and vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A robotic charging system that operates autonomously or semi-autonomously, utilizing a networked environment with a computing system to manage and deploy mobile charging units, allowing for easy installation, scalability, and adaptive charging capabilities, including vehicle-to-grid and battery-to-grid power management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional EV charging infrastructure is installed in existing buildings, then charging capability is provided, but installation cost and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs mobile robotic charging units that can dynamically move to different locations and adapt to various parking spaces, eliminating the need for fixed infrastructure installation. The robotic units navigate autonomously to vehicles and provide charging services without requiring permanent electrical installations, conduit running, or structural modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic charging unit serves as an intermediary between the power source and the EV, bringing the charging capability to the vehicle rather than requiring the vehicle to connect to fixed infrastructure. This mediator approach allows charging services to be delivered to any location within the facility without modifying the building's electrical infrastructure.
2Reliability
If dedicated EV charging parking spaces are created, then EV charging is enabled, but parking space availability for non-EV vehicles decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic charging units dynamically relocate based on real-time charging demands, allowing any parking space to serve as a charging location. This eliminates the need for dedicated EV charging spaces, as the robotic units can service any vehicle in any parking spot, maintaining full parking space flexibility while ensuring EV charging availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic charging units are designed to serve multiple functions and adapt to different vehicle types and charging requirements. A single robotic unit can charge multiple different EVs in various parking locations, making the charging system universal and eliminating the need for specialized dedicated charging spaces.
3Productivity
If additional EV charging capacity is added to meet demand, then more vehicles can be charged, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The charging infrastructure is segmented into multiple independent robotic units rather than requiring a single large fixed installation. Each robotic unit operates independently and can be deployed or retired based on demand, allowing charging capacity to be scaled by adding or removing individual units without increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Additional charging capacity is achieved by deploying copies of the standardized robotic charging unit rather than expanding fixed infrastructure. Each robotic unit is a self-contained, standardized module that can be replicated and deployed independently, increasing charging capacity without proportionally increasing installation complexity.
4Ease of operation
If fixed charging stations are installed far from electrical rooms, then charging locations are accessible, but power delivery requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic charging units are equipped with onboard energy storage systems that allow them to autonomously navigate to distant parking locations and deliver charging power without requiring high-power electrical infrastructure at each location. The units dynamically manage their own power delivery based on charging demands and battery capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic unit acts as a mobile power intermediary, transporting energy from centralized charging points to vehicles located anywhere in the facility. This eliminates the need for high-power electrical infrastructure at remote parking locations, as the robotic units bring the power delivery capability directly to the vehicles.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a robotic charging system that provides a charge as a service for charging electric vehicles. The robotic charging system can be deployed and managed by a cloud solution in response to user requests to charge a vehicle. The robotic charging system can be autonomous such that it receives a target location and navigates to the target location autonomously. A cloud solution can track, manage, monitor, and deploy robotic charging systems in response to requests submitted by a mobile application.