Vehicular Microgrid Battery Buffer for Coordinated Grid Supplementation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques fail to effectively scale up the discharge of surplus electricity from vehicles to the main electric grid, leading to inefficient and uncoordinated energy transfer.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent vehicular microgrid system that includes a set of vehicular charging stations coupled to an intermediate battery, utilizing machine learning models to determine optimal times for discharging surplus electricity from the intermediate battery to the main electric grid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicles discharge surplus electricity directly to the main electric grid using existing techniques, then individual vehicles can contribute energy, but the system cannot be effectively scaled up to a large number of vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate battery system as a mediator between multiple vehicles and the main electric grid. This intermediary component accumulates surplus electricity from multiple vehicles in a coordinated manner and then discharges to the grid when warranted, enabling scalable aggregation of energy contributions without requiring complex direct connections from each vehicle to the grid.
2Ease of operation
If vehicles discharge surplus electricity without coordination, then individual discharges can occur, but the discharge timing does not align with when the main electric grid warrants supplementation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where a machine learning model analyzes grid conditions and vehicle availability to determine optimal discharge timing. The system continuously monitors when the main electric grid warrants supplementation and coordinates discharges accordingly, ensuring that accumulated energy is released at reliable, grid-appropriate times rather than through uncoordinated individual discharges.
3Reliability
If an intermediate battery is introduced to accumulate surplus electricity from multiple vehicles, then coordinated discharge becomes possible, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate battery system serves multiple functions: it accumulates surplus electricity from vehicles, stores energy for later discharge, and provides coordinated energy transfer to the grid. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into a single versatile platform, managing complexity through functional integration rather than proliferation of components.
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
The system enables coordinated and efficient discharge of surplus electricity, providing non-negligible assistance to the main electric grid at times of high demand, thereby improving grid operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vehicle component that can accumulate, within the intermediate battery, surplus electricity collectively supplied by one or more vehicles
Implementation Method 2
a grid component that can discharge, at a time at which a main electric grid warrants supplementation, the surplus electricity from the intermediate battery to the main electric grid
Data Source
AI summary
Systems/techniques that facilitate intelligent vehicular microgrids are provided. In various embodiments, a system can comprise a set of vehicular charging stations coupled to an intermediate battery. In various aspects, the system can accumulate, within the intermediate battery, surplus electricity collectively supplied by one or more vehicles that dock at the set of vehicular charging stations. In various instances, the system can discharge, at a time at which a main electric grid warrants supplementation, the surplus electricity from the intermediate battery to the main electric grid. In various cases, the system can determine the time at which the main electric grid warrants supplementation, via execution of a machine learning model.