Service Vehicle Charging Lane Layout for Congestion Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric vehicle charging methods often lead to congestion at charging stations, especially during peak hours, resulting in longer charge times and decreased productivity of service vehicles due to inefficient use of space and timing.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dense arrangement of charging lanes with sequential charging components and a centralized charging coordinator to manage vehicle navigation and charging schedules, allowing vehicles to move to vacant charging locations and optimizing the use of space, using both physical and wireless charging methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional charging methods are used where vehicles charge when battery is low or after a set time, then vehicles can maintain operational readiness, but charging stations become congested during peak hours leading to longer charge times and decreased productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system schedules and executes charging operations in advance during off-peak periods or optimal times, rather than waiting until vehicles require charging. The centralized coordinator proactively manages charging schedules to prevent congestion, allowing vehicles to be charged before they would otherwise need to stop service, thereby eliminating wait times at congested stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized charging coordinator continuously monitors charging station status, vehicle battery levels, and traffic patterns to dynamically adjust charging schedules. This feedback mechanism allows the system to redirect vehicles to less congested stations or optimize charging timing based on real-time conditions, reducing overall wait times and improving vehicle productivity.
2Quantity of substance
If charging stations are expanded to accommodate more vehicles, then charging capacity increases, but the geographic footprint and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The charging station is divided into multiple sequential charging lanes with multiple charging components arranged in series along each lane. This segmentation allows multiple vehicles to be charged simultaneously in a compact linear arrangement, increasing charging capacity without proportionally increasing the geographic footprint. Vehicles move through sequential positions in the lane, maximizing space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of expanding charging capacity horizontally by adding more parallel stations, the system utilizes the longitudinal dimension by creating sequential charging positions along lanes. This dimensional transition allows multiple charging points to be packed into a smaller area by arranging them in sequence along the vehicle's path rather than spreading them out across a larger footprint.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple charging components are arranged in parallel lanes, then more vehicles can be charged simultaneously, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple charging lanes are merged into a single integrated system with a centralized coordinator that manages all charging operations. This consolidation allows the system to handle multiple vehicles simultaneously while reducing overall complexity through unified control, rather than having separate independent charging systems for each lane.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized charging coordinator serves multiple functions: it manages scheduling, monitors station status, optimizes routing, and controls multiple charging components across different lanes. This multi-functional approach increases charging capacity while minimizing the addition of separate control systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for charging a battery associated with a vehicle are discussed herein. A dense charging station for charging the battery may have lanes arranged in parallel, and each of the lanes may have sequential charging locations. A vehicle utilizing the charging station may position itself at the first available charging location, being receiving energy, and determine if a subsequent charging station becomes available in the lane, and then position itself at the subsequent charging location, once available. Multiple charging stations may be required to maintain a threshold power state for individual vehicles in a fleet of vehicles providing a service for a geographic region. A charging coordinator may determine when a battery of a vehicle does not satisfy a threshold power state and requires a recharge. Additionally, the charging coordinator may determine a candidate charging station from among multiple charging stations associated with the geographic region.