ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING SCHEDULING SYSTEM

• US 20120245750A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aisu, Hideyuki, Paul, Topon Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,382 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/54 according to a pre-established time schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/126 the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging prediction database stores information on electric vehicles expected to arrive for charging. A profile/charging information database stores information on electric vehicles that have arrived and been waiting for charging. A power database stores information on a power source including at least one of a power grid and a stationary battery. An energy calculating unit calculates energy available from the power source based on the power database. A scheduling unit schedule charging of the electric vehicles waiting for charging in consideration of the electric vehicles expected to arrive.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging scheduling system, comprising:

a charging prediction database configured to store information about electric vehicles expected to arrive for charging;

a profile/charging information database configured to store information about electric vehicles that have arrived and been waiting for charging;

a power database configured to store information about a power source including at least one of a power grid and a stationary battery;

an energy calculating unit configured to calculate energy available from the power source based on the power database; and

a scheduling unit configured to schedule charging of the electric vehicles waiting for charging, wherein

the scheduling unit

calculates available average energy by dividing electric energy available from the power source by the total number of the expected electric vehicles and the electric vehicles waiting for charging,

calculates required charging energy for each of the electric vehicles waiting for charging based on the profile/charging information database,

determines the first group of waiting electric vehicles each of whose required charging energy is equal to or smaller than the available average energy, calculates the difference between the available average energy and the required charging energy for each of the first group of waiting electric vehicles, and sets the supplied charging energy of each of the first group of waiting electric vehicles to the required charging energy,

determines the second group of waiting electric vehicles each of whose required charging energy is larger than the available average energy, distributes the total sum of differences of available average energy and the required charging energy of each of the first group of waiting electric vehicles among the second group of waiting electric vehicles in proportion to magnitudes of differences between the available average energy and the required charging energy of each of the second group of waiting electric vehicles and calculates the supplied charging energy for each of the second group of waiting electric vehicles by summing the proportionally distributed energy and the available average energy and

makes a charging schedule so that the first group of waiting electric vehicles and the second group of waiting electric vehicles are respectively supplied with charging energies determined for the first group of waiting electric vehicles and the second group of waiting electric vehicles.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the scheduling unit

calculates the ratio of the remaining charging energy to be supplied to the remaining charging time for each of the first and the second groups of waiting electric vehicles at each time slot,

distributes the available power at each time slot among the first and the second groups of waiting electric vehicles in proportion to the magnitude of the ratio of the remaining charging energy to be supplied to the remaining charging time for each of the first and the second groups of waiting electric vehicles at each time, and

makes a charging schedule to supply the calculated charging energy to each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles within the available charging period for each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the calculated charging power/current exceeds a predetermined maximum power/current defined for each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles, control is carried out so that the maximum power/current is supplied to the electric vehicle.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the scheduling unit

determines a constant charging current for each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles so that the total required charging power by the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles is within the limit of the maximum available power from the power sources at each time, and the supply of the charging energy to each of the first and second group of waiting electric vehicles can be completed within the available charging period, and

makes a charging schedule so that the constant charging current is supplied during charging of each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling unit calculates the effective capacities of the batteries of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles based on the histories of charge and discharge cycles of the batteries, and sets the charging schedule based on the assumption that the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles have the effective capacities.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

information about the number of charging (EVSE) connectors, wherein

the priorities of the first and second group of waiting electric vehicles are calculated based on the profile/charging information and the charging prediction database, and

the scheduling unit sets the schedule so that the electric vehicles having higher priority are preferentially connected to the charging connectors and charged.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the scheduling unit

calculates a target charging level for each of the first and second groups of waiting electric vehicles based on the profile/charging information or user settings,

assumes that the power sources have sufficient energy for charging the first and second group of waiting electric vehicles to the target charging levels, and

makes a charging schedule so that the first and the second groups of waiting electric vehicles can be charged up to the target charging levels within the available charging period for each of the first and the second group of waiting electric vehicles.