MANAGING ELECTRIC VEHICLE LOADS ON AN ELECTRIC GRID

• US 20160332527A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Original Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Inventors: North, Forrest, Manfield, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 10,766,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• 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 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/322 the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating grid alerts for an electric grid, and performing actions in response to the grid alerts, such as shaping, shifting, or otherwise modifying a load applied to the grid, are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods access information identifying states of charging events for one or more electric vehicles at one or more charging stations, the one or more charging stations coupled to an electric grid and providing charge to the one or more electric vehicles, determine that the information identifying the states of the charging events for the one or more electric vehicles at the one or more charging stations coupled to the electric grid indicates a condition of the electric grid that is outside threshold condition of the electric grid, and perform an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is outside the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid.

Claims

1. A computerized method, the method comprising:

accessing information identifying states of charging events for one or more electric vehicles at one or more charging stations, the one or more charging stations coupled to an electric grid and providing charge to the one or more electric vehicles;

determining that the information identifying the states of the charging events for the one or more electric vehicles at the one or more charging stations coupled to the electric grid indicates a condition of the electric grid that is above a predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid; and

performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the information identifying the states of the charging events for the one or more electric vehicles at the one or more charging stations coupled to the electric grid indicates a condition of the electric grid that is above a predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes determining a cumulative load applied to the electric grid due to the charging events for the one or more electric vehicles at the one or more charging stations is above a predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes:

automatically pausing a group of the one or more charging events;

determining that a cumulative load applied to the electric grid after pausing the group of charging events is below the predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid; and

resuming the charging events of the paused group of charging events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes:

identifying a group of electric vehicles associated with low priority charging events;

automatically pausing the low priority charging events;

determining that a cumulative load applied to the electric grid after pausing the low priority events is below the predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid; and

resuming the low priority charging events for the identified group of electric vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing information identifying states of charging events for one or more electric vehicles at one or more charging stations, the one or more charging stations coupled to an electric grid and providing charge to the one or more electric vehicles includes accessing information collected by mobile applications that are associated with drivers of the one or more electric vehicles.

6. A system for managing loads applied to an electric grid by electric vehicles, the system comprising:

an information module that accesses information identifying states of charging events for a fleet of electric vehicles at multiple charging stations, the multiple charging stations coupled to an electric grid and providing charge to the fleet of electric vehicles;

a grid condition module that determines the information identifying the states of the charging events for the fleet of electric vehicles at the multiple charging stations coupled to the electric grid indicate a load condition applied to the electric grid is above a predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid; and

an action module that performs an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein determining that the information identifying the states of the charging events for the fleet of electric vehicles at the multiple charging stations coupled to the electric grid indicates a condition of the electric grid that is above a predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes determining a cumulative load applied to the electric grid due to the charging events for the fleet of electric vehicles at the multiple charging stations is above a predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes:

automatically pausing a group of the charging events;

determining that a cumulative load applied to the electric grid after pausing the group of charging events is below the predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid; and

resuming the charging events of the paused group of charging events.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes:

identifying a group of electric vehicles of the fleet of electric vehicles associated with low priority charging events;

automatically pausing the low priority charging events;

determining that a cumulative load applied to the electric grid after pausing the low priority events is below the predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid; and

resuming the low priority charging events for the identified group of electric vehicles.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein accessing information identifying states of charging events for the fleet of electric vehicles at the multiple charging stations includes accessing information collected by mobile applications that are associated with drivers of the one or more electric vehicles.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes:

automatically pausing a group of the charging events by directly controlling charging operations of one or more electric vehicles of the fleet of electric vehicles;

determining that a cumulative load applied to the electric grid after pausing the group of charging events is below the predetermined threshold load applied by charging electric vehicles on the electric grid; and

resuming the charging events of the paused group of charging events.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein performing an action in response to determining the condition of the electric grid is above the predetermined threshold condition of the electric grid includes controlling charging operations of one or more electric vehicles of the fleet of electric vehicles at a first location of the electric grid to provide power to the electric grid at the first location.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method of managing a load applied to an electric grid, the method comprising:

receiving a grid alert from an electric grid that indicates the electric grid is in a demand condition outside of a threshold demand condition; and

directly controlling charging operations of a fleet of electric vehicles connected to the electric grid to adjust the demand condition of the electric grid.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein directly controlling charging operations of a fleet of electric vehicles connected to the electric grid to adjust the demand condition of the electric grid includes:

pausing charging events for one or more of the electric vehicles to lower the demand condition of the electric grid.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein directly controlling charging operations of a fleet of electric vehicles connected to the electric grid to adjust the demand condition of the electric grid includes:

commencing charging events for one or more of the electric vehicles to lower an energy supply applied to the electric grid.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein directly controlling charging operations of a fleet of electric vehicles connected to the electric grid to adjust the demand condition of the electric grid includes:

pausing charging events for one or more of the electric vehicles connected to the electric grid at a specific location of the electric grid to lower a voltage applied to the electric grid at the specific location.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein directly controlling charging operations of a fleet of electric vehicles connected to the electric grid to manage the demand condition of the electric grid includes shifting an overall load applied to the electric grid by:

pausing charging events for one or more of the electric vehicles at a first location of the electric grid; and

commencing charging events for one or more of the electric vehicles at a second location of the electric grid.