Dynamic load management for use in recharging vehicles equipped with electrically powered propulsion systems

• US 8,143,842 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lava Four LLC
• Original Assignee: Lava Four LLC
• Inventors: Tyler, Richard M., McKenna, Daniel B., Graziano, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US12/436,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/109
• US Class Current: 320/104
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• 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: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 3/144 Demand-response operation of the power transmission or distribution network
• 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: 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 : Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

The E-Grid Sub-Network Load Manager operates to regulate the demands presented by the vehicles to the associated Sub-Network thereby to spread the load presented to the service disconnect over time to enable the controllable charging of a large number of vehicles. The load management can be implemented by a number of methodologies, including: queuing requests and serving each request in sequence until satisfaction; queuing requests and cycling through them, partially serving each request, then proceeding to the next until the cyclic partial charging service has satisfied all requests; ordering requests pursuant to a percentage of recharge required measurement; ordering requests on an estimated connection time metric; ordering requests on a predetermined level of service basis; and the like. It is evident that a number of these methods can be concurrently employed thereby to serve all of the vehicles in the most efficient manner that can be determined.

Claims

1. A system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles, each of which includes a propulsion system powered, at least in part, by electric power, at least some of which is stored onboard the vehicle in an electric power storage apparatus, comprising:

an Electric Grid Interconnect which is connected to a source of electric power for providing electric power to an electric power storage apparatus which is located in each vehicle;

a plurality of electric outlets, each of which is connected to said Electric Grid Interconnect via a conductive path and to one of said plurality of vehicles, to enable a flow of electric power from said source of electric power to said electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle; and

wherein said Electric Grid Interconnect comprises a load manager, comprising;

a load calculator, responsive to receipt of electric power load data from said vehicles, for determining a present electric power load presented by said vehicles,

a dynamic load adjustor, responsive to receipt of updated electric power load data from a vehicle, for submitting said received updated electric power load data to said load calculator, comprising;

a difference calculator for computing a difference between said received updated electric power load data and the electric power load data from said vehicle used to compute said present electric power load,

a threshold calculator for determining if said difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

a load controller, responsive to said determined present electric power load for enabling a subset of said plurality of vehicles to receive a flow of electric power from said source of electric power.

2. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 1 wherein said dynamic load adjustor further comprises:

load management trigger, responsive to said difference exceeding said predetermined threshold, for submitting said updated electric power load data to said load calculator.

3. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric outlet identification, which uniquely identifies said electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said Electric Grid Interconnect comprises;

a plurality of circuit breakers, each of which interconnects at least one of said electric outlets to said source of electric power, for regulating delivery of electric power from said source of electric power to said at least one electric outlet; and

wherein said load manager comprises;

load calculator, responsive to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, for determining a present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers.

4. The system for controllably providing power to recharge vehicles which utilize electric power of claim 3 wherein said load manager further comprises:

circuit breaker load management process selector, responsive to said determined present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers, for selecting at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said circuit breakers.

5. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 4, further comprising:

power switch to controllably enable a flow of electric power from said circuit breakers to said connected electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle via said conductive path.

6. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 4, further comprising:

power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented to said electric outlet.

7. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 6 wherein said circuit breaker load management process selector signals said power converter module in said selected vehicle to control the amount of electric power that said power converter module draws from said conductive path.

8. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric outlet identification, which uniquely identifies said electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said load manager comprises;

load calculator, responsive to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, for determining a present electric power load served by said Electric Grid Interconnect; and

Electric Grid Interconnect load management process selector, responsive to said determined present electric power load served by said Electric Grid Interconnect, for selecting at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said Electric Grid Interconnect.

9. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 8, further comprising:

power switch to controllably enable a flow of electric power from said Electric Grid Interconnect to said connected electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle via said conductive path.

10. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 8, further comprising:

power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented to said electric outlet.

11. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 10 wherein said Electric Grid Interconnect load management process selector signals said power converter module in said selected vehicle to control the amount of electric power that said power converter module draws from said conductive path.

12. The system for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric outlet identification, which uniquely identifies said electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said Electric Grid Interconnect comprises;

a plurality of circuit breakers, each of which interconnects at least one of said electric outlets to said source of electric power, for regulating delivery of electric power from said source of electric power to said at least one electric outlet;

wherein said load manager comprises;

load calculator, responsive to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, for determining a present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers and by said Electric Grid Interconnect, and

vehicle load management process selector, responsive to said determined present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers, for selecting at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said circuit breakers; and

power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented by said vehicle to said electric outlet.

13. A method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles, each of which includes a propulsion system powered, at least in part, by electric power, at least some of which is stored onboard the vehicle in an electric power storage apparatus, comprising:

providing, via an Electric Grid Interconnect which is connected to a source of electric power, electric power to an electric power storage apparatus which is located in each vehicle;

enabling, via a plurality of electric outlets, each of which is connected to said Electric Grid Interconnect via a conductive path and to one of said plurality of vehicles, a flow of electric power from said source of electric power to said electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle; and

wherein said step of providing comprises enabling a load manager, comprising;

determining, in response to receipt of electric power load data from said vehicles, a present electric power load presented by said vehicles,

a dynamic load adjustor, responsive to receipt of updated electric power load data from a vehicle, for submitting said received updated electric power load data to said load calculator, comprising;

computing a difference between said received updated electric power load data and the electric power load data from said vehicle used to compute said present electric power load,

determining if said difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

enabling, in response to said determined present electric power load, a subset of said plurality of vehicles to receive a flow of electric power from said source of electric power.

14. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 13 wherein said step of enabling further comprises:

submitting, in response to said difference exceeding said predetermined threshold, said updated electric power load data to said load calculator.

15. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 13, further comprising:

uniquely identifying said electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said step of providing an Electric Grid Interconnect comprises;

regulating a plurality of circuit breakers, each of which interconnects at least one of said electric outlets to said source of electric power, to deliver electric power from said source of electric power to said at least one electric outlet; and

wherein said step of enabling a load manager comprises;

determining, in response to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, a present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers.

16. The method for controllably providing power to recharge vehicles which utilize electric power of claim 15 wherein said step of enabling a load manager further comprises:

selecting, in response to said determined present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers, at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said circuit breakers.

17. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 16, further comprising:

controllably enabling a flow of power from said circuit breakers to said connected electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle via said conductive path.

18. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 16, further comprising:

controlling a power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented to said electric outlet.

19. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 18 wherein said step of selecting signals said power converter module in said selected vehicle to control the amount of electric power that said power converter module draws from said conductive path.

20. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 13, further comprising:

uniquely identifying said electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said step of enabling a load manager further comprises;

determining, in response to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, a present electric power load served by said Electric Grid Interconnect; and

selecting, in response to said determined present electric power load served by said Electric Grid Interconnect, at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said Electric Grid Interconnect.

21. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 20, further comprising:

controllably enabling a flow of electric power from said Electric Grid Interconnect to said connected electric power storage apparatus located in said one vehicle via said conductive path.

22. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 19, further comprising:

controlling a power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented to said electric outlet.

23. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 22 wherein said Electric Grid Interconnect load management process selector signals said power converter module in said selected vehicle to control the amount of electric power that said power converter module draws from said conductive path.

24. The method for controllably providing power to recharge a plurality of vehicles of claim 13, further comprising:

uniquely identifying an electric outlet to said vehicle when said vehicle is connected to said electric outlet;

wherein said step of providing comprises;

regulating a plurality of circuit breakers, each of which interconnects at least one of said electric outlets to said source of electric power, to deliver electric power from said source of electric power to said at least one electric outlet;

wherein said step of enabling a load manager comprises;

determining, in response to receipt of said electric outlet identification and electric power load data from said vehicles, a present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers and by said Electric Grid Interconnect,

selecting, in response to said determined present electric power load served by each of said circuit breakers, at least one load management process to regulate the electric power load presented by at least one vehicle connected to said at least one outlet connected to said circuit breakers; and

controlling a power converter module, located in said vehicle, to control said electric power load presented by said vehicle to said electric outlet.