Grid integration with photovoltaic generation and electric vehicle charging

• US 10,005,371 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powertree Services Inc.
• Original Assignee: Powertree Services Inc.
• Inventors: Reineccius, Stacey, Sellers, John C., Gobar, Franklin
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US15/206,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/24 of photovoltaic origin
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• 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 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• 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 90/167 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 20/242 Home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

System and methods for electric vehicle charging are described. A preferred charging rate associated with an electric vehicle is determined. The preferred charging rate is compared with a first charging rate associated with a utility service current source and a second charging rate associated with an electrical energy storage device. The utility service current source supports the first charging rate and the electrical energy storage device supports the second charging rate, where the second charging rate is greater than the first charging rate. A transfer switch is instructed to select one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device based on the comparison. The transfer switch is coupled to an electric vehicle charger and supplies current to the electric vehicle charger via the selected current source. The electric vehicle is charged at the preferred charging rate using at least the selected current source.

Claims

1. A system for electric vehicle charging, comprising:

an electric vehicle charger;

a transfer switch that is coupled to the electric vehicle charger and supplies current to the electric vehicle charger from one of a utility service current source and an electrical energy storage device, wherein the utility service current source supports a first charging rate and the electrical energy storage device supports a second charging rate that is greater than the first charging rate;

a combining switch that provides current from a renewable current source to at least one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device; and

one or more processors to;

determine a preferred charging rate associated with an electric vehicle;

compare the preferred charging rate with the first and second charging rates; and

instruct the transfer switch to select one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device based on the comparison.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors instruct the transfer switch to select the utility service current source when the preferred charging rate is less than or equal to the first charging rate.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electric vehicle charger charges the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate via the utility service current source and the current from the renewable current source is provided to at least one of the electrical energy storage device and the utility service current source.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of current from the utility service current source is provided to the electrical energy storage device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors instruct the transfer switch to select the electrical energy storage device when the preferred charging rate is greater than the first charging rate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electric vehicle charger charges the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate via a combination of current from the electrical energy storage device and the current from the renewable current source.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electric vehicle charger charges the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate via the electrical energy storage device and at least a portion of the current from the renewable current source is provided to the utility service current source.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle identification system that identifies the electric vehicle, wherein the one or more processors determine the preferred charging rate associated with the electric vehicle based on the identification of the electric vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the combining switch comprises a bidirectional time delayed multi-pole transfer switch.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual net meter, wherein the renewable current source is behind and metered via the virtual net meter;

an ancillary services meter, wherein the electrical energy storage device is behind and metered via the ancillary services meter; and

a load meter, wherein the electric vehicle charger is behind and metered via the load meter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the renewable current source comprises a photovoltaic current source.

12. A method for electric vehicle charging, comprising:

determining a preferred charging rate associated with an electric vehicle;

comparing the preferred charging rate with a first charging rate associated with a utility service current source and a second charging rate associated with an electrical energy storage device, wherein the utility service current source supports the first charging rate and the electrical energy storage device supports the second charging rate, wherein the second charging rate is greater than the first charging rate;

instructing a transfer switch to select one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device based on the comparison, wherein the transfer switch is coupled to an electric vehicle charger and supplies current to the electric vehicle charger via the selected current source;

providing current from a renewable current source to at least one of the electric vehicle charger, the electrical energy storage device, and the utility service current source using a combining switch; and

charging the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate using at least the selected current source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein instructing the transfer switch to select one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device based on the comparison comprises instructing the transfer switch to select the utility service current source when the preferred charging rate is less than or equal to the first charging rate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the current from the renewable current source is provided to at least one of the electrical energy storage device and the utility service current source.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of current from the utility service current source is provided to the electrical energy storage device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein instructing the transfer switch to select one of the utility service current source and the electrical energy storage device based on the comparison comprises instructing the transfer switch to select the electrical energy storage device when the preferred charging rate is greater than the first charging rate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the current from the renewable current source is provided to the electric vehicle charger, and wherein charging the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate comprises charging the electric vehicle at the preferred charging rate via a combination of current from the electrical energy storage device and the current from the renewable current source.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the current from the renewable current source is provided to the utility service current source.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying the electric vehicle using an electric vehicle identification system, wherein the preferred charging rate associated with the electric vehicle is determined based on the identification of the electric vehicle.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the combining switch comprises a bidirectional time delayed multi-pole transfer switch.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

metering the renewable current source via a net meter, wherein the renewable current source is behind the net meter and selectively connected to the net meter via the combining switch.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

metering the electrical energy storage device via an ancillary services meter, wherein the electrical energy storage device is metered in isolation with respect other components.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

metering energy provided by the utility service current source via a load meter, wherein the load meter measures the energy provided to at least one of the electric vehicle charger and the electrical energy storage device.