Optimal charge scheduling of electric vehicles in solar energy integrated power systems considering the uncertainties

Nowadays, vehicle to grid (V2G) capability of the electric vehicle (EV) is used in the smart distribution network (SDN). The main reasons for using the EVs, are improving air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, peak demand shaving and applying ancillary service, and etc. So, in this chapter, a non-linear bi-level model for optimal operation of the SDN is proposed where one or more solar based-electric vehicle parking lots (PLs) with private owners exist. The SDN operator (SDNO) and the PL owners are the decision-makers of the upper-level and lower-level of this model, respectively. The objective functions at two levels are the SDNO’s profit maximization and the PL owners’ cost minimization. For transforming this model into the single-level model that is named mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC), firstly, Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) conditions are used. Furthermore, due to the complementary constraints and non-linear term in the upper-level objective function, this model is linearized by the dual theory and Fortuny-Amat and McCarl linearization method. In the following, it is assumed that the SDNO is the owner of the solar-based EV PLs. In this case, the proposed model is a single-level model. The uncertainty of the EVs and the solar system, as well as two programs, are considered for the EVs, i.e., controlled charging (CC) and charging/discharging schedule (CDS). Because of the uncertainties, a risk-based model is defined by introducing a Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) index. Finally, the bi-level model and the single-level model are tested on an IEEE 33-bus distribution system in three modes; i.e., without the EVs and the solar system, with the EVs by controlled charging and with/ without the solar system, and with the EVs by charging/discharging schedule and with/without the solar system. The main results are reported and discussed.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Electrical Vehicle Charging Impact on Distribution Feeder Model and Mitigation Techniques

Electric Vehicle (EV) charging is one of the largest growing electricity demand sectors that is being added into the electric grid. The bulk electric system, which will carry the majority of the current load, is a specific infrastructure which is regularly monitored for load changes. In contrast, distribution systems do not have the same supervision and therefore can be treated as a black box. The distribution system is important for stability of the grid and in order to predict how much EVs will impact the main grid, a simulator for a distribution line was created to determine substation transformer loading and line loading. In addition, four charging cases for the EVs were created to investigate different charging scenarios. Finally, load mitigation techniques were investigated to offer potential solutions for the overloading of aged infrastructure

Battery-Conscious, Economic, and Prioritization-Based Electric Vehicle Residential Scheduling

Advances in communication technologies and protocols among vehicles, charging stations, and controllers have enabled the application of scheduling techniques to prioritize EV fleet charging. From the perspective of users, residential EV charging must particularly address cost-effective solutions to use energy more efficiently and preserve the lifetime of the battery—the most expensive element of an EV. Considering this matter, this research addresses a residential EV charging scheduling model including battery degradation aspects when discharging. Due to the non-linear characteristics of charging and battery degradation, we consider a mixed integer non-linearly constrained formulation with the aim of scheduling the charging and discharging of EVs to satisfy the following goals: prioritizing charging, reducing charging costs and battery degradation, and limiting the power demand requested to the distribution transformer. The results shows that, when EVs are discharged before charging up within a specific state-of-charge range, degradation can be reduced by 5.3%. All charging requests are completed before the next-day departure time, with 16.35% cost reduction achieved by scheduling charging during lower tariff prices, in addition to prevention of overloading of the distribution transformer

An integrated framework on autonomous-EV charging and autonomous valet parking (AVP) management system

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) transform traditional commuting by decreasing congestion, improving road safety, and naturally integrate better with electric controls for flexible implementation of autonomous driving technologies. Indeed, electric-powered AVs or autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) are benefiting each other in many aspects. While autonomy brings great efficiency in driving as well as battery use, EVs require less maintenance and drastically cut fuel costs. With AVs, a pivotal concern is within the realm of long-range Autonomous Valet Parking (LAVP), such as diverse customer demands on parking (or drop-off / pick-up) for various journey planning. On the other hand, electric-powered AVs are typically with limited cruising range, and locating convenient charging services are also among the major impediments. As of yet, recent studies have started to investigate EV charging and LAVP in isolation as they rarely consider a joint optimization on user trip and energy refueling. Rather, we target in this work the integration of vehicle charging with autonomy in the sense of a systemic approach. Specifically, we propose an integrated AEV charging and LAVP management scheme, to resolve critical decision-making on convenient charging and parking management upon customer requirements during their journeys. The proposed scheme jointly considers charging reservations as well as parking duration at car parks (CPs), aiming to enable accurate predictions on future charging (and parking) states at CPs. Results show the advantage of our proposal over benchmarks, in terms of enhanced customer experiences in traveling period, as well as charging performances at both AEV and CP sides. Particularly, effective load balancing can be achieved across the network regarding the amount of charged as well as parked vehicles

Distributed Control of Charging for Electric Vehicle Fleets Under Dynamic Transformer Ratings

Due to their large power draws and increasing adoption rates, electric vehicles (EVs) will become a significant challenge for electric distribution grids. However, with proper charging control strategies, the challenge can be mitigated without the need for expensive grid reinforcements. This article presents and analyzes new distributed charging control methods to coordinate EV charging under nonlinear transformer temperature ratings. Specifically, we assess the tradeoffs between required data communications, computational efficiency, and optimality guarantees for different control strategies based on a convex relaxation of the underlying nonlinear transformer temperature dynamics. Classical distributed control methods, such as those based on dual decomposition and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), are compared against the new augmented Lagrangian-based alternating direction inexact Newton (ALADIN) method and a novel low-information, look-ahead version of packetized energy management (PEM). These algorithms are implemented and analyzed for two case studies on residential and commercial EV fleets with fixed and variable populations. The latter motivates a novel EV hub charging model that captures arrivals and departures. Simulation results validate the new methods and provide insights into key tradeoffs

Market based intelligent charging system for electric vehicles

The existing electrical infrastructure is very unlikely to expand overnight. Therefore, a smart solution is certainly needed to integrate the additional load which electric vehicles (EV) bring to the network. The aim of the thesis is to study the electricity market, different intelligences related to electric vehicle charging and establish an algorithm that produces an optimized charging schedule for electric vehicles. The algorithm ensures a cost profit for user and takes part in demand response by shifting the timing of charging loads based on energy prices. The core intelligences integrated to the EV charging system in the thesis are cost optimization, peak shaving and load shifting. The algorithm follows the hourly unit cost related to the energy consumption and distribution fee in order to find the cheapest time slot for charging operation. It allocates as high charging power as possible to the cheapest time slots and then start selecting the expensive time slots until the battery is charged to desired state of charge. Along this process, the algorithm continuously calculates the maximum charging power available after other house-hold usage. The Elspot area price of Finland for 2018 added with 0.3 cents/kWh margin and 24% VAT are used as energy prices. Distribution unit prices include time-of-use pricing for day and nighttime energy use in addition to the fixed fuse-based fee. By following these unit prices, the algorithm shifts the load from high demand to low demand hours in order to minimize the total costs. The algorithm is implemented in MATLAB and tested through a case study on different type of Finnish detached houses. Detached houses with different load profile data are used as input for charging a 75 kWh EV with a 10 kW and 7.5 kW charger in different cases, where the other inputs remain same for all the test cases. The Elspot area price of Finland for 2018 added with 0.3 cents/kWh margin and 24% VAT are used as energy prices. Different day and night-time distribution prices are applied depending on the consumption. The simulation results are compared to regular EV charging, where the charging operation starts right after the EV is plugged in and finishes charging within shortest time. The results from the simulation are investigated from user’s and grid’s point of view. From user’s perspective, all the charging events with intelligent charging have costs savings over regular charging. The monetary profit is higher for higher charger rating (10 kW). In cases where the household usage is low, the proportional profit is high. From grid point of view, over 99% of the load gets shifted to night-time for 10 kW charger cases. For the 7.5kW charger, the amount of shifted load is over 97%, which is a little lower than 10 kW charger cases because of longer charging time. The findings of the case study validate the use of smart charging algorithm in order to ensure cost savings for the user

Efficient Use of the Existing Real Estate Infrastructure for Electric Vehicle Charging

The intention to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector is increasing the im- portance of the electric vehicle. In this context, the development of a nationwide charging infrastructure also becomes a central aspect. To avoid a cost explosion, efficient charging strategies are therefore of great importance. In this work, it is analyzed to what extent free line capacities of the existing (build- ing) infrastructure can be used in order to provide new charging stations at low cost. Especially the approach of low power charging plays a central role. For the analysis, charging processes for different building types are simulated and evaluated using Java-based tools. The influence of different input parameters, such as the average distances traveled, on the quality of service of the charging system is analyzed as well. Despite low capacities a high potential becomes visible. Due to comparatively long parking times of the vehicles, higher penetration rates of electric cars result in satisfying charging results too.The low power charging approach can therefore make an enormous impact on a quick expansion of the charging infras- tructure. An equally large potential becomes visible with the analysis of real low power charg- ing data. The results show that for more than half of the charging events the parking time exceeds the pure charging time. In order to use this potential, two optimization approaches are presented within the scope of the work. Their goal is to minimize the total load of the charging system without changing the state of charge of the battery when the customer returns to the vehicle. It shows that peak loads at some locations can be reduced on a scale of up to 50 percent. By using this large peak shaving potential, further charging stations can be installed without unnecessarily large investments