Portuguese Electric Vehicle network

Thesis (S.M. in Engineering and Management)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-112).Architecting consumes a relatively small portion of the design process, yet the decisions made at this critical stage will direct the overall course of the implementation and operational process. Well architected systems can deliver competitive advantage by delivering maximized benefits at a competitive cost. These beneficial effects are vital in complex systems such as MOBI.E, which is an integrated charging station network linking various points in Portugal that will enable electric vehicles to recharge. MOBI.E's main mission is to jumpstart the Portuguese sustainable electric mobility industry, promoting the integration of the electric power from renewable sources into the functioning and development of cities. This thesis underscores the importance of electric mobility as well as technology trends that will influence the evolution of MOBI.E by constructing a standalone informal primer on MOBI.E. Application of system architecture tools including the morphological matrix to key steps in the architecting process has been demonstrated and evaluations of MOBI.E's architecture have been conducted. Further, a structured framework for architectural evaluation of complex systems, building upon other frameworks in the literature, has been proposed and utilized to critically evaluate MOBIE's current design against best practices in system architecture. The conclusion of this analysis has been that MOBI.E's design has incorporated appropriate technology, minimized future rework, offered flexibility in design & implementation, ensured scalability, as well as helped meet unexpected future needs.by Aravind Ratnam.S.M.in Engineering and Managemen

Optimization of Electric-Vehicle Charging: scheduling and planning problems

The progressive shift from traditional vehicles to Electric Vehicles (EVs ) is considered one of the key measures to achieve the objective of a significant reduction in the emission of pollutants, especially in urban areas. EVs will be widely used in a not-so-futuristic vision, and new technologies will be present for charging stations, batteries, and vehicles. The number of EVs and Charging Stations (CSs) is increased in the last years, but, unfortunately, wide usage of EVs may cause technical problems to the electrical grid (i.e., instability due to intermittent distributed loads), inefficiencies in the charging process (i.e., lower power capacity and longer recharging times), long queues and bad use of CSs. Moreover, it is necessary to plan the CSs installation over the territory, the schedule of vehicles, and the optimal use of CSs. This thesis focuses on applying optimization methods and approaches to energy systems in which EVs are present, with specific reference to planning and scheduling decision problems. In particular, in smart grids, energy production, and storage systems are usually scheduled by an Energy Management System (EMS) to minimize costs, power losses, and CO2 emissions while satisfying energy demands. When CSs are connected to a smart grid, EVs served by CSs represent an additional load to the power system to be satisfied, and an additional storage system in the case of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is enabled. However, the load generated by EVs is deferrable. It can be thought of as a process in which machines (CSs) serve customers/products (EVs) based on release time, due date, deadline, and energy request, as happens in manufacturing systems. In this thesis, first, attention is focused on defining a discrete-time optimization problem in which fossil fuel production plants, storage systems, and renewables are considered to satisfy the grid's electrical load. The discrete-time formalization can use forecasting for renewables and loads without data elaboration. On the other side, many decision variables are present, making the optimization problem hard to solve through commercial optimization tools. For this reason, an alternative method for the optimal schedule of EVs characterized by a discrete event formalization is presented. This new approach can diminish the number of variables by considering the time intervals as variables themselves. Of course, the solution's optimality is not guaranteed since some assumptions are necessary. Moreover, the last chapter proposes a novel approach for the optimal location and line assignment for electric bus charging stations. In particular, the model provides the siting and sizing of some CSs to maintain a minimum service frequency over public transportation lines

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: literature review

Smart grids are expected to play a central role in any transition to a low-carbon energy future, and much research is currently underway on practically every area of smart grids. However, it is evident that even basic aspects such as theoretical and operational definitions, are yet to be agreed upon and be clearly defined. Some aspects (efficient management of supply, including intermittent supply, two-way communication between the producer and user of electricity, use of IT technology to respond to and manage demand, and ensuring safe and secure electricity distribution) are more commonly accepted than others (such as smart meters) in defining what comprises a smart grid. It is clear that smart grid developments enjoy political and financial support both at UK and EU levels, and from the majority of related industries. The reasons for this vary and include the hope that smart grids will facilitate the achievement of carbon reduction targets, create new employment opportunities, and reduce costs relevant to energy generation (fewer power stations) and distribution (fewer losses and better stability). However, smart grid development depends on additional factors, beyond the energy industry. These relate to issues of public acceptability of relevant technologies and associated risks (e.g. data safety, privacy, cyber security), pricing, competition, and regulation; implying the involvement of a wide range of players such as the industry, regulators and consumers. The above constitute a complex set of variables and actors, and interactions between them. In order to best explore ways of possible deployment of smart grids, the use of scenarios is most adequate, as they can incorporate several parameters and variables into a coherent storyline. Scenarios have been previously used in the context of smart grids, but have traditionally focused on factors such as economic growth or policy evolution. Important additional socio-technical aspects of smart grids emerge from the literature review in this report and therefore need to be incorporated in our scenarios. These can be grouped into four (interlinked) main categories: supply side aspects, demand side aspects, policy and regulation, and technical aspects.

Hybrid-electric vehicle design and applications

This paper discusses the considerations involved in hybrid-electric vehicle design. The tradeoffs between issues such as drive scheme/arrangement, motor choice, batteries, and temperature control are investigated. The technologies and components which are currently available, and those which are likely in the near future, are described. A sport utility vehicle is taken as a specific case study because they are very popular and relatively inefficient. Calculations indicate that a hybrid sport utility vehicle with all wheel drive is feasible using existing components. The next generation vehicle using new technologies is also predicted

Mass introduction of electric passenger vehicles in Brazil: impact assessment on energy use, climate mitigation and on charging infrastructure needs for several case studies

Mobility has proved to be a major challenge for human development, especially in urban centers worldwide, where more displacement is required, since fossil fuels consumption is increasing as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, causing air quality degradation and global warming. The predicted population increase in cities tends to increase the demand for mobility and to further exacerbate those impacts. Therefore, sustainable transport is key for the future of mobility, and electric vehicle (EV) has emerged as a recognized sustainable option. However, there are many electric vehicle barriers diffusion. This research aims to contribute to the diffusion of EV in Brazil, by assessing: 1) whether EV is a more sustainable technology when compared with ethanol vehicle; 2) the impacts of the expansion of electric mobility on CO2 emissions, in Sao Paulo; 3) how to overcome the barriers for the charging infrastructure deployment at the municipality level, in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte; and 4) key challenges and opportunities from the mass adoption of EV in Brazil. A plethora of different methods were used, including scenario analysis, multi-criteria decision methods, geographic information systems and SWOT analysis. Main results point to EV as the best technology to mitigate passenger transport related CO2 emissions in Brazil, due to its low carbon footprint. In Sao Paulo, this option could reduce around 11 MtCO2 by 2030 and save 6,200 billion USD in energy with the replacement of 20 percent of gasoline cars with EV. To meet 1 percent of EV's market share, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte together will need around 6,500 charging stations concentrated in around 1/3 of their territories (level 2). Brazil may likely have up to 10 percent of EV penetration by 2030, with the diffusion taking place mostly in southeastern municipality. Ethanol, lack of electric mobility public policy, non-urbanized like subnormal agglomerates, and risk areas, like flood hazard, are major obstacles for EV diffusion in Brazil

Scenarios for the Development of Smart Grids in the UK: Literature Review

This Working Paper reviews the existing literature on the socio-technical aspects of smart grid development. This work was undertaken as part of the Scenarios for the Development of Smart Grids in the UK project

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK : literature review

No abstractUK Energy Research Centr

The future of plug-in hybrid passenger cars in Europe

This research study establishes the most likely scenarios for which plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles will be used as company cars within the European Union by 2035. Due to increasing oil costs and environmental unpopularity of the normal diesel or petrol engine car, it is expected that the electric car will eventually take over. However, electric cars still have major challenges to overcome with limited mileage range between charging intervals and sparsely located charge points from which to recharge the car battery. For this reason, the plug-in hybrids, which have both electric and petrol/diesel power options, have the potential to begin replacing the normal combustion engine car while providing some of the cost and environmental benefits of the electric car not yet sufficiently developed. Using the Delphi method and the expert knowledge of stakeholders in the automotive and company car fleet sectors; this study has obtained their privileged viewpoints on various future scenarios for plug-in hybrids. These viewpoints, following some statistical analysis, were shared anonymously among an expert panel to facilitate further discussion. The results were then reviewed and used to create an interview guide in order to carry out semi-structured interviews with fifteen ‘subject matter experts’. Interview transcripts were subject to thematic analysis from which themes were derived and final scenarios concluded the future of plug-in hybrid cars in the European company car fleet. Results indicated a mixed model of passenger cars power chains by 2035, with plug-in hybrids in a declining market. Fully electric cars dominate, with a minority, but growing share of the market, going to hydrogen vehicles. Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells will eventually disrupt the entire European car market in the 2040s, as hydrogen gas becomes more efficiently produced. Understanding the potential for plug-in hybrid technology as the next market innovation disrupter in the car industry and developing a methodology from which to research this, makes an important theoretical contribution to research on emerging car technologies. It also fulfils the current knowledge gap that exists regarding diffusion of this technology platform in the automotive and financial leasing markets. It provides valuable direction to passenger car fleet providers and car manufacturers alike, as they struggle with new technology innovations in the automotive sector and with investment strategies required to make the proposed transition to electric vehicles

Scenarios for the Development of Smart Grids in the UK: Literature Review

This Working Paper reviews the existing literature on the socio-technical aspects of smart grid development. This work was undertaken as part of the Scenarios for the Development of Smart Grids in the UK project