Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles
Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles is described herein. A power cabinet includes multiple power modules that each are capable of supplying an amount of power to a dispenser. Multiple dispensers are coupled with the same power cabinet. A first power bus couples a first dispenser and switchably connects the power modules to the first dispenser; and a second power bus couples a second dispenser and switchably connects the power modules to the second dispenser. The power cabinet includes a control unit that is configured to cause the power modules to switchably connect and disconnect from the first power bus and the second power bus to dynamically allocate the power modules between the first dispenser and the second dispenser.
1. A dispenser to charge electric vehicles, comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the following:
request power from a power cabinet that includes a plurality of power modules for charging an electric vehicle, wherein the dispenser is one of a plurality of dispensers that are supplied power by the power cabinet, wherein each power module can be allocated to a single one of the dispensers at a time and supply an amount of power to that single one of the dispensers at that time, and wherein the plurality of power modules together cannot handle a maximum rating of the plurality of dispensers,
prior to charging service being provided to the electric vehicle through the dispenser, receive a message that indicates an allocation of a plurality of the power modules regardless of whether an amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power exceeds an amount of power determined for charging the electric vehicle,
determine an amount of power for charging the electric vehicle,
in response to a determination that the amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power exceeds the determined amount of power for charging the electric vehicle, send a message to the power cabinet to release one or more of the allocated power modules such that a total amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power does not exceed the determined amount of power for charging the electric vehicle, and wherein the one or more of the allocated power modules are available to be allocated to another one of the plurality of dispensers after being released, and
in response to a determination to dynamically allocate the plurality of power modules between the plurality of dispensers, participate in a dynamic allocation of the plurality of power modules to the plurality of dispensers wherein at least one of the plurality of power modules that is presently allocated to the dispenser is deallocated and reallocated to another one of the plurality of dispensers, wherein the dynamic allocation of the plurality of power modules is based on a set of one or more factors including a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the plurality of dispensers.
2. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more factors further include one or more properties of active charging sessions on the plurality of dispensers.
3. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the one or more properties of the active charging sessions include for each charging session, one or more of: a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers has been parked in proximity to the plurality of dispensers, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers.
4. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the set of one or more factors further includes load supply condition.
5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is to select the amount of allocated power modules to release based on operating time of each of the plurality of power modules.
6. A method, comprising:
requesting power from a power cabinet that includes a plurality of power modules for charging an electric vehicle, wherein the dispenser is one of a plurality of dispensers that are supplied power by the power cabinet, wherein each power module can be allocated to a single one of the dispensers at a time and supply an amount of power to that single one of the dispensers at that time, and wherein the plurality of power modules together cannot handle a maximum rating of the plurality of dispensers;
prior to charging service being provided to the electric vehicle through the dispenser, receiving a message that indicates an allocation of a plurality of the power modules regardless of whether an amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power exceeds an amount of power determined for charging the electric vehicle;
determining an amount of power for charging the electric vehicle;
responsive to determining that the amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power exceeds the determined amount of power for charging the electric vehicle, sending a message to the power cabinet to release one or more of the allocated power modules such that a total amount of allocated power modules and corresponding amount of power does not exceed the determined amount of power for charging the electric vehicle, and wherein the one or more of the allocated power modules are available to be allocated to another one of the plurality of dispensers after being released; and
responsive to determining to dynamically allocate the plurality of power modules between the plurality of dispensers, participating in a dynamic allocation of the plurality of power modules to the plurality of dispensers wherein at least one of the plurality of power modules that is presently allocated to the dispenser is deallocated and reallocated to another one of the plurality of dispensers, wherein the dynamic allocation of the plurality of power modules is based on a set of one or more factors including a maximum rate of power that can be dispensed by each of the plurality of dispensers.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of one or more factors further include one or more properties of active charging sessions on the plurality of dispensers.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more properties of the active charging sessions include for each charging session, one or more of: a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers has been charging, a duration that each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers has been parked in proximity to the plurality of dispensers, a time remaining on each charging session, a type of account associated with each charging session, an amount of current drawn by each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a percentage of charge complete of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a percentage of charge remaining of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a battery temperature of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, a type of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers, and a reservation status of each electric vehicle connected to the plurality of dispensers.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the set of one or more factors further includes load supply condition.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
selecting the amount of allocated power modules to release based on operating time of each of the plurality of power modules.