Advanced Multi-Functional Electric Vehicle Chargers with Integrated Decentralized Energy Storage

Electric vehicles chargers can be split into three tiers. Top-tier chargers are direct current Level-3 chargers, which are ideal for highways and are the most expensive, fastest, and least numerous. Bottom-tier chargers are alternating current Level-2 and Level-1 chargers, which are ideal for homes and offices and are the least expensive, slowest, and most numerous. Middle-tier charging, which is a mix of all three levels, is ideal for shopping malls, business/cultural centers, hotels, and restaurants. For the middle-tier, traditional Level-3 chargers are too costly and cumbersome to scale effectively, and Level-2/Level-1 chargers are too slow to make a meaningful impact on demand. Our revolutionary electric vehicle chargers combine decentralized solar energy storage systems with electric vehicle charging power systems. It provides all three levels of charging, peak-shaves energy from solar generation, and can reverse its power to put energy onto the grid. These systems are adaptable and scalable to a mosaic of energy constraints unlike typical monolithic peak-shaving energy storage systems, and they can be installed at less cost than typical Level-3 chargers (see Commercialization Plan). Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of a charger (either mobile or stationary) that will be able to Level-3 charge an electric vehicle, charge its energy storage system via solar array installation, and reverse its power back from the energy storage system onto the AC grid. Phase I will involve building a prototype charger that can do all of this functionality in a lab and real-world setting. Special development will be placed on three primary systems. These systems are the bidirectional AC/DC inversion/conversion system, the energy storage system, and the DC power conversion system for Level-3 charging the electric vehicle. The commercial application for this project involves selling these Level-3 DC fast-chargers as alternative system to both typical Level-3 DC fast-chargers and monolithic energy storage systems that peak-shave solar power. (“Peak-shave” means storing excess energy generated by solar power for later use.) While typical Level-3 chargers require 480-volt AC infrastructure to provide DC fast-charging, our chargers only require 240-volt AC infrastructure. Also, decentralizing solar peak-shaving energy storage blocks allows mass storage systems to be installed where previously not possible, such as urban parking garages. Our chargers have major impacts of three primary stakeholders: (1) electrical utilities, (2) charging station operators, and (3) electric vehicle drivers. For electric utilities, utilizing 240-volt infrastructure dramatically reduces infrastructure costs (potentially 20%-50% per station) and project lead times, and the storage system increases the surrounding grid’s safety, resiliency, and reliability. For station operators, they would have greater price controls over charging thereby recouping the costs of equipment faster, the storage system would seamlessly integrate with the property’s electrical system reducing monthly electricity costs. Electric vehicle drivers would benefit from greater fast-charging coverage thereby reducing their ‘range anxiety.’