A new mechanism for charging electric vehicles (EVs) while they are motion is the focus of a new study in the United States to determine its effectiveness.
Led by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), the research group is part of a US National Science Foundation, and Department of Energy-funded programme looking at a charging technology known as a dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) roadway.
According to the study, published in the journal, IEEE Access, a DWPT roadway would embed transmitter pads within road surfaces, thereby allowing EVs to charge while driving without needing to be hooked up to a power outlet
Paras Mandal, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UTEP, and the study’s principal investigator, said: “The field of electrified transportation is evolving, and modelling the load demand on our electrical grid is a very significant part of the work.
“Our research will allow for a comprehensive understanding of new EV charging methods to ensure sustainable use of our transportation infrastructure coupled with power utilities.”
Currently, most EVs are charged at public charging stations or through electrical outlets in households. However, Mandal explained that residential charging technology is often slow and drains electricity, while public charging stations are currently not widely available.
The DWPT technology is still in development, but Mandal said that before it can be adopted, engineers, utilities and local governments need to have a thorough understanding of the future load demand on the electrical grid.
Modelling “load demand” is challenging because engineers need to account for vehicles of varying sizes, different lengths of roadways, and varying degrees of traffic. In order to understand the impact of a DWPT roadway on the electrical grid at varying degrees of usage, Mandal’s team developed a novel method of measuring load demand called modified Toeplitz convolution or mCONV.
The model is essentially the mathematical formulation of DWPT that allows the engineers to understand dynamic electric load demand while taking into account different distances, traffic flow and vehicle types.
“The next steps in this research will be to understand how DWPT will affect power system stability and reliability,” Mandal said.
Main image: An electric truck charges while driving on a test dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) roadway located at Utah State University. Photo credit: ASPIRE
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