US-12617309-B2 - Controller, computer-implemented for dynamically distributing electric current, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

Abstract

Electric current is dynamically distributed to vehicles, which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network receiving a total amount of incoming electric current via a root interface. Current is allotted to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure, wherein amounts of current is gradually allotted to the nodes until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted, or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled. A respective amount of current requested by each consumer node is repeatedly reassessed, and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of current is lower than an amount of current allotted to the node, the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node is decreased to the amount of current requested by that node.

Inventors

• Lars Stenberg
• Peter Magnusson

Assignees

• WAYBLER AB

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230511

Priority Date

20220614

Claims (17)

1. 1 . A controller for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, wherein the controller is configured to: allot electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step, an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continue the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassess, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decrease the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of electric current requested by that node, wherein the consumer nodes constitute a lowest subordinated level in the distribution network, and the controller is further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by: starting at the root interface; traversing from the root interface to a first node at the topmost level; continuing traversing from the first node at the topmost level to a first node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level in the distribution network; and allotting a first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level, wherein the controller is further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the first predefined amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level performing the steps: (a) returning to the root interface; (b) traversing from the root interface to a first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; (c) continuing traversing from the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level to a respective first previously not traversed node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinate level; and (d) allotting another round of the first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level.
2. 2 . The controller according to claim 1 being further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted said another round of the predefined amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level: repeating the steps (a) to (d) until each node at the lowest subordinated level has been allotted the first predefined amount of electric current.
3. 3 . The controller according to claim 2 being further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the first predefined amount of electric current to each node at the lowest subordinated level, returning to the root interface; traversing from the root interface to the first node at the topmost level; continuing traversing from the first node at the topmost level to a first node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level; and allotting an increased amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level.
4. 4 . The controller according to claim 3 being further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the increased amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level performing the steps: (i) returning to the root interface; (ii) traversing from the root interface to a first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; (iii) continuing traversing from the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level to a respective first previously not traversed node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level; and (iv) allotting the increased amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level, and repeating the steps (i) to (iv) until: a sum of electric current allotted to the consumer nodes is equal to the total amount of incoming electric current, or the at least one of the threshold criterion is fulfilled by such an amount of electric current has been allotted to at least one of the consumer nodes that at least one node at the least one subordinated level has reached a capacity limit for an amount of electric current being possible to transfer through that node, and/or each of the consumer nodes has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
5. 5 . The controller according to claim 1 , wherein the consumer nodes comprises first and second subgroups, and the controller is configured to exclusively allot electric current to the consumer nodes in the second subgroup after each of the consumer nodes in the first subgroup has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
6. 6 . A controller for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, wherein the controller is configured to: allot electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step, an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continue the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassess, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decrease the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of electric current requested by that node, and wherein, before allotting electric current to a node in the set of nodes, the controller is configured to execute a prioritizing procedure according to which a vehicle comprising an electric load in the form of an engine heater is given priority over a vehicle comprising an electric load in the form of a rechargeable battery.
7. 7 . The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the prioritizing procedure further involves giving priority to a vehicle that has not yet been allotted electric current during a predetermined period of time over a vehicle that has already been allotted electric current during the predetermined period of time.
8. 8 . A controller for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, wherein the controller is configured to: allot electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step, an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continue the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassess, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decrease the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of electric current requested by that node, and wherein the consumer nodes comprises at least one non-loading consumer node that has requested a zero amount of electric current, and the controller is configured to exclusively enable the at least one non-loading consumer node to be allotted electric current if each of the consumer nodes except the at least one non-loading consumer node has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
9. 9 . A computer-implemented method for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, which method is performed in at least one processor and comprises: allotting electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continuing the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassessing, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decreasing the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of current requested by that node, wherein the consumer nodes constitute a lowest subordinated level in the distribution network, and the method effects the stepwise procedure by: starting at the root interface; traversing from the root interface to a first node at the topmost level; continuing traversing from the first node at the topmost level to a first node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level in the distribution network; and allotting a first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level, wherein the method is further configured to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the first predefined amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level performing the steps: (a) returning to the root interface; (b) traversing from the root interface to a first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; (c) continuing traversing from the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level to a respective first previously not traversed node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinate level; and (d) allotting another round of the first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level.
10. 10 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising effecting the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted said another round of the predefined amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level: repeating the steps (a) to (d) until each node at the lowest subordinated level has been allotted the first predefined amount of electric current.
11. 11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising effecting the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the first predefined amount of electric current to each node at the lowest subordinated level, returning to the root interface; traversing from the root interface to the first node at the topmost level; continuing traversing from the first node at the topmost level to a first node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level; and allotting an increased amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level.
12. 12 . The method according to claim 11 further comprising effecting the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the increased amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level performing the steps: (i) returning to the root interface; (ii) traversing from the root interface to a first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; (iii) continuing traversing from the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level to a respective first previously not traversed node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level; and (iv) allotting the increased amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; and repeating the steps (i) to (iv) until: a sum of electric current allotted to the consumer nodes is equal to the total amount of incoming electric current, or the at least one of the threshold criterion is fulfilled by such an amount of electric current has been allotted to at least one of the consumer nodes that at least one node at the least one subordinated level has reached a capacity limit for an amount of electric current being possible to transfer through that node, and/or each of the consumer nodes has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
13. 13 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the consumer nodes comprises first and second subgroups, and the method comprises: exclusively allotting electric current to the consumer nodes in the second subgroup after each of the consumer nodes in the first subgroup has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
14. 14 . A computer-implemented method for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, which method is performed in at least one processor and comprises: allotting electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continuing the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassessing, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decreasing the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of current requested by that node, and wherein, before allotting electric current to a node in the set of nodes, the method comprises executing a prioritizing procedure according to which a vehicle comprising an electric load in the form of an engine heater is given priority over a vehicle comprising an electric load in the form of a rechargeable battery.
15. 15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the prioritizing procedure further involves giving priority to a vehicle that has not yet been allotted electric current during a predetermined period of time over a vehicle that has already been allotted electric current during the predetermined period of time.
16. 16 . A computer-implemented method for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, which method is performed in at least one processor and comprises: allotting electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continuing the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassessing, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decreasing the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of current requested by that node, and wherein the consumer nodes comprises at least one non-loading consumer node that has requested a zero amount of electric current, and the method comprises exclusively enabling electric current to be allotted to the at least one non-loading consumer node if each of the consumer nodes except the at least one non-loading consumer node has been allotted a respective maximum amount of electric current.
17. 17 . A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product configured for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles which each is connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network to which a total amount of incoming electric current received via a root interface, the distribution network comprising a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause at least one processing unit to perform the following operations: allotting electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step an amount of electric current is allotted to the node; continuing the stepwise procedure until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled; reassessing, repeatedly, a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes; and if for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allotted to the node, decreasing the amount of electric current allotted to the particular consumer node to the amount of current requested by that node, wherein the consumer nodes constitute a lowest subordinated level in the distribution network, and said computer program code further comprises computer instructions to cause the at least one processing unit to effect the stepwise procedure by: starting at the root interface; traversing from the root interface to a first node at the topmost level; continuing traversing from the first node at the topmost level to a first node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinated level in the distribution network; and allotting a first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level, wherein said computer program code further comprises computer instructions to cause the at least one processing unit to effect the stepwise procedure by, after having allotted the first predefined amount of electric current to the first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first node at the topmost level performing the steps: (a) returning to the root interface; (b) traversing from the root interface to a first previously not traversed node at the topmost level; (c) continuing traversing from the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level to a respective first previously not traversed node at each subordinated level below the topmost level until reaching the lowest subordinate level; and (d) allotting another round of the first predefined amount of electric current to a first node at the lowest subordinated level below the first previously not traversed node at the topmost level.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Swedish Patent Application No. 2250715-6 filed Jun. 14, 2022, of the same title; the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to the provision of electric energy to land based vehicles. Especially, the invention relates to a controller for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles according to the preamble of claim 1 and a corresponding computer-implemented method. The invention also relates to a computer program and a non-volatile data carrier storing such a computer program. BACKGROUND The use of electrically powered vehicles has increased tremendously during the last decade. This places a very high pressure on the infrastructure for distributing electric current to these vehicles. Naturally, in such a scenario, it is important that each part of the infrastructure is used as efficiently as possible. The prior art contains various kinds of charging systems aiming at solving this problem. For example, EP 2 751 902 shows a battery charging station and method of use, where the charging station includes a plurality of charge ports and a plurality of power stages where each stage provides a portion of the station's maximum available charging power. A switching system couples the output of the power stages to the charging ports based on charging station and vehicle conditions as well as a predefined set of power distribution rules. Current charging station and vehicle conditions may include vehicle arrival time, usage fees, vehicle/customer priority information, state-of-charge (SOC) and intended departure time. The method includes the steps of monitoring and determining battery charging station conditions, determining power distribution for the battery charging station and the charging ports in response to the current charging conditions and in accordance with a predefined set of power distribution rules, and coupling the power stages to the charging ports in accordance with the power distribution. US 2015/0340889 discloses a power management system that can smartly allocate the available power at a location to support more electric vehicles than would otherwise be possible. Power managers can intelligently allocate that power based on the real-time needs of vehicles. A smart energy distribution system can estimate each vehicle's current charge level and use such information to efficiently provide electric vehicle charging. The system can respond dynamically to vehicle charge levels, current readings, and/or electrical mains readings, allocating more current where it is needed. The charger profiles can include historic charge cycle information, which can be analyzed under a set of heuristics to predict future charging needs. A local electric vehicle charging mesh network can be provided, which transmits data packets among short-range transceivers of multiple power managers. The local electric vehicle charging mesh network can be connected to a remote server via a cellular connection. The power managers and the local electric vehicle charging mesh network can intelligently allocate power to multiple electric vehicles. However, none of the known systems is capable of allocating electric power to the vehicles in such a way that the distribution infrastructure is used to its full potential. SUMMARY The object of the present invention is to solve the above problem and offer an improved solution for delivering electric current to vehicles. According to one aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a controller for dynamically distributing electric current to vehicles that are connected to a respective consumer node in a distribution network receiving a total amount of incoming electric current via a root interface. The distribution network contains a set of intermediate nodes being hierarchically organized in a topmost level including at least one node configured to receive electric current directly from the root interface and at least one subordinated level including at least one node configured to receive electric current from a node at the topmost level, or a node at a higher subordinated level. The controller is configured to allot electric current to each node in the distribution network according to a stepwise procedure involving at least one allocation step per node in the distribution network, wherein in each of the at least one allocation step an amount of electric current is allotted to the node. The controller is configured to continue the stepwise procedure either until all of the total amount of electric current has been allotted, or at least one threshold criterion is fulfilled. Moreover, the controller is configured to repeatedly reassess a respective amount of electric current requested by each of the consumer nodes. If for a particular consumer node, a requested amount of electric current is lower than an amount of electric current allot