he Energy Internet An alternative renewable power distribution system to the electrical grid using dynamic charging of autonomous eVehicles and Internet Routing Protocols

1. The Energy Internet
An alternative renewable power distribution system to the
electrical grid using dynamic charging of autonomous
eVehicles and Internet Routing Protocols
Latest Update November 5, 2017
Bill.st.arnaud@gmail.com

2. Executive Summary
• Autonomous eVehicle used to transport energy from roadside or roof top solar
panels in rural or suburban areas to buildings (V2B) in cities or other infrastructure
as needed
• It allows eVehicles to become an energy transport system in competition with
electrical grid in addition to carrying people and goods
• Charging eVehicles as they move (dynamic Charging) significantly reduces size,
cost and weight of batteries and allows rapid transfer of power from/to vehicle
• Technology already working for buses in various cities around the world and in use
on factory floors
• Energy Internet can significantly mitigate against two largest sources of CO2 -
Transportation and Electrical Energy Generation
• New energy routing protocols adopted from Internet - SDN-P, BGP-P

3. “Packetized Power” with autonomous
eVehicles
• Autonomous eVehicles could be used to capture renewable
power from solar panels using dynamic charging along highways
and suburbia to deliver to buildings and infrastructure elsewhere
• Alternative back up power source instead of diesel generators for
cell phone towers, etc
• Autonomous vehicles could store and forward power to other
vehicles at packet power routing points
• Where practical can be also used to carry passengers – next
generation ZipCar

4. Suburban sprawl answer to global
warming?
• Suburban lifestyle with solar panels on every house
with dynamic charging of vehicles driving by the house
• Rather than charging vehicles at home and driving to
work or shopping, vehicle is charged on the way to and
from work or shopping
• eVehicle can then be used for supplementary power
during the day at work, or during the night at home
– http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/vehicle-to-
building-technologies
• Suburban sprawl to power cities of the future
– http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/news/2013/07/745.asp
• How suburban sprawl paradoxically could be the
answer to global warming
– http://goo.gl/bXO6x

5. Vehicle To Building (V2B) Power
• In the coming decade, the energy stored
electric vehicle batteries will increasingly be
made available to commercial buildings
• Numerous pilot projects are now underway
around the world to develop and test V2B
technologies.
• The majority of these programs are part of
larger projects that are testing microgrid and
smart grid technologies.
– http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/v
ehicle-to-building-technologies

6. eVehicle energy storage and micro
grids for university
6
UCSD 2nd life battery program
University Delaware use of eVehicles for power

7. Energy Internet Routing
• With Energy Internet it is assumed that their are small local power source part of micro
grid e.g:
– Local rooftop solar panels
– WiFi and Internet of Things (IoT) with its own solar panel
– Business or home powered by eVehicles (V2B)
• Many possible virtual and real power circuits: Software Defined Power Networks (SDN-
P)
– PoE, USB, Traditional 110/220, 48V Dc,Pulse power over Cat 5
– Power routing across devices following path of virtual power circuit
– Power routing between eVehicles and dynamic charging stations
• Ideal for existing intelligent networked devices like computers, power walls, switches,
routers, servers, Wifi hot spots , electric vehicle charging stations, etc
– Most of these devices have their own on board storage and so techniques such as round-robin
power distribution are possible
• Network engineers & researchers have to start thinking how to deploy networks that are
powered solely by solar power and autonomous eVehicles
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/rob-insight/an-earth-day-
look-at-the-sunny-state-of-solar/article18101176/#dashboard/follows/ …
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8. Current limitations of eVehicles (EV)
• High capital cost due to large cost of batteries
• High operating cost because batteries need to be replaced every 2-5 years
• Limited range, especially in cold weather when battery capacity is reduced
– Battery capacity reduced by up to 1/3 if air conditioning or cabin
heating is required
• Long time to re-charge between trips
– So a small number of short trips within a day can deplete batteries
– Inhibits spontaneity of taking a long trip because of uncertainty of
charge state
• Battery powered trucks and buses are more problematic in terms of range
and cost
8

9. Alternative to the battery
• Rather than waiting for perfect battery why not change the charging
system?
• Old world thinking that vehicles must be stationary to be refueled.
– This was true when using fossil fuels
• But with electric vehicles there is no reason why they cannot be charged
while on the move
• Dynamic (on the move) charging (aka opportunity charging)
– Only 1/5 of battery capacity required compared to regular eVehicle
9

10. Dynamic Charging
• The current vision for most eVehicles is stationary charging at home or at the
office
• With dynamic mobile charging, the eVehicle can be charged as it is travelling
along the highway using power from roadside solar panels and/or windmills
– Technology already in use for public bus transportation in various cities and on
factory/warehouse systems (opportunity charging)
• eVehicle can then be used to deliver this energy as a backup or primary power
source at the home or office, rather than consuming electricity at destination
– Also known as Vehicle to Building (V2B) Power distribution
– http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/vehicle-to-building-technologies
• eVehicle then would become a competitor to the electrical grid for delivering
renewable energy.

11. Advantages of dynamic charging
• Smaller number of batteries possible -reducing capital costs
• Frequent charging of batteries prevents battery depletion and longer life
• Reduces concerns of range anxiety
• Heavier eVehicles such as trucks and buses are realistically possible
• Vehicle can be charged enroute and then used as an alternate power
source for the home or business –vehicle to grid or vehicle to business
• Eventually concepts of “packet” based power are conceivable leading to
future “Energy Internet”
11

12. Dynamic Charging Technologies
• Wireless :
– Inductive charging uses the electromagnetic field to transfer energy
between two objects in close
– Magnetic resonance uses the magnetic coupling of two objects
exchanging energy through their varying or oscillating magnetic
fields.
• Conductive Requires physical contact
– Overhead Conductive uses overhead rails or wires as in tram and
trolley wires
– In Ground Conductive embedded rails as in subways or slot car
racing
– Capacitive Umbrellas uses overhead “electrical umbrellas”
12

13. Wireless vs Conductive
• Wireless
– Pros
• No wires or physical obstructions
– Cons
• Difficult to maintain in heavy traffic and inclement weather such as ice and snow
• Concerns about impact on embedded medical devices such as pace makers from
strong magnetic fields
• Risks of fire if small pieces of metal debris or on charging pad
• Very low efficiencies
• Still experimental
• Conductive
– Pros
• In operation in several cities around the world with public buses and trams
• Well proven technology
– Cons
• Unsightly wires and infrastructure
• High voltages and currents

14. Qualcomm Dynamic Charging
• Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., designed and built
a wireless DEVC system capable of charging an
electric vehicle (EV) dynamically at up to 20
kilowatts at highway speeds.
• Qualcomm Technologies also demonstrated
simultaneous charging, in which two vehicles on
the same track can charge dynamically at the
same time.
• The vehicles can pick up charge in both
directions along the track, and in reverse, further
showcasing how the Qualcomm Halo DEVC
system has been designed to support real-world
implementation of dynamic charging.

15. EU Funded Program
• Project addresses directly the technological feasibility, economic
viability and socio-environmental of dynamic on-road charging of
electric vehicles
• Advanced solutions, conceived to enable full integration in the
grid and road infrastructure within urban- and extra-urban
environments for a wide range of future electric vehicles, will be
implemented and tested.
• http://www.fabric-project.eu/

16. England Is Going to Test Roads That Actually
Charge Electric Cars
Trials, slated to begin later this year, will
involve installing charging systems
underneath mock roads designed to
replicate real highway conditions. In
these “dynamic charging” systems, coils
are buried beneath the asphalt of special
charging lanes, offering contactless
charging to vehicles fitted with charging
“receivers.”
Read more:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovati
on/england-going-to-test-roads-that-
actually-charge-electric-cars-
180956336/#ES24P9XDe7Exzlyy.99

17. KAIST reveals proof of concept
dynamic charging in city park
• Batteries 1/5 the size required for normal eVehicle
• http://www.gizmag.com/kaist-proof-of-concept-olev-power-road/14454/

18. Brabant NL to deploy world’s first
dynamic mobile charging
• Starting in mid -2013 the demonstration project will use inductive
charging to charge vehicles as they drive a special lane in the highway.
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBTx87xiscs
– http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/10/glowing-roads/

19. Shanghai Capabus – Capacitive Dynamic
Charging
China is experimenting with a
new form of electric bus, known
as Capabus, which runs without
continuous overhead lines (is an
autonomous vehicle) by using
power stored in large
onboard electric double-layer
capacitors (EDLCs), which are
quickly recharged whenever the
vehicle stops at any bus
stop (under so-called electric
umbrellas), and fully charged in
the terminus.
19
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capa_vehicle

20. Flash Charging of Buses
• 15 second charging of
bus at each stop
• http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/93
15e568e4c6a1f8c1257b7400302fcd.aspx

21. Volvo’s electric i-road
• Volvo research into a future where
trucks and buses continuously are
supplied with electric power without
carrying large batteries. Instead,
power lines are built into the surface
of the road. This could be a future
solution for long-distance trucks and
buses running on electricity.
– http://news.volvogroup.com/2013/05/23
/the-road-of-tomorrow-is-electric/

22. Sweden Elways
http://elways.se/elways-solution/?lang=en
Conductive solution

23. Siemens dynamic charging for trucks
23
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-
13746_7-57430211-48/siemens-
electrifies-trucks-with-trolley-
technology/

24. Case Study Campus Golf Cart
• Application:
– Golf courses, retirement community vehicles, university campus service fleet, emergency V2B backup for
critical systems such as network and computing equipment
• Assume :
– Golf course with dynamic charge rail at each hole and course distance 10km (including distance between
holes) or average .5km hole
– Typical golf cart consumption 200 wh/km. Therefore need to charge golf cart 100 wh to get to next hole
– 2 Golf carts arriving at a given hole every 7-8 minutes –9 arrivals per hour
• Solar capacity:
– 2 x 100 wh x 9 arrivals/hr = 1.8 kwh
– Assuming 150w panels = 12-15 panels average per hole
• Skeg power capacity:
– Assume golf cart stays on charging rail for one minute= 6000 watt-minutes power transfer
– Approx 6000 volts @1A or 250V @ 20A or 600V @ 10A for 60v @ 100A or 48V @125A
– Note that streetcar and subways usually operate at 600V @ 200 A & Elways claims 250 Kw power
– 48V design would eliminate need for DC/DC converters (but would not be useful for cars or trucks)
• Ultra capacitor size:
– Maxwell BCAP 3000 3wh => 33 caps required

25. System Diagram for Golf Cart System
Solar PV
array
Inverter
Regulator
Charger
DC/DC
Converter
Ultra
Capacitor
Battery
Bank
Charge Rail
600V
600V
.1 KW
48V
1.5 KW
600V
.1KW
Ske
g
Battery
Bank
Motor
48V
Ultra
Capacitor
100wH
500wH
DC/DC
Converter
Solenoid
Rail
Activation
Switch
Rail De-
Activation
Switch
To grid
~
GolfCart

26. Golf Cart System Design Notes
• Golf Cart electrical systems are very simple typically with 48V circuits
– http://s985.photobucket.com/user/wizards1/media/DIAGRAMS/1980marathonwiringdiagram.png.html
• 600V design chosen for charge rail as this is the most common voltage for streetcars, subways,
etc. But based on design of charge rail and skeg other voltages and power ratings may make
more sense to reduce arcing and/or welding
• DC/DC converter pulse power requirements is .5KW over 1 minute duration assuming voltage rail
is 600 V
– DC/DC converters should be bi-directional to enable future V2B and power routing applications
• Assumption that golf cart stays in contact with rail for 1 minute. May be possible to use higher
currents and voltages or longer rails
– E.g. Elways has tested their rail at 250KW continuous
• Solar array charging system has 5x capacity of individual golf cart to enable charging of several
carts in rapid succession
• Only one golf cart allowed per charge rail segment. Charge rail may be made up many segments
to allow several carts to be charged at once
• For rail and skeg design see www.elways.se

27. Why not use power from grid for
dynamic charging?
• Within 3- 4 years it is expected electricity from solar panels will be cheaper than from grid
– http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/business/energy-environment/solar-and-wind-
energy-start-to-win-on-price-vs-conventional-fuels.html?referrer=&_r=0
• Most grid systems have large percentage of coal power
– CO2 savings are marginal
– Scant CO2 Benefit from China’s Coal-Powered Electric Cars
– http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/10/scant-co2-benefit-from-chinas-
coal.html
• Grid interconnection fees, transformers, debt retirement charges, etc significantly drive up
costs
– However in some locations using solar panel to feed power to grid may allow for
additional revenue
• Grid and utility power reliability is declining with increased severe weather due to climate
change
27

28. Future vulnerability of grid
why we need an alternative for distribution of local renewable power
• “US Energy sector vulnerabilities to
climate change and extreme weather” US
Department of Energy July 2013
– http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/20
13/07/f2/20130716-
Energy%20Sector%20Vulnerabilities%
20Report.pdf
28
Recent Sample outages
• Coal and nuclear power generating
capacity will decrease by between 4
and 16 percent in the United States
and a 6 to 19 percent decline in
Europe due to lack of cooling water.
• http://www.reuters.com/articl
e/2012/06/04/climate-water-
energy-
idUSL3E8H41SO20120604

29. Initial target markets
• Drive through banks, fast food restaurants, parking garages, universities,
golf courses, etc
– “Will that be fries with your free electrical charge?”
– Complete package of PV system on roof connected to ultra-capacitor
and charge rail
– When PV is not charging vehicles it can be making money from feed in
tariff
– Guaranteed 6-10% return even if not a single vehicle charged
• V2B for maintain critical systems at universities and businesses such as
computing and network equipment, alarm systems, etc
• Eventually deployed at toll plazas, on/off ramps, stop lights and
intersections
29

30. More on Energy Internet
• How suburban sprawl paradoxically could be the answer to global warming
http://goo.gl/bXO6x
• Green Investment Opportunity for small business - on the move electric car charging
http://goo.gl/c44Tv
• Dynamic Charging and Why Energy needs to be Free to reduce CO2
http://goo.gl/LQQum
• Packet Based Energy Delivery Systems
http://goo.gl/pZEdE
• Electric roads and Internet will allow coast to coast driving with no stopping and no
emissions
http://goo.gl/lMmLy

31. Let’s Keep The Conversation Going
E-mail
Bl
og
s
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com
Twitt
erhttp://twitter.com/BillStArnaud
Bill.St.Arnaud@gmail.com
Bill St. Arnaud is a R&E Network and Green IT
consultant who works with clients on a variety
of subjects such as the next generation
research and education and Internet networks.
He also works with clients to develop practical
solutions to reduce GHG emissions such as
free broadband and electrical highways (See
http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/) .