PI: Lihui Bai, University of Louisville.
Project Description:
The project studies the optimal infrastructure design of a public electric vehicle charging network, primarily concerning the optimal locations of charging stations and their associated capacities, i.e., the number of chargers of various types. Both battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) will be considered, and the objective in determining the locations and capacities of charging stations is to maximize the network-level electrification rate of the traveled vehicle miles. Intellectual merits are centered on the integration of three underlying networks: urban roadway network, energy logistics network (networks of gasoline fueling and EV charging stations) and power grid. First, activity-based models and advanced clustering models will be developed for the urban road network for forecasting travelers’ trips and thus the charging demands (including information on the level and time of charging). Second, facility location models configure the charging stations network (location and capacity) so that the forecasted charging demand from BEVs and PHEVs are realized with the maximum electrification rate. Third, distribution level power grid is monitored to ensure grid capacity, stability and efficiency. An innovative simulation-optimization iterative frame-work will be developed to address the dynamic and stochastic nature of the charging stations network design.