Optimized Speed Control for Electric Vehicles on Dynamic Wireless Charging Lanes: An Eco-Driving Approach

Abstract

As the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) intensifies, two primary challenges emerge: limited range due to battery constraints and extended charging times. The traditional charging stations, particularly those near highways, exacerbate these issues with necessary detours, inconsistent service levels, and unpredictable waiting durations. The emerging technology of dynamic wireless charging lanes (DWCLs) may alleviate range anxiety and eliminate long charging stops; however, the driving speed on DWCL significantly affects charging efficiency and effective charging time. Meanwhile, the existing research has addressed load balancing optimization on Dynamic Wireless Charging (DWC) systems to a limited extent. To address this critical issue, this study introduces an innovative eco-driving speed control strategy, providing a novel solution to the multi-objective optimization problem of speed control on DWCL. We utilize mathematical programming methods and incorporate the longitudinal dynamics of vehicles to provide an accurate physical model of EVs. Three objective functions are formulated to tackle the challenges at hand: reducing travel time, increasing charging efficiency, and achieving load balancing on DWCL, which corresponds to four control strategies. The results of numerical tests indicate that a comprehensive control strategy, which considers all objectives, achieves a minor sacrifice in travel time reduction while significantly improving energy efficiency and load balancing. Furthermore, by defining the energy demand and speed range through an upper operation limit, a relatively superior speed control strategy can be selected. This work contributes to the discourse on DWCL integration into modern transportation systems, enhancing the EV driving experience on major roads.