On The Frontline of Smart Charging – CleanTechnica

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Electric vehicles (EVs) are here to stay, and aided by smart charging management technology developed by Argonne electrical engineer Jason Harper, they won’t waste any time parked longer than planned. The right technology guarantees that EVs are ready to hit the road whenever their drivers are.

EV proliferation is good news for the climate. However, as the U.S. transitions to mass adoption of EVs, optimizing the nation’s electrical infrastructure will be essential to supporting the increased demand. ​“It is our job as researchers and engineers to figure out how to effectively integrate electric vehicles, given the constraints on the United States power grid,” Harper explained.

“Our technology shapes the EV charging landscape, and our insights are sought after by leaders in the industry. We get to be an example, to showcase what is possible with vehicle grid integration.” —Jason Harper, electrical engineer

At the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, the employee workplace charging program needed to be overhauled. Employee EV charge stations operated inefficiently. Employees couldn’t always be confident they would be able to charge their cars at the lab.

Fortunately, Harper has over a decade of experience demonstrating, designing and developing technology for EV charging and vehicle grid integration (VGI). For example, he developed the Smart-grid plugin EV Communication (SpEC) module that was licensed by BTC Power and used in its direct current, or DC, chargers. The module enables high level communication between car and charger. Harper also worked on the Smart Charge Adapter, which converts non-networked charge stations to enable metering, monitoring and control of EV charging. The adapter was licensed by EVmatch. ​“I greatly enjoy projects that solve problems,” Harper admitted.

To the problem of unpredictable charging challenges at Argonne, Harper assembled a team and used his expertise to develop a solution. The result of his team’s applied research is a new charge station management system (CSMS). Drivers can use the affiliated mobile app to reserve charge stations and monitor their charging status. The system prevents unauthorized usage, streamlines the charging process and increases energy use efficiency.

The CSMS developed by Harper and his team utilizes true smart charging, which is a major innovation in VGI. ​“Our system implements true smart charging by monitoring and maintaining distribution and local power grid constraints,” Harper said. ​“It optimizes grid and driver needs by specifically addressing the energy requirements of drivers based on their departure times, all while maintaining a peak grid load setpoint.”

With this optimization, more charging ports can be installed on a given circuit breaker or distribution transformer. This reduces infrastructure and installation costs. ​“Our CSMS also provides us, as researchers, with a tool to perform smart charge management, integrate the latest charge stations and gather data on workplace charging behavior,” Harper added.

In 2023, Harper and his team deployed their CSMS at Argonne. After the launch, they added more cutting-edge features, such as machine learning-based mileage requests for each user. Recently, they launched Opti-VGI, which optimizes available power among EV drivers to meet their energy needs by considering their departure times as well as the constraints of the grid.

Harper feels close to realizing his goal, which is to help proliferate EV charging at workplaces. His team is now looking for an outside partner to pilot the platform.

I am very excited about where this technology can go,” Harper said. ​“I believe my group’s research is three to four years beyond where the industry is today, and in the next few years we will be able to push far beyond what other CSMS are doing. Our technology shapes the EV charging landscape, and our insights are sought after by leaders in the industry. We get to be an example, to showcase what is possible with vehicle grid integration.”

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology by conducting leading-edge basic and applied research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.

Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.