A Decentralized Electric Vehicle Charge Scheduling Scheme for Tracking Power Profiles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are flexible electric loads whose consumption can be shifted over time, and thus controlled charging of EVs is possible. This paper proposes a decentralized control scheme called ‘DECSaT’ for charge scheduling of EVs with the objective of tracking an arbitrary power profile while accounting for heterogeneity in EV charging specifications and also uncertainty in EV arrival times. More specifically, we aim to align the charge profiles of EVs to follow a microgrid's forecast energy generation profile, while guaranteeing that the EV charging requirements are satisfied by the intended departure times. DECSaT is decentralized because each EV computes its charge schedule locally, using the information received from the microgrid operator. Interestingly, DECSaT is applicable for charging EVs at both variable rates and discrete rates, making it suitable for practical operation. Numerical simulations considering EV charging in a microgrid confirm the effectiveness of DECSaT in terms of power profile tracking.