A Case Study in Qatar for Optimal Energy Management of an Autonomous Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Station with Multiple Renewable Energy and Storage Systems

Abstract

E-Mobility deployment has attained increased interest during recent years in various countries all over the world. This interest has focused mainly on reducing the reliance on fossil fuel-based means of transportation and decreasing the harmful emissions produced from this sector. To secure the electricity required to satisfy Electric Vehicles’ (EVs’) charging needs without expanding or overloading the existing electricity infrastructure, stand-alone charging stations powered by renewable sources are considered as a reasonable solution. This paper investigates the simulation of the optimal energy management of a proposed grid-independent, multi-generation, fast-charging station in the State of Qatar, which comprises hybrid wind, solar and biofuel systems along with ammonia, hydrogen and battery storage units. The study aims to assess the optimal sizing of the solar, wind and biofuel units to be incorporated in the design along with the optimal ammonia, hydrogen and battery storage capacities to fulfill the daily EV demand in an uninterruptable manner. The main objective is to fast-charge a minimum of 50 EVs daily, while the constraints are the intermittent and volatile nature of renewable energy sources, the stochastic nature of EV demand, local meteorological conditions and land space limitations. The results show that the selection of a 468 kWp concentrated photovoltaic thermal plant, 250 kW-rated wind turbine, 10 kW biodiesel power generator unit and 595 kWh battery storage system, along with the on-site production of hydrogen and ammonia, to generate 200 kW power via fuel cells can achieve the desired target, with a total halt of on-site hydrogen and ammonia production during October and November and 50% reduction during December.