Shortest-distance and minimum-cost self-charging path problems: Formulations and application

摘要

In this study, self-charging paths for an electric bus are analyzed. Wireless-power-transfer technologies, when integrated on a road network, enable dynamic charging of electric vehicles. Roads implemented with a wireless-power-transfer technology are referred to as electric-roads in this study. Electric vehicles traversing on electric-roads, therefore, can be dynamically charged. This can further eliminate the need for static charging, i.e., the electric vehicle will not need to stop for charging.;This thesis analyzes the design of transit routes for an electric-bus so that the electric-bus is charged by only electric-roads. Specifically, the focus is on designing a path, which passes through a set of bus-stops, between an origin and a destination, such that the electric-bus travelling on this path does not need static charging. A path, on which the electric-bus does not need static charging, is referred to as a self-charging path.;First, the shortest-distance self-charging path problem with node visiting constraints, which represent the bus-stop requirements, is introduced. A network optimization model is formulated for the shortest-distance self-charging path problem with node-visiting constraints and a sequence-based solution approach is discussed. Next, the minimum-cost self-charging path problem with node visiting constraints is introduced. A network optimization model is formulated for the minimum-cost self-charging path problem with node-visiting constraints and a sequence-based solution approach is discussed. Both the shortest-distance and minimum-cost self-charging problems are illustrated using the electric-bus shuttling the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus. In solving these problems for this application, sequence-based solution approaches are used.