2016 IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Conference - Xi'an - China
Research on Characteristics of Electric Vehicle
Charging Load and Distribution Network
Supportability
Xin Tong, Chunlin Guo, Xiaoyan Yang, Chenchen Chen
State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources
North China Electric Power University
Beijing, China
xinxinI326120@163.com
Abstract-As the electric vehicle (EV) charging is playing an
important role in distribution network, it has attracted more
and more attention. In order to clarify the relationship between
the operation mode of EVs, peak charging load and peak power
load of grid, this paper defines two key parameters: coincidence
factor and mutual coincidence factor. The variation tendencies
of these two parameters under different EVs scale and charging
rate are also analyzed. Based on the characteristics of EV
charging load and the power load of distribution network in
residential area, an evaluation method for distribution network
supportability is proposed. Finally effectiveness of the evaluation
method are verified by distribution network in residential
area .The results show that by choosing the capacity of
transformer properly, the ability of the distribution network for
the integration of EV can be greatly improved.
Index Terms--Charging load, distribution network, electric
vehicle, supportability
I. INTRODUCTION
With the rapid development of electric vehicle (EV) in
recent years, research on the charging of EVs is also in the
ascendant at horne and abroad. The charging of large number
of EVs will affect the operation of power grid in all aspects.
The most direct impact is increasing load in grid, and then it
will affect the stability, security and economy of the power
grid [1], [2].
By far, the impact of EV charging load on the power grid
are studied widely and deeply. As the charging of EVs needs
to be connected to the distribution grid, the impact of EV s on
the distribution grid is especially obvious and direct [3].
Taking a distribution line as an example, the impact of
different scales of EV scharging on the load loss and node
voltage exceeding specified limits on the distribution grid are
analyzed, and a smart charge control strategy is proposed [4] .
The results show that the influence on using the transformer is
particularly evident when charging disordered in high power
[5], [6] . Considering the impact on the node voltage deviation,
This work is joint/y supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for
the Central Universities (20J5MS05), and State Key Laboratory of
Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources (North
China Electric Power University) (LAPS20/6-05)
978-1-5090-5417-6/16/ $ 3l.00 2016 IEEE
1539
power quality and three-phase unbalance of the distribution
grid when the EVs in charging and discharging state, the
influence on the load curve of distribution grid in different
permeability ofEVs are analyzed [7], [8].
With further research and demonstration, it is found that
EV sand power grid needs to form a coordinated whole [9-11].
A comprehensive evaluation method is proposed which can
evaluate the investment and energy loss of distribution grid in
different permeability of EVs [12] . And in order to assess the
carrying capacity of distribution network for electric vehicle
charging load, seven parameters are selected including voltage
qualification rate and so on[13]. However, due to the
complexity of the EVs and power grid system, it' s necessary
to further study the analysis and design ofthe system.
This paper starting with the charging load characteristics
of EVs, defines coincidence factor and mutual coincidence
factor to c1arify the relationship between EV charging load
and power load of grid. Based on the characteristics of EV
charging load and the power load of distribution network in
residential area, the mathematical model of the distribution
network supportability of EV charging is established and an
evaluation method for distribution network supportability is
proposed.
11. CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRIC V EHICLE CHARGING
LOAD
A. Coincidence Factor ofElectric Vehicles Charging Load
The EV charging load is influenced by the travel mode of
the driver, so it has obvious peak and valley difference which
is similar to the electric load ofthe power grid. In the study of
the interaction between EV charging and power grid, it is
particularly important to c1ear the relationship between the
peak value of the EV charging load and the scales of the EVs.
So the paper defines the coincidence factor of the EV s
charging load:
 and the peak load of the district is 186kW. Fig.l shows the
(1) impact of different level ofEVs penetration on the distribution
network when charging power is 3kW.
Where PEVm is the EV charging load peak (kW); P EV is
the EV charging power (kW); N EV is the total number ofEVs.
The physical significance of K EV is the ratio between the
largest number ofEVs charging at the same time and the total
number of the EV s.
In order to confirm the trend of the EV charging load, this
paper set the situation: the number of the EVs is 20 ~ 10000 ,
EV charging power set 2kW, 3kW, 6kW and 15kW. The
coincidence factors of the EV scharging load are shown in
Table I: 5 10 15 20
Time(h)

TABLE T. THE COINCIDENCE FACTOR OF THE EVS CHARGTNG Figure I. The total load of distribution network with different levels ofE Vs
LOAD penetration

~pow
2kW
20
0.65
50
0.54
100
0.50
500
0.43
1000
0.41
5000
0.38
10000
0.38
It can be found in Fig.l that the EVs charging will increase
the electricity load of distribution network, and electricity load
3kW 0.65 0.46 0.4 0.33 0.31 0.29 0.28
increased significantly at 15: 00-23: 00; When EVs'
penetration rate is 100%, the peak load of the system will
6kW 0.45 0.36 0.27 0.20 0.18 0.16 0.16
exceed the transfonner capacity in a short time.
15kW 0.36 0.20 0.18 0.10 0.09 0.07 0.07
At the same time, with higher charging power of EV s, the
total load of the distribution network fluctuates remarkably
As is shown in Table I. the peak load ofthe EVs in certain which is not conducive to the safe and stable operation of the
region is closely related to the scale of the EVs and the distribution network. According to (2), the mutual coincidence
charging power, but it can't be simply estimated to multiply factor of EV charging in the distribution network can be
the number of EVs by the charging power. Therefore, the obtained. When small-scale of EVs charge in distribution
coincidence factor of the EVs charging load need to be network, the mutual coincidence factors are not constant, but
considered when configure charging facilities of EVs in the in a certain range. The mutual coincidence factors of EVs are
power grid or study the impact ofEV charging on the grid. shown in Table 11.
B. Mutual Coincidence Factor ofEVs Charging Load
TABLE 11. T ABLE II THE MUTUAL COINCIDENCE FACTOR OF
The most important effect of the EV charging in the grid is EVS
the power load increase. Therefore, mutual coincidence factor
of charging load is defined to clarify the influence of the EV Charging
2kW 3kW 6kW 15kW
charging on grid peak load. The mutual coincidence factor power
characterizes the superposition degree of the EV scharging KE_ L 0.96-0.99 0.94- 0.99 0.90---0.96 0.80---0.94
load and grid load. The larger values mean the charging peak
load time is closer to the background peak load hours.

K = ~nax (2) III. EVALUATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

E-I
" "
pEVm + PLm SUPPORT ABILITY FOR EVs CHARGING

Where K E _ L is the mutual coincidence factor of EVs
charging load; ~nax (kW) is the total system peak load after
EVs connected to the grid; FEvm (kW) is peak load power of
EV charging and FLm (kW) is background peak load of the
grid.
This section studies characteristics of the mutual
coincidence factor when the EVs charge in the residential area
of distribution network. Different size and different charging
power of EVs are simulated by the Monte Carlo, then the
charging load is added to the measured load of a residential
area in Beijing. The residential area contains 95 households
Based on the most common radial distribution network, an
evaluation model of distribution network supportability for the
residential area is proposed with the mathematical analysis
methods.
Suppose the regional distribution network load is the
residential electricity load, which determines the size of the
distribution transfonner capacity, and then it becomes one of
the main factors to limit load regulation capability of
distribution network for EV charging.
Residential electricity consumption load is mainly affected
by the number of users as weil as type of community.
Residential electricity load under each of the distribution
transfonner is presented as follow:

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 (3)
Where p (kW) is calculation load of each household; n
is the number of households in the region; is the required
coefficient of the residential electricity load; k is coincidence
factor of electricity load.
The capacity of the distribution transformers can be
calculated by:
S' (4)
Where S' (kV A) lS the capacity of the distribution
transformers; k 2 is the planning margin of the electricity load;
cos rp is power factor of the residential electricity load.
According to (5), the load rate of the distribution
transformer can be obtained when the residential area is in
actual operation:
,1,= li (5)
Scosrp
The number of EVs directly determines the EV charging
peak load. Therefore, the EVs penetration rate has become an
important basis for evaluating the regulation capacity of
distribution network for charging load:
a=n EV
(6)
n
Where a is the EV penetration rate in residential areas;
nEV is the total number of EVs; n is the number of
households.
The maximum power of the EV scharging load when
converted to the grid side can be expressed by:
a = (S . cos 'f'n\ - P . n . k K E _ L)'17 (10)
m P EV n . K EV K E-L
This penetration rate of EVs is defined as the maximum
permeability of the distribution network. a m is related to the
size of residential area, EV charging power, mutual
coincidence factor and so on. When the penetration rate is
greater than a m , the transformer may be overloaded, in which
case the scales of the EVs will be more than the distribution
network supportability ..
IV. EXAMPLE AND ANALYSIS
In this paper, 500 residential areas were selected which are
the basic distribution networks, and the topology is shown in
Fig.2. It is assumed that the calculation load of residential
electricity is 6kW for each household; the required coefficient
is 0.6; electricity load power factor is 0.85 and the planning
margin of residential electricity load is 0.7. The charging
power of EVs are 2kW, 3kW and 6kW; EV charging
coincidence factor and mutual coincidence factor as shown in
Table I. and Table 11.
IOkV O.4kV
} - - + - - - - - - - -..... Sioad
n
T
Figure 2. The topology ofthe distribution network
The overload rates of distribution transformer in the 500
residential areas are calculated using the evaluation method
proposed in this paper. The results are shown in Fig.3.

p.
EV
= Pmax (7)
lJ
Where Pmax is the load peak of EV charging (kW); 17 is
E 0.8
."

the charging efficiency. ~"

.,~ 0.6
According to the definition of the coincidence factor, the ~

"
peak load ofEVs charging can be calculated. E
~ 0.4
c
g
P.nax = P EV anKEV (8)
~" 0.2
Due to the concept of the mutual coincidence factor of
EVs charging, we can get the maximum power load when the
electric vehicles connected to the grid. Therefore, when the
distribution transformers in the fully-Ioaded, the relationship The pe.etrat; rate of EVs (%)
between the capacity of the transformer, the electric vehicle Figure. 3 Overload rate of distribution transformer
charging load and the residential electricity load can be
described below: The transformer overload rates will increase with the
penetration ofEVs increasing, as shown in Fig.3. Taking 3kW
(9) charging as an example, when the EV penetration rate less
than 30%, residential distribution transformers don't overload,
The residential area's maximwn penetration rate of EVs however, when the penetration rate reaches 80%, the
can be obtained by:

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distribution transformer overload rate exceeds 90%. When the penetration of EVs reaches a certain level, some residential
same scale of EVs charge with higher charging power, the distribution transformers will overload. At the same time, the
overload rate of distribution network transformers also distribution transformers are easier to appear overload with the
become higher. higher charging power. Therefore, it's effective to evaluate a
reasonable capacity of transformers for improving the
In the beginning of planning the distribution network,
distribution network supportability.
different transformer capacity will result in different load rate.
The distribution network supportability for EV charging is
closely related to the load rate oftransformers. And maximum REFERENCES
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