Design for implementation : fully integrated charging & docking infrastructure used in Mobility-on-Demand electric vehicle fleets

As the technology used in electric vehicles continues to advance, there is an increased demand for urban-appropriate electric charging stations emphasizing a modern user interface, robust design, and reliable functionality. Publicly shared transportation systems provide electric vehicles with further synergies by allowing for less energy consumption per capita and decreased car congestion. Unfortunately, existing charging platforms are not designed for proper adoption in a public setting and tend to be vulnerable to potential safety hazards and vandalism. Our product, smartCharge, addresses the need for electric charging in a Mobility-on-Demand transportation system. The connector interface design proposed allows for a modular approach for charging various publicly shared electric vehicles, while using a current-controlled locking mechanism with up to 250 pounds of force. Additionally, the connector is linked to the charging post through a stainless steel retractable arm, which is composed of a spring-loaded pulley mechanism. This paper discusses the design and manufacturing processes for the charging connector and retractable arm, while elaborating on the overall functionality of smartCharge. Finally, the implementation strategy and key considerations for deploying this technology are briefly discussed.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Martin, Jean Mario Nations

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Warren Seering.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/75665

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/75665