Welcome to Opti-VGI’s documentation!¶
Opti-VGI (Optimized Vehicle-Grid Integration) is an EV smart charging management application designed to calculate and manage optimized charging schedules for electric vehicles. It focuses on meeting charging needs while respecting constraints such as:
Site-wide peak power limits
Time-varying energy prices
Individual vehicle requirements (energy needed, departure time)
Its core purpose is to provide the scheduling logic that can be integrated into larger systems.
Key Features¶
Constraint-Based Optimization: Schedules EV charging considering factors like overall site power limits or dynamic pricing signals.
Modular Architecture: Clearly separates communication logic (Translation layer) from optimization strategies (Algorithm layer).
Pluggable Algorithms: Supports different optimization approaches. Includes example implementations like PulpNumericalAlgorithm (using linear programming) and GoAlgorithm (a custom heuristic).
CSMS Integration Interface: The Translation abstract class defines the necessary methods to fetch data (EVs, constraints) and send charging commands, allowing integration with various external systems.
Handles Active & Future EVs: Considers both currently connected EVs and planned future reservations in its scheduling.
Asynchronous Operation: Designed to run scheduling logic periodically or in response to events using background worker threads.
Integration with CSMS and Protocols¶
Opti-VGI features a modular architecture, separating the optimization strategies (the Algorithm layer) from the communication with external systems (the Translation layer). This allows Opti-VGI to be adapted to various backend systems and communication protocols.
By implementing a custom Translation layer, Opti-VGI can interface with different Charge Station Management Systems (CSMS). This integration could potentially involve standard protocols like OCPP 1.6 (e.g., using SetChargingProfile commands) or leverage OCPP 2.0.1 features alongside ISO 15118 for more sophisticated, schedule-based charging. The specific capabilities depend entirely on the design of the target CSMS and the concrete Translation implementation created to bridge the two systems. Opti-VGI provides the scheduling engine; the method of communication and control depends on the system it connects to via the translation layer.
Sequence Diagram¶
Sequence diagram illustrating the interaction between Opti-VGI and a CSMS.¶
The diagram shows the flow of data and commands between the EVSEs, Opti-VGI, and the CSMS, highlighting the roles of the Translation and Algorithm layers in this interaction.
It illustrates how Opti-VGI fetches data from the CSMS, processes it using the selected algorithm, and sends back charging commands.