Effects of PEV Traffic Flows on the Operation of Parking Lots and Charging Stations

The introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the electrical system is bringing various challenges. The main issue is incorporating the PEV owner’s preferences in the models. One of the main attributes representing the preference of the owners is their travel purposes, impacting on the traffic flow pattern. The PEVs’ traffic pattern defines the required charging schedule of the PEVs, and consequently, characterizes the operation of the charging facilities such as PEV parking lots (PLs). The deployment of resources such as PEV PL requires a detailed modeling of the factors affecting their operation. In this regard, this paper aims to model the power flow of the PEVs based on their traffic flow. Different travel types and purposes are considered for the PEVs traffic modeling. Two types of charging infrastructure (i.e., PLs and individual charging stations) are considered. The study is performed on a distribution network categorized based on the consumption patterns of the zones.