Scheduling Charging of Electric Vehicles in a Secured Manner by Emphasizing Cost Minimization Using Blockchain Technology and IPFS

Abstract

In this work, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are charged using a new and improved charging mechanism called the Mobile-Vehicle-to-Vehicle (M2V) charging strategy. It is further compared with conventional Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) charging strategies. In the proposed work, the charging of vehicles is done in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) manner; the vehicles are charged using Charging Stations (CSs) or Mobile Vehicles (MVs) in the absence of a central entity. CSs are fixed entities situated at certain locations and act as charge suppliers, whereas MVs act as prosumers, which have the capability of charging themselves and also other vehicles. In the proposed system, blockchain technology is used to tackle the issues related with existing systems, such as privacy, security, lack of trust, etc., and also to promote transparency, data immutability, and a tamper-proof nature. Moreover, to store the data related to traffic, roads, and weather conditions, a centralized entity, i.e., Transport System Information Unit (TSIU), is used. It helps in reducing the road congestion and avoids roadside accidents. In the TSIU, an Inter-Planetary File System (IPFS) is used to store the data in a secured manner after removing the data’s redundancy through data filtration. Furthermore, four different types of costs are calculated mathematically, which ultimately contribute towards calculating the total charging cost. The shortest distance between a vehicle and the charging entities is calculated using the Great-Circle Distance formula. Moving on, both the time taken to traverse this shortest distance and the time to charge the vehicles are calculated using real-time data of four EVs. Location privacy is also proposed in this work to provide privacy to vehicle users. The power flow and the related energy losses for the above-mentioned charging strategies are also discussed in this work. An incentive provisioning mechanism is also proposed on the basis of timely delivery of credible messages, which further promotes users’ participation. In the end, simulations are performed and results are obtained that prove the efficiency of the proposed work, as compared to conventional techniques, in minimizing the EVs’ charging cost, time, and distance.

Electric Vehicle and Renewable Energy Sources: Motor Fusion in the Energy Transition from a Multi-Indicator Perspective

“…Bastida-Molina et al [81] evaluate an EV recharging method minimizing the impact on the grid, avoiding peak demand hours in daily electricity demand and taking advantage of temporary valleys. Javed et al [82] propose a new charging method called Mobile-Vehicle-to-Vehicle (M2V) charging strategy, where EV charging is performed in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) manner: vehicles are then charged by Charging Stations (CS) or Mobile Vehicles (MV) in the absence of a central entity. More recently, Arribas-Ibar et al [83] study those factors that influence on the EV ecosystem growth during a pandemic, with an application to the current COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Blockchain Applications to Improve Operation and Security of Transportation Systems: A Survey

“…The concept of energy exchange between distinct CAVs and defined charging units or other charge providers has faced significant improvement from blockchain technology use. In an article that was presented by Javed et al [118], an entirely new framework to charge vehicles, called a Mobile-Vehicle-to-Vehicle method, was outlined, which facilitates decentralized charging between network entities, and showed marked improvement in data security, transaction speed, energy cost, and ease in locating and accessing charge providing units for users. THe benefits listed are accomplished through, among other factors like improved algorithms, the incorporation of blockchain technology.…”

“…THe benefits listed are accomplished through, among other factors like improved algorithms, the incorporation of blockchain technology. An example of its benefits in relation to the costs of vehicles traveling overall based on the number of vehicles moving is shown in Figure 21 [118]. Underlying blockchain was used primarily in security, but also ensured user trust and approval through its extensive past use in known technologies and marked reliability, as well as its transparency in letting users view ongoing transactions in terms of who is sending and receiving information.…”

“…Underlying blockchain was used primarily in security, but also ensured user trust and approval through its extensive past use in known technologies and marked reliability, as well as its transparency in letting users view ongoing transactions in terms of who is sending and receiving information. Its implementation is an absolute necessity in this case, as, without the stability and security it provides, this charging system would be dangerous for its users, and, thus, not a feasible option for implementation [118]. Another example of the use of blockchain-based scheduling optimization in benefiting the energy-exchange process is shown in an article that was presented by Huang et al [119].…”

Economic aspects of automation innovations in electronic transportation management systems

“…(DigLogs project, 2020). Blockchain, as a distributed electronic ledger system (present in the transport chain), enables decentralization, real-time peer-to-peer operation, transparency etc (Fry & Serbera, 2020),(Javed et al, 2020),. which further reduces overall costs in the long run.…”