Optimal Approach to Provide Electric Vehicles with Charging Service by Using Mobile Charging Stations in Heterogeneous Networks

Abstract

Mobile charging stations (MCSs) can provide electric vehicles (EVs) with better charging services than the fixed charging stations, as the flexible and efficient charging sites can be available. However, how to schedule the tasks from the EVs and optimally place the MCSs becomes a new challenge. Therefore, in this paper we present a novel approach to help EVs$^{'}$ charging with MCSs through heterogeneous networks. Firstly, a novel heterogeneous network model is presented to improve the communication between EVs and MCSs by using macro cells and small cells. Next, a novel model is developed to make optimal decisions for MCSs to schedule the tasks from EVs. Then, a chaotic evolution particle swarm optimization (CEPSO) algorithm is presented to determine the optimal placement of MCSs based on the charging demand and the maintenance cost. Finally, the simulation experiments prove that the proposed approach can outperform the conventional methods.