Flexible Power for Future Zero-Emissions Shipping and Delivery

在一个中等规模的北美城市，人们每年开车10亿公里购买商品和食物，导致超过30万吨的温室气体（GHG）排放。研究表明，转向网上购物和送货上门的潜在好处是，排放量减少高达87%。最后一英里的运输（在城市内，供应链的最后一个环节）贡献了这些排放量的50%。为了应对这一问题，政府和公司设想了交付的电气化，使用从卡车到小型机器人的电动汽车。此外，COVID-19加速了这一趋势。增加使用电动汽车交付的机会可以抵消温室气体排放，减少驾驶和减少交通。实现零排放运输和交付的两个关键要素是：1）用于交付电动汽车的超高效快速充电器和车载电源转换，2）专用供电基础设施。该计划旨在为未来的货物交付提供灵活的电池充电基础设施。短期目标是研究和原型先进的充电基础设施，以实现零排放的包裹递送。这必须是灵活和可扩展的，部署在战略位置，并根据季节性需求或意外事件（如COVID-19导致的电子商务增长）进行调整。该计划的创新部分是使用新型拓扑结构、半导体和架构来实现智能操作模式，包括车对车（V2 V）和车对网（V2 G）。最后，具体的研发将确定充电设施的固定存储的最佳大小和使用，以抵消高峰负荷。长期研究的目标是实施城市规模的充电系统，实现零排放的货物交付，目标明确：加速家庭交付系统的电气化，并大幅减少温室气体排放;部署技术，将储能（EV）整合到电网中，以缓解高峰消费并平滑可再生资源的不稳定性;通过更换汽车和驾驶来减少污染，方便获得货物。该计划的结果将允许企业灵活地扩展和利用资产，降低电动汽车车队的拥有成本。该计划的目标是在能源存储和电动汽车领域的HQP培训，同时为加拿大工业开发知识产权。预计各级电动汽车充电基础设施对工程师的高需求，它将为加拿大提供具有强大研发技能的毕业生。该计划通过加速减少温室气体排放和为电动汽车提供关键基础设施，符合政府的科技战略。这是一个前所未有的时代（COVID大流行），电子商务和货物交付急剧加速。该计划符合NSERC的目标，带来原创性和创新，以解决现代社会中这一紧迫的领域和机会。

In a medium size North American city, people drive collectively one billon kilometers yearly to acquire goods and food, leading to over 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Studies show the potential benefit of switching to online shopping and home delivery, with up to 87% reduction in emissions. Last-mile transportation (within the city, the last link in the supply chain) contributes up to 50% of those emissions. In response to this, governments and companies envision the electrification of delivery, using EVs from trucks to small robots. Further, COVID-19 has accelerated this trend. This opportunity to increase use of EVs for delivery can offset GHG emission, reduce driving, and curtail traffic. Two elements are critical to realize a Zero-Emissions Shipping and Delivery: 1) ultra-efficient fast chargers and on-board power conversion for delivery EVs, 2) a dedicated powering infrastructure. This program addresses flexible battery charging infrastructure for the future of goods delivery. The short-term objectives are to research and prototype advanced charging infrastructures that will enable zero-emissions parcel delivery. This has to be flexible and scalable, to be deployed at strategic locations and to adjust to seasonal demand or unexpected events (such as e-commerce growth due to COVID-19). The innovative part of this program is the use of novel topologies, semiconductor, and architectures to enable intelligent operating modes including Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). Finally, specific R&D will define optimal size and usage of stationary storage at the charging facilities to offset peak loads. The long-term research aims to the implementation of city-scale charging systems that enable zero-emissions delivery of goods with a clear set of goals: accelerate the electrification of home-delivery systems and provide significant reduction in GHG emissions; deploy technologies to integrate energy storage (EVs) into the electric grid to mitigate peak consumption and smooth the intermittence of renewable resources; facilitate access to goods with reduced pollution by replacing cars and driving. The results of this program will allow business flexible scaling and utilization of assets, decreasing the cost of ownership of EV fleets. The program targets HQP training in the area of energy storage and EVs while developing IP for Canadian industries. Anticipating the high demand for engineers at all levels of EV charging infrastructure, it will deliver graduates with strong R&D skills to Canada. The program fits into the government's strategy on science and technology by accelerating the reduction of GHG emissions and providing key infrastructure for EVs. This is an unprecedented time (COVID pandemic) with dramatic acceleration of e-commerce and goods delivery. The program meets NSERC's objectives by bringing originality and innovation to address this pressing area and opportunity in modern society.