Optimal Planning of Charging Stations in Coupled Transportation and Power Networks Based on User Equilibrium Conditions

In this article, we propose a new bi-level approach for the location and sizing of charging stations (CSs) based on the integration of power distribution and traffic networks. At the lower level, the user choices and the energy demands are modeled through the user equilibrium (UE) traffic assignment conditions that are derived for the case of electric vehicles (EVs). At the higher level, an optimization problem is formalized for the optimal planning of locations, sizes, and unit prices of a set of new charging stations in a territory, which embeds the UE conditions and the power flow model as constraints. The main novelties lie in the integration of traffic and electric networks, the optimization problem formalization, and the inclusion of detailed electrical issues [such as the complete alternating current (AC) power flow equations and the modeling of CSs with different phases]. The developed model has been applied to a case study in the Genoa Municipality.