Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicle Dispatch with Mobility and Distribution System Resilience Benefits

Shared autonomous electric vehicles (SAEVs) can provide on demand transportation for passengers while also interacting extensively with the electric distribution system. This interaction is especially beneficial after a disaster when the large battery capacity of the fleet can be used to restore critical electric loads. This study develops a dispatch policy that balances the need to continue serving passengers (especially critical workers) and the ability to transfer energy across the network. Power flows are modeled using the LinDistFlow model, while transportation network is incorporated through a queuing model. The resulting model predictive control algorithm is examined in simulation to demonstrate the ability of vehicles to balance these competing objectives with benefits to both systems.