Research
Research
The growing concern regarding global warming and carbon emissions has prompted a significant transformation in the transportation sector, with traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) being replaced by electric vehicles (EVs). Over the past decade, the adoption of EVs has seen an exponential increase, making it crucial to establish the necessary energy availability and charging infrastructure to accommodate this widespread adoption. Nevertheless, EVs face a crucial challenge in the form of range anxiety, which is aggravated by high charging times and operational limitations associated with low-voltage network charging dynamics When charging EVs from a low-voltage network, the charging duration is prolonged, and the performance capabilities suffer due to the uneven charging patterns of EV. To address this issue, the concept of ultra-fast charging (UFC) comes into play, offering a compelling solution that benefits both manufacturers and customers alike. A UFC infrastructure emulates the refuelling convenience of ICEVs by minimizing the charging time to just a few minutes. This breakthrough makes investing in EVs highly appealing, encouraging their widespread adoption and cementing their position as a viable alternative to ICEV. The expected outcome of proposed research is to develop a charger topology that charges an EV within 10 minutes or less time.
As per the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851 standard, EV charging systems are categorized into four levels: Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. Except Level 1, all levels require a dedicated Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Level 4 corresponds to DC-UFC, capable of charging EVs within 10 to 15 minutes. UFC is available for fully electric EVs; plug-in hybrid EVs cannot be recharged using UFC. In accordance with the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, UFC EVs are vehicles that can travel more than 160 km with just 10 minutes of charging.
Research Objectives
The long-term objective of the research is to have a developed functional power electronic system architecture that will be capable of servicing multiple EVs at UFC levels. The SoC of the EV battery should increase from 20% to 80% in a span of 10 minutes or less. The proposed converter should be highly efficient and have a better controllable interface with the electric grid. It should be able to support wide range of battery voltages. Further, the system should also lend itself well to real-time implementation.
To evaluate and identify the performance parameters of electric vehicle charging station of existing techniques.
To develop power electronics converter and its control for Ultra-fast electric vehicle charging.
To evaluate the proposed converter with control under different operating conditions of Electric Vehicle.
To compare the operation of ultra-fast charging system with conventional techniques.
To calculate the life of the proposed Ultra-Fast Charging system.