Energy-efficient converters for electric vehicle charging stations

Abstract

The rise in the number of electric vehicles used by the consumers is shaping the future for a cleaner and energy-efficient transport electrification. The commercial success of electric vehicles (EVs) relies heavily on the presence of high-efficiency charging stations. This article reviews the design and evaluation of different AC/DC converter topologies of the present status and future implementation plans for DC fast-charging infrastructures. The design and evaluation of these converters are presented, analysed, and compared in terms of output power, component count, power factor, and total harmonic distortion effectiveness and reliability. This paper also evaluates the architecture, merit, and demerits of AC/DC converter topologies for DC fast-charging stations. Based on this analysis, it has found that the Vienna rectifier is the best suitable converter topology for the high-power DC fast-charging infrastructure (> 20 kW), thanks to its low current ripples, low output voltage ripples, high efficiency, high power density, and high reliability. The paper focuses specifically on different topologies of Vienna rectifier topologies on Level-3 DC fast-charging stations which direct to less CO2 emissions in electric vehicle charging stations, thus contributing to sustainable development goals of climatic action.