Medium Voltage Direct Current Distribution System for an Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Park

Abstract

There is an increasing shift towards the electrification of automobiles to meet zero-emission standards set by many nations. As electric vehicles become more common, their power demand on the power system becomes greater. A substantial modernization or upgrade of the current distribution power grid is required to meet such demand. Since most Level 3 fast chargers utilize DC power, medium voltage direct current (MVDC) provides a feasible alternative to the present AC distribution infrastructure. This study proposes an MVDC distribution model for powering a large EV park consisting of 40 EV charging stations with a 9.6-MW total power demand. Calculation and simulation are used to evaluate the model and compare it with an equivalent MVAC system. The outcomes show that implementing an MVDC distribution system is an efficient approach to meeting the increasing power demand for electric vehicles. The proposed 40-kV MVDC system power loss (13.1kW) is six times lower than that of the equivalent MVAC system (89.74kW). Further, since MVDC systems do not require AC step-down transformers and AC/DC converters at the equipment end, they can be a lower-cost option for powering large EV charging parks. The findings help enhance EV charging infrastructure, which expedites the adoption of EVs for reducing carbon emissions in the transportation sector.