Electric Vehicle On-board Charger Research Articles

On-Board Chargers for Electric Vehicles: A Comprehensive Performance and Efficiency Review

The transportation industry is experiencing a switch towards electrification. Availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is very critical for broader acceptance of EVs. The increasing use of OBCs, due to their cost-effectiveness and ease of installation, necessitates addressing key challenges. These include achieving high efficiency and power density to overcome space limitations and reduce charging times. Additionally, the growing interest in bidirectional power flow, allowing EVs to supply power back to the grid, highlights the importance of innovative OBC solutions. This review article provides a thorough analysis of the current advancements, challenges, and prospects in EV on-board charger technology. It aims to offer a comprehensive review of OBC architectures, components, technologies, and emerging trends, guiding future research and development. Addressing these challenges is essential to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and integration of OBCs within the broader EV ecosystem.

Integrated on-board electric vehicle battery charger with multifunctional features

ABSTRACT Because of the continuous demand for reliable, efficient, small-size, light weighted, and low-cost Electric Vehicle (EV) battery charging systems, an integrated on-board charger is proposed with a high-power propulsion motor drive. It utilises stator windings of motor, the 6-leg Voltage Source Converter (VSC), DC-DC converter, and feedback sensors to facilitate vehicular battery charging. With this system, soft switching technique based bidirectional isolated DC-DC converter is proposed that offers the advantage of simple circuitry design due to no usage of extra passive or active components. This paper presents mathematical modelling, analysis, and controller design of this proposed configuration under various operating modes. The complete system is developed in Sim Power system toolbox of MATLAB software and tested in real-time environment. The performance investigations of proposed system are carried out for three operating modes like Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V), Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) under Constant Current (CC) and Constant Voltage (CV) battery charging modes. Furthermore, the investigations ensure the system’s excellent efficiency, less THD, and nearly unity power factor operation under all operating conditions.

Soft-switching dual active bridge converter-based bidirectional on-board charger for electric vehicles under vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle control optimization

Electric vehicles (EVs) are rapidly replacing conventional fuel vehicles, offering powerful, emission-free performance. This paper introduces an innovative three-phase bidirectional charger for grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications, strengthening the connection between EVs and the power grid. The charger employs a two-stage power conversion approach with advanced converters and a simplified dq-based charging control strategy. An efficient AC-DC converter facilitates smooth transitions between modes, responding to grid directives for active and reactive power. A soft-switching dual active bridge (SS-DAB) DC-DC converter optimally interfaces with the EV battery pack, while dual active LCL filters suppress harmonics, enhancing system performance. Simulated results confirm the charger’s effectiveness in a 3.5-kW prototype using MATLAB/Simulink. The proposed SS-DAB converter-based bidirectional on-board charger introduces a groundbreaking unified Voltage Source Converter (VSC) control approach, enabling efficient power transfer in both vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and grid-to-vehicle (G2V) modes. This innovation ensures rapid dynamic response, exceptional steady-state performance, and robustness against grid demand changes, optimizing EV integration.

Multifunctional Onboard Charger for Electric Vehicles Integrating a Low-Voltage DC–DC Converter and Solar Roof

Multifunctional Onboard Charger for Electric Vehicles Integrating a Low-Voltage DC–DC Converter and Solar Roof

Soft-switching dual Active Bridge Converter-based Bidirectional On-Board Charger for Electric Vehicles under Vehicle-to-Grid and Grid-to-Vehicle Control Optimization

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are rapidly replacing conventional fuel vehicles, offering powerful, emission-free performance. This paper introduces an innovative three-phase bidirectional charger for Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications, strengthening the connection between EVs and the power grid. The charger employs a two-stage power conversion approach with advanced converters and a simplified dq-based charging control strategy. An efficient AC-DC converter facilitates smooth transitions between modes, responding to grid directives for active and reactive power. A Soft Switching Dual Active Bridge (SS-DAB) DC-DC converter optimally interfaces with the EV battery pack, while dual active LCL filters suppress harmonics, enhancing system performance. Simulated results confirm the charger’s effectiveness in a 3.5kW prototype using MATLAB/Simulink.

Generalized Extended State Observer-Based Model Predictive Control of on-Board Electric Vehicle Charger

Generalized Extended State Observer-Based Model Predictive Control of on-Board Electric Vehicle Charger

Experimental validation of onboard electric vehicle chargers to improve the efficiency of smart charging operation

Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the center of the power and transport sector coupling; however, smart charging is required to not compromise the integrity of the grid. In this work, we propose, test, and validate a method for investigating EV onboard chargers via the OBDII port. We present the charging efficiency and reactive power characteristics of 38 different EV models from the last 11 years. Data show that, due to added losses, smart charging through current modulation can increase global charging energy demand from 1%–10%. In addition, EVs consume a relatively large amount of reactive power at lower currents, and some models violate the power factor limits for the low-voltage grid. Our projections show an efficiency of 88%–95% by 2030 and a saturation between 90%–96% by 2035. Therefore, the newly presented AC-to-DC conversion efficiency values help achieve better results when calculating life cycle assessment, grid integration and energy simulation that consider EVs. Curtailed smart charging can further integrate charging needs by implementing phase balancing and matching with behind-the-meter local generation. Finally, our results urge regulators and automakers to further improve charging technology and legislation based on other technological experiences, e.g. solar inverters.

An Isolated Multiport DC–DC Converter for Integrated Electric Vehicle On-Board Charger

An Isolated Multiport DC–DC Converter for Integrated Electric Vehicle On-Board Charger

Integration of Onboard Charger and Wireless Charging System For Electric Vehicles With Shared Coupler, Compensation, and Rectifier

For electric vehicles (EVs) equipped with an onboard charger (OBC) and a wireless power transfer (WPT) system, there will be two charging systems in the EVs, which increases the cost, weight, and complexity. Based on the proposed design of magnetic couplers, this letter proposes a novel integration method for OBC and WPT systems of EV charging. The isolation transformer of the OBC system can be regarded as two strongly coupled coils. The secondary-side coil, namely the receiving coil, can also be loosely coupled with the transmitting coil of the WPT system. Thus, the receiving coil, the compensation, and the rectifier of both the OBC and WPT systems can be shared. In this way, the EV charging system can be capable of conductive charging and wireless charging while still having the advantages of cost effectiveness and high power density. An experimental prototype is implemented to validate the proposal.

An Improved Topology of Isolated Bidirectional Resonant DC-DC Converter Based on Wide Bandgap Transistors for Electric Vehicle Onboard Chargers

This article proposes an improved topology for an isolated bidirectional resonant DC-DC converter for electric vehicle (EV) onboard chargers. As opposed to the conventional capacitor-inductor-inductor-inductor-capacitor (CLLLC) resonant converter, the proposed converter’s resonant circuit is composed of a capacitor-inductor-inductor-inductor (CLLL) structure, whose inductances, except the capacitor, can be fully integrated with the leakage and mutual inductances of the high-frequency transformer (HF). Therefore, this offers a smaller size, lower costs, minimal power loss, and eventually higher efficiency. Again, the proposed converter design is based on wide bandgap (WBG) transistor switches that operate at MHz-level switching frequency to achieve high power density, high efficiency, and high compactness. A discrete-time proportional integral derivative (PID) controller has been designed using the phase-shifted pulse width modulation (PSPWM) technique to assure closed-loop control of the proposed CLLL converter. The PID controller parameters have been optimized using both the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and a comparative analysis has been presented between the two algorithms. To achieve fast switching with very little switching loss, the converter is simulated with several wide bandgap (WBG) switching devices. A performance comparison with conventional Si-based switching devices is also provided. A precise power loss model of the semiconductor switches has been devised from the manufacturer’s datasheet to achieve a perfect thermal design for the converter. A 5 kW CLLL converter with an input range of 400–460 V direct current (DC) and an output range of 530–610 V DC, and a switching frequency of 1 MHz has been designed and investigated under various loading scenarios. Gallium nitride (GaN) switching device-based designs achieved the highest levels of efficiency among the switching devices. The efficiency of this device is 97.40 percent in charging mode and 96.67 percent in discharging mode.

A Bidirectional Onboard Charger With Multistep Constant Current Charging Capability

This article realizes a bidirectional onboard charger (OBC) for light electric vehicles (LEVs), with multistep-constant-current (MSCC) charging capability. In this MSCC charging operation, the battery current is reduced during the peak-load hours and resumes the rated charging operation amid the off-peak load hours. Since this MSCC operation is a wide load range operation, the controllers of the front-end converter (FEC) and back-end converter are modified. In this context, a Hermite polynomial-derived functional link neural network (H-FLNN)-based deadbeat predictive current controller (DPCC) is introduced to improve the performance of the FEC of the OBC. Moreover, the HFLNN-based DPCC for the FEC regulates the grid current quality during MSCC and distinct operating conditions such as grid voltage sag and swell, distorted grid voltage, and the presence of dc offset error in the measured grid voltage. A laboratory prototype of a 1.1-kW rating is developed to verify the efficacy of the H-FLNN DPCC to keep the grid current power quality (PQ) within the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)-61000-3-2 standard throughout the operation. Moreover, the effectiveness of the design is verified amid the grid voltage sag and swell and distinct operating conditions. The experimental analysis depicts that the rated efficiency of the developed laboratory prototype is 90.18% and the analytical power density is 64.16 W/in3. Furthermore, the vehicle to grid (V2G) operation validates the satisfactory design of OBC for bidirectional operation. At last, the comparison of the presented system with existing systems is given to summarize the advantages of the presented system over the existing systems.

Cyber Attack Detection and Classification for Integrated On-board Electric Vehicle Chargers subject to Stochastic Charging Coordination

Cyber-physical system (CPS) of EV on-board chargers is connected to an IOT-based communication network for coordinated control, which is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This charging coordination control incorporating hundreds of EVs and associated charging sessions, feed in a stochastic reference input to energy management system (EMS) of on-board EV chargers. Hence, under these varying operating conditions, a pure data-driven-based detection model can experience a disturbance detection failure. Therefore, a model predictive control (MPC) based machine learning (ML) network, integrated with a residual based training data pre-processing is proposed in this paper. This MPC based ML approach can effectively detect a tempered response while addressing the aleatory behaviour of cooperative control with enhanced disturbance detection accuracy. The proposed model utilizing various system level signals can also efficiently classify a normal condition, cyber-attack, and a physical fault. The superior performance of the proposed approach is validated by using different case study scenarios of training datasets.

Experimental Validation of Onboard Electric Vehicle Chargers to Improve the Efficiency of Smart Charging Operation

Experimental Validation of Onboard Electric Vehicle Chargers to Improve the Efficiency of Smart Charging Operation

A PCB-Embedded 1.2 kV SiC MOSFET Half-Bridge Package for a 22 kW AC–DC Converter

This article presents the design and analysis of a double-side-cooled printed circuit board (PCB) embedded silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET half-bridge package with low loop inductances and an integrated gate driver. The 1.2 kV SiC MOSFET dies used in the half-bridge package are embedded in the PCB using AT&S's patented technique. The dies are cooled and electrically connected to traces in the PCB through copper-filled microvias. The design methodology accounts for both electrical and thermal performance, limiting the power-loop inductance to 2.3 nH and the maximum package temperature to less than the 175 °C limit. The integration of the gate drive circuitry allows for a high power density and 2.2 nH gate-loop inductances. At 0.12 K/W, the measured junction-to-case thermal resistance with double-sided cooling is 57% lower than that of a TO-247 package. Under similar operating conditions, the PCB-embedded half-bridge package also achieves a 5.6 times lower voltage overshoot and a 0.5% higher peak efficiency than a TO-247-based half-bridge. This article reports the first demonstration of PCB-embedded 1.2 kV SiC MOSFET packages in buck, boost, and ac–dc converters. The prototype three-phase ac–dc converter for an electric vehicle on-board charger is composed of six PCB-embedded half-bridge packages and achieves an efficiency of 98.2% and a power density of 182 W/in <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sup> .

Research on Single-Phase and Three-Phase Compatible Isolated On-Board Charger and Control Technology

This paper presents a single-phase and three-phase compatible isolated on-board charger for electric vehicles. The charger is compatible with the single-phase and three-phase AC voltage input and is composed of two-stage circuits. Based on the three-phase six-switch power factor correction (PFC) circuit, by switching on and off, the front stage is transformed into a cascade topology of a totem-pole PFC circuit and boost circuit. The rear stage is a full-bridge LLC resonant converter. In the single-phase or three-phase working mode, the front-stage control strategy is a double closed-loop control. The current inner loop controller is improved for the three-phase six-switch PFC circuit. The PI controller and repetitive controller are connected in parallel to form the current inner loop compound controller, which can effectively reduce the total harmonic distortion of the input current. By using simulation software MATLAB/Simulink, the circuit model was built. The simulation results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis.

Pre- and Post-Fault Operations of Six-Phase Electric-Drive-Reconstructed Onboard Charger for Electric Vehicles

The concept of electric-drive-reconstructed onboard charger (EDROC) potentially opens the door to harness the existing drivetrain in electric vehicle (EV) to do the job of battery charger, thus performing a remarkable value in commerce. In this article, the pre- and post-fault operations of an EDROC are studied, which incorporates an asymmetrical six-phase permanent magnet synchronous machine (ASPMSM) drive. At first, the decomposed currents of the machine in healthy and faulty cases are solved and their trajectories are depicted, indicating that a rotating field will exist if an open-phase fault (OPF) occurs. Afterward, a rotating field cancellation scheme based on the minimum copper loss criterion is proposed by rearranging stator currents, with two constraints under consideration that are responsible for generating pulsating field and balanced grid currents, respectively. Following this, a control scheme shared for both pre- and post-fault conditions is proposed, where the carrier-based modulation without any zero-sequence signal injection is employed. Finally, the proposed rotating field cancellation scheme is verified by experimental results.

Electric-Drive-Reconstructed Onboard Charger for Solar-Powered Electric Vehicles Incorporating Six-Phase Machine

In this article, a novel electric-drive-reconstructed onboard charger (EDROC) is proposed for the solar-powered electric vehicle that incorporates a six-phase machine drive. The power traction inverter and the machine are re-leveraged to implement charging operation, further minimizing the incremental mass accordingly. In particular, charging and driving operations can be simultaneously carried out via the vehicle-roof photovoltaic panels, significantly expanding EV mileage range. First, the operation scenario and the topology of the proposed EDROC are introduced. Next, the operational principle is analyzed, as well as the indispensable conditions for safe and stable operation are studied. Thereafter, control schemes are designed and elaborated in terms of the simultaneous driving and charging mode and the dc charging mode. To this end, a 2-kW laboratory prototype is conducted, and experimental results are presented to verify the steady-state and dynamic behavior of the proposed EDROC system under different operation modes.

Design of Modified Luo Converter for Electric Vehicle Battery Charger

Higher energy and battery efficiency are now major concerns for Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturers and consumers. The main component of the two-stage EV on-board charger is the DC-DC converter. The phase displacement of full-bridge to operate the switch at either zero voltage or zero current in a power switch DC-DC converter, currently has issues such as voltage variation on the consequent side, which is secondary of the transformer, and it implies poor performances. Power Factor Correction (PFC) converters used in modern EV chargers achieve high performance and adequacy throughout charging. A modified luo converter is designed to achieve high efficiency in EV charging. A luo converter is a type of PFC that is commonly used as a converter of DC to DC with improved voltage regulation in the presence of rapidly changing line voltages. In this aimed work, a reformed separate Luo converter-based electric vehicle charger is developed. To suppress voltage oscillations, two devices which means switches and two clipping diodes are connected at the elementary side in the detachment of High Frequency Transformer (HFT). The Luo converter handles Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM) of operation, decreases control complexity, and keeps converter's output constant. In the feedback system, the Constant Current and Constant Voltage (CC-CV) mode technique is used in conjunction with the PI controller to improve competence and reduce transmission leakage. The proposed system's performance is evaluated by applying in MATLAB/SIMULINK software, and the outcomes are promising.

An Overview on Fault Management for Electric Vehicle Onboard Chargers

Onboard charging systems (OBCs) convert AC power from an external charging source into a DC voltage used to charge the battery pack of an electric vehicle (EV). OBCs are versatile since they can convert energy from almost every AC source, including standard household electrical receptacles, without needing wall chargers or charging stations. Since the same motor-drive electronics are reconfigured for onboard charging, weight and cost barely increase. However, the power quality and reliability of the OBCs are essential elements for proper grid interconnection. This article reviews the failures of power electronic converters that can be used for onboard charging and their most prominent fault-tolerance techniques. The various fault-tolerance methods are evaluated and compared in terms of complexity, cost, and performance to provide insights for future developments and research directions.

A novel high‐gain bidirectional DC–DC converter for EV onboard charger applications

AbstractIn electric vehicle (EV) onboard applications, the bidirectional DC‐DC converter is proposed in this paper to interface low terminal voltage battery with DC bus of the motor. The proposed bidirectional DC–DC converter is configured based on a ladder switching network of inductors and a capacitor. Due to this configuration, the proposed converter has a simple structure, and it can archive high voltage gain with fewer components. A detailed comparative analysis is presented to verify the uniqueness and superiority of the proposed topology. Furthermore, the detailed steady‐state analysis and working principles are presented in this paper. Finally, the 300‐W prototype is built, and the experimental results are presented to verify the performance and feasibility of the proposed bidirectional converter.