Control of integrated single-phase PFC charger for EVs

• Published in: IET power electronics 2018-09, Vol.11 (11), p.1804-1812
• Main Authors: Truntič, Mitja, Konjedic, Tine, Milanovič, Miro, Šlibar, Primož, Rodič, Miran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: batteries; battery charger; battery chargers; battery powered vehicles; boost; buck; converter structure; electric current control; electric motor; electric vehicle; electric vehicles; EV's power‐train system; harmonic distortion; input current control strategy; integrated single‐phase PFC charger; invertors; microcontrollers; motor inverter; PFC; power factor; power factor correction; power factor correction capability; Research Article; smooth operating mode transitions; three‐phase inverter
• ISSN: 1755-4535; 1755-4543; 1755-4543
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-pel.2017.0663

This study discusses a converter structure appropriate for charging the batteries of an electric vehicle (EV). The structure is obtained by a transformation of a conventional three-phase inverter, which is already present in an EV's power-train system. Since the motor inverter's semiconductor components and the electric motor's windings form the battery charger's circuit, a reduction in the power-train system's size and weight is achievable. The proposed fully integrated battery charger operates alternately in two modes, buck and boost, while providing power factor (PF) correction capability continuously. This study also proposes an input current control strategy that ensures smooth operating mode transitions, which occur during the operation of a battery charger. The control is entirely implemented within a microcontroller and ensures operation with a high PF and low total harmonic distortion of the input current. The performance of the discussed converter using the proposed control scheme was verified experimentally.