Design and Development of a Novel Photovoltaic Based High-Efficiency Charging Infrastructure for Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

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As shortage of petroleum is considered as one of the most critical world-wide issues, costly fuel becomes a major challenge for customers. Currently, the most promising and practical solution lies in practically available electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs/PHEVs). An EV/PHEV can reduce fuel consumption by charging its battery from the utility grid. The typical battery charging time for EVs/PHEVs is 6-8 hours. The required charging energy will have a huge impact on the utility. Alternatively, photovoltaic (PV) panels could be used for charging PHEVs or EVs during work hours or at home. This project will chiefly incorporate the modeling, sizing, designing, and implementation of an appropriate power electronics intensive, high-efficiency, single-stage PV/grid based charging infrastructure for EVs/PHEVs. The novel charging infrastructure being proposed in this project will also be universal and smart in nature, whereby EV/PHEV batteries of different chemistries as well as charging rates can be accommodated. The designed charging infrastructure will support both Level 1 as well as Level 2 EV charging. According to SAE J1772 standards, DC charging of EVs can be performed at 200-450 V DC, 36 kW, and 80 A (DC Level 1), and up to 200 A, 90 kW (DC Level 2). The project also targets the design of a novel smart on-board power electronics energy management system, for EV/PHEV battery systems. Thus, this specific project initiates the creation of a new state-of-the-art EV/PHEV testing and development facility, which is rare to find within a university environment in Canada. The project has the potential to be expanded to various new research areas of renewable energy and electric vehicles, which will definitely attract the best and brightest graduate students from around the globe. The students graduating from this program will be well-equipped for a secure job in a specialized industry, requiring sophisticated knowledge of EV/PHEV design.