Solar PV and grid based isolated converter for plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

In this research work, a multipurpose power electronic interface (PEI) competent of utilising dual sources during charging process has been proposed for plug-in electric vehicles. Based on the requirement, the battery can either be charged from solar photovoltaic (SPV) or from the grid. Moreover, when charged from an SPV source, converter can extract highest available power with maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The intrinsic novelty of the proposed PEI is that no additional components/switches are employed to achieve dual sources in charging or for MPPT. The proposed PEI consists of a converter derived from a conventional isolated secondary ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC). It is designed to operate effectively in all vehicular modes (charging, propulsion (PP) and regenerative braking (RB)). During battery charging from the grid and SPV, it operates as isolated SEPIC. While, in PP and RB, it operates as a flyback converter. Therefore, the proposed converter keeps isolation in each mode, which results in better safety for battery as well as vehicle users. Further, all vehicular modes are achieved through a single converter. As a result, compactness of the charger increases and making it best solution for on-board battery charging application.