A relevant inrush current limitation based on SCRs’ smart control used in EV battery chargers

Abstract

In this article, an active inrush current limiter based on the phase shift control of silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs) is proposed. These SCRs are used in medium power AC-DC converters (up to 3.7 kW) for electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. The control strategy consists in adjusting the triggering delay of SCRs both to limit the peak value of inrush current spikes and accelerate the charge of the DC-link capacitor of the converter. A modeling of the AC-DC converter, based on mathematical calculations, is necessary to implement the control strategy of the SCRs. Experimental test results demonstrate the robustness of the method, and confirm the modeling results.