Designing & Analyzing an EV Battery Charger with Enhanced Power Quality

Abstract

The typical two-stage battery charger for Electric Vehicles (EVs) usually includes a front-end rectifier-powered switch mode power supply (SMPS). When EVs are connected to the utility grid, they cause harmonic currents in the AC lines. The presence of harmonics leads to voltage distortion, heating, and noise, ultimately diminishing the line’s capacity. The design of a battery charger for an EV must aim to alleviate stress on the utility grid by minimizing total harmonic distortion (THD). Incorporating active power factor correction (PFC) with the front-end converter serves to lessen the phase difference between input current and voltage, and also decreases line current harmonics to comply with the specified IEC 61000-3-2 power quality (PQ) standard for EV battery chargers. This study entails the design and analysis of an EV battery charger with PFC. The simulation model of the EV battery charger is created using MATLAB Simulation software. The paper’s discussion of design and analysis provides guidance for enhancing the performance of an EV battery charger with a PFC regulator.