Feasibility Study and Environmental Footprint of a Single-Stage Isolated AC-to-DC Battery Charger Solution for EVs.

Research Project, 2025

Charging a vehicle battery today requires multiple conversions between alternating and direct currents. Each conversion stage involves several electrical components and serves a specific purpose. This project aims to eliminate one of the conversion stages without compromising the charger's functionality. Removing a conversion stage very likely improve efficiency, will reduce the component count, very likely increase power density, and very likely lower the charger's environmental footprint.

This study primarily focuses on the onboard chargers of electric vehicles. However, the concept is not limited to onboard chargers, instead it is usable for offboard charges as well as other applications requiring rectification for specific dc-voltage levels. In this project, we will evaluate the proposed charger's performance to validate improvements in efficiency and power density. The goal is to determine whether eliminating a conversion stage is beneficial from multiple perspectives.