High-Density Electric Vehicle Charging using Wide Bandgap Semiconductors

With the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) continuing to rise on an astronomical scale, the focus has now shifted to setting up the supporting charging infrastructure. The present EV charging methodology was developed at a time when electrified transportation seemed to be a futuristic fantasy because of which it is incoherent and fragmented, without a shared vision. There arises a need for an overhaul in the approach and to come up with a solution for high-density EV charging that is unique and scalable. This paper discusses an innovative charging scheme that utilizes the advancements in power distribution using wide band gap semiconductors (WBGs). We designed a Solid-State Circuit Breaker (SSCB) using these semiconductors and added vehicle communication protocol to enable EV charging functionality. The ability to control power digitally using SSCB can be leveraged to overcome the challenges associated with setting up wide-scale EV charging infrastructures such as complexity, cost, energy management, maintenance overhead, and scalability.