Integrated Multipurpose Power Electronics Interface for Electric Vehicles

A novel integrated multipurpose power electronics interface (IMPEI) for the new generation of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) is proposed in this article. The IMPEI is a reconfigurable power electronics interface (PEI) that integrates the onboard charger with the drive inverter allowing the same interface to be used for various modes of operation such as propulsion and regenerative braking as well as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and grid-to-vehicle (G2V) operations with grid flexibility. For each mode of operation, the IMPEI is reconfigured into a previously existing power converter topology. The principles of operation and coordination of various modes of operation of the IMPEI are explained in this article. Based on component count, operating modes, and control complexity, a comparison of the IMPEI and recently proposed integrated PEIs (IPEIs) is provided. Specifications of BMW i3 are used as the benchmark for comparing size, cost, and efficiency. This article discusses and validates the experimental results.