Fast Charging for Electric Vehicles: Power Converter Topologies and their Control Methods

The paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art power electronic converters for EV off-board chargers. The authors emphasize the importance of developing high-power, low-cost, and reliable charging solutions for EV batteries, which are essential for the wide-scale adoption of EVs. The paper highlights the advantages of using off-board chargers for DC fast and ultra-fast charging. These chargers are located outside the vehicle, which reduces the weight and volume of the EV. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the current state-of-the-art topologies and control methods of DC-DC power stages for off-board chargers. The authors discuss various techniques used to improve the efficiency and performance of these power stages, such as soft-switching, interleaving, and resonant converters. The paper also highlights ongoing progress in the development of off-board chargers and control methods. Finally, the paper identifies several challenges in developing EV off-board chargers, such as thermal management, reliability, and safety. The authors discuss potential solutions to these challenges and suggest future research directions in the field of EV charging. Overall, the paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art power electronic converters for EV off-board chargers, highlighting ongoing progress and challenges in the field.